Head-to-head · cool-desk.com

CoolDeskPowerToys

PowerToys Run (Alt+Space) is the launcher inside Microsoft's free PowerToys utility suite — open source, plugin-based, and genuinely fast for launching apps and finding files on Windows.

CoolDesk starts from a different problem: not "how do I launch an app fast" but "how do I get back to what I was doing." It groups tabs, apps, links and notes into project workspaces, and its browser extension makes tabs and history searchable — territory PowerToys Run doesn't cover. And it runs on macOS too, where PowerToys doesn't exist.

Deciding between the two, or wondering whether PowerToys Run already covers what you need? The honest comparison below should settle it quickly.

01 · The short answer

Skip the reading — which one is for you?

Pick PowerToys if…

  • You want a free, open-source Windows launcher with a strong plugin ecosystem
  • You already use (or want) the rest of the PowerToys suite — FancyZones, PowerRename and the rest
  • You don't need your browser tabs or multi-app projects to be searchable or grouped

Pick CoolDesk if…

  • You juggle several projects and want tabs, apps, links and notes to come back together, one keystroke
  • You want your browser — tabs, history, bookmarks — searchable from the same bar
  • You want the same launcher on macOS as well as Windows

02 · The difference

Where CoolDesk pulls ahead

It remembers your projects

PowerToys Run launches one thing at a time from a blank state. CoolDesk groups tabs, apps, links and notes into workspaces — switch projects and everything comes back where you left it.

It searches inside your browser

PowerToys Run has no concept of browser tabs or history. CoolDesk's extension makes tabs, history and bookmarks first-class results across Chrome, Edge and Brave.

It exists on macOS too

PowerToys is Windows-only, tied to the Win32 utility model. CoolDesk treats Windows and macOS as equally first-class.

One thing, done well

PowerToys Run is one module in a suite of 10+ utilities — powerful, but general-purpose. CoolDesk is built specifically around project switching and browser-deep search.

03 · The scoreboard

Side by side

PowerToysCoolDesk
PlatformsWindows onlyWindows + macOS
PriceFree, open sourceFree
SetupOne install (full PowerToys suite)One install
Project workspaces—Core concept
Browser tabs, history & bookmarks—Built in
Plugin ecosystemYes — community plugins—
Other utilities bundledFancyZones, PowerRename, Awake & more—
Your dataLocal100% local

04 · Credit where it's due

What PowerToys does brilliantly

Free, open source, built and maintained by Microsoft
A genuinely useful plugin ecosystem — calculator, shell commands, registry, window walker, unit converter
Part of a bigger utility suite — FancyZones, PowerRename, Awake and more in one install
Lightweight and fast, with no cloud dependency at all

No point pretending otherwise — if these are what you need, PowerToys is excellent at them.

05 · Common questions

Still deciding?

Can I use CoolDesk and PowerToys together?

Yes — they bind different hotkeys and solve different problems. Plenty of people keep PowerToys Run (and the rest of the suite) for quick launches and utilities, and use CoolDesk for project switching and browser-deep search.

Is CoolDesk open source like PowerToys?

CoolDesk isn't open source the way PowerToys is, but it shares the same local-first philosophy — everything stays on your device, no account required.

Does CoolDesk replace the rest of the PowerToys suite?

No — FancyZones, PowerRename and PowerToys' other utilities do jobs CoolDesk doesn't touch. CoolDesk specifically replaces the "find and launch" half (PowerToys Run) and adds project workspaces and browser search on top.

Round over

Try it in two minutes

CoolDesk is free, needs no sign-in, and runs alongside PowerToys — nothing to migrate, nothing to lose.

Get CoolDesk Free