FREE TOOLS

Flow Launcher: free open source app and file launcher for Windows

By AiCoN | Published 20 October 2026 | Sources checked 20 October 2026

Flow Launcher says it is free and open-source software, a quick file search and app launcher for Windows.

Official app preview

Flow Launcher publisher example of searching Visual Studio applications — Official Flow Launcher website illustration showing application search results. Credit: Flow-Launcher, copyright 2020, MIT License; original source. The licence does not grant trademark rights in third-party application icons. Original image unaltered, displayed smaller. Screenshot version is not verified; this is a publisher example, not an AiCoN search or plugin test. Official source. Open original 1225 × 689 image. Media checked 23 October 2026. Independent guide, not sponsored.

What it is

Flow Launcher is a small search box for Windows. You press a hotkey (Alt+Space by default, per its site), type a few letters, and open an app, find a file, search the web or run a command. Its site calls it "Quick File Search & App Launcher for Windows".

Is it free?

Yes, per the project. Its website says "Flow Launcher is a free and open-source software". The GitHub project lists the MIT licence and takes sponsorships, which are optional. No price appears on the pages we read, so there is nothing to convert to rupees.

What the site lists

Open apps and search files, using Everything or Windows Search to find files and file contents.
Web searches, browser bookmark search, a calculator and Windows Settings search.
System commands such as restart, sleep or shutdown, and shell commands (batch and PowerShell).
A plugin store with community-made plugins, plus themes and a customisable hotkey.

Good to know, per Flow Launcher

The site shows v2.1.4, dated 20 September 2026, and GitHub lists the same release.
The README lists a Windows 10+ installer, a portable ZIP, and installs through winget, Scoop and Chocolatey.
The README says Windows may warn about security because the code is not signed. It says that if you downloaded from its repository, "you are good to continue the set up".
It warns that only official channels are trustworthy for downloads, and to watch for look-alike domains.
Plugins are made by the community. Each plugin is someone else's code.

Our advice

Download only from flowlauncher.com or the GitHub releases page the README links.
Add plugins sparingly and read what each one does before installing. We did not review any plugin.
The shell command feature can run commands as administrator. Use it only for commands you understand.

Privacy and data

We found no privacy statement for the program on the pages we read, and make no claim on what data it collects. It stores your saved settings in a user data folder on your computer, per the README.
Some features, such as web searches and plugins, use the internet by nature.

India

No region limit appears on the pages we read. We did not test it from India.

Source code

The GitHub project Flow-Launcher/Flow.Launcher is under the MIT licence and has about 15,800 stars, per its GitHub page.

AiCoN checkRead the Flow Launcher home page, the GitHub page and its README on 20 October 2026. We did not install or run it.

Frequently asked questions

Is Flow Launcher free?

Yes. Its site calls it free and open-source software, and the GitHub project is under the MIT licence.

Does it work on Mac or Linux?

No. The pages we read describe it as a launcher for Windows.

Is it safe to install?

We did not test it. Its README says Windows may show a security warning because the code is not signed, and advises downloading only from official channels.

Sources: flowlauncher.com, GitHub, README. Checked 20 October 2026.

Official homepage, project README and website repository licence rechecked 23 October 2026. Windows application/file search remains advertised. Official-source, unsigned-installer and community-plugin cautions retain their original wording; no security or plugin test was performed. Other claims retain their original source-check date. Original publication date is unchanged.