Spotlight — search
Built into macOS and free. Press ⌘ Space, type, and it searches apps, files, and actions. In Tahoe it also shows an Apps view (⌘1) — an alphabetical, auto-categorized list. Great when you know the name.
Facet vs Spotlight.
In macOS 26 (Tahoe), Spotlight became the app launcher — its Applications view replaced Launchpad. But Spotlight is search-first: no custom folders, no pages, no saved layout. Facet keeps what Spotlight dropped — the visual grid you browse and organize. Here’s the honest side-by-side.
The core difference.
Facet — browse
A full visual grid of your apps with custom folders, pages, and Launchpad layout import. Open, scan, click. Great when you recognize an app by icon or where you put it — not its exact name.
Feature comparison.
| Need | Facet | Spotlight (Tahoe) |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Visual app grid (Launchpad-style) | System search + Apps view |
| Visual app grid | Yes — full grid | Apps view is a list/grid, search-first |
| Custom folders | Yes | No — auto categories only |
| Custom pages & order | Yes, drag to arrange | No manual reordering |
| Saved layout | Yes, remembered | No saved layout |
| Launchpad layout import | Yes | No |
| Typed search | Yes, search & launch | Yes — system-wide |
| File & web search | Apps focus | Yes — its strength |
| Price | Free core; Pro $7.50 through September 8, 2026 ($14.99 regular price) | Free, built in |
| Best fit | Visual browsing & organization | Typed search across the system |
Based on macOS Tahoe (macOS 26) behavior: Spotlight gained Browse Modes including an Applications view (⌘1) that replaced Launchpad. Sources: Apple Support — Browse Modes in Spotlight; Apple Newsroom (macOS Tahoe 26, June 2025).
Why Spotlight isn’t a Launchpad replacement.
Spotlight is excellent at what it does — typed search across apps, files, and actions. But the Apps view that replaced Launchpad is a search-first floating list. It auto-sorts apps alphabetically into fixed categories, and that’s it: you can’t make custom folders, can’t build pages, can’t drag icons into the order you want, and it doesn’t remember a layout. The spatial memory that made Launchpad fast — “my design tools are on page 2, bottom-left” — has no equivalent in Spotlight.
Facet fills exactly that gap. It keeps Spotlight’s search habit available, but adds back the browse-first grid: custom folders, pages, a layout that stays put, and a one-time import of your old Launchpad arrangement so you don’t rebuild from scratch.
Which should you use?
Use Spotlight if
You launch apps by typing their name, and you mostly want fast system-wide search for files, apps, and actions — at no cost.
Use Facet if
You miss the Launchpad grid, organize apps into folders, and want a visual launcher with a layout you control.
Use both (recommended)
Spotlight for typed search, Facet for the visual app grid. They don’t conflict — they cover the two halves of launching.
Related guides.
Facet vs Raycast
Facet vs Alfred
macOS Tahoe Launchpad
Sources and verification.
Spotlight’s Applications grid, list, category filters, and keyboard navigation are documented by Apple in View and open apps on Mac. Its wider files, actions, web, and clipboard scope comes from Apple’s Spotlight search guide. Facet claims are verified from the current app and repository.