Top 5 application launchers for Windows 10/11

Winstep Nexus Dock (recommended)

Winstep Nexus Dock is an interesting program as far as application launchers go. Not only is it cross-platforms, but it is also very easy to manage.

You can add as many programs as you want to it, and the only thing you need to worry about is memorizing the key-binding to each of them.

Of course, if you do forget them, you could always just click the program’s respective icon.

Pros:

• Cross-platform program
• Comes with a short tutorial
• Clean interface

Cons:

• Comes with moderate-to-high memory requirements

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Listary

If you’re looking for simplicity and not something flashy, then Listary is just the right app launcher that you need on your PC.

probably the most professional-oriented app launcher on our list, this will triple the speed of your work as long as you know how to make use of all of its tools.

Pros:

• Search the entire disk drive from any window or folder
• Quickly find any file you need with a few short keystrokes
• Instantly find & launch programs with a quick keyboard command

Cons:

• Not very stylish

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RocketDock

Few app launchers have been on the market for as long as RocketDock, and this is all thanks to one simple thing: it does a simple job in a stylish manner.

Basically it provides your Windows 10 PC with a dock similar to that of a Mac PC, without affecting your functionality at all.

The visuals are pleasant to look at, adding, launching and removing programs to it is simple, and the animations that are coupled with it will make you want to play with it for the first couple of minutes.

Pros:

• Makes your Windows 10 look like a Mac
• Stylish
• Great animations

Cons:

• Default icons aren’t all that pretty

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Executor

Executor is an app launcher with a spotlight alternative for Windows 10. Once you install it, the app will start to index the apps and programs on your system, including recently used apps and files.

Once indexing is done, you can already start launching apps from it, as it basically works like an intuitive search bar that is always at hand and also looks good.

Pros:

• Looks good
• Adding programs is done automatically
• Low resource consumption

Cons:

• Worth having only if you have a lot of programs installed

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Circle Dock

Circle Dock is not necessarily an application launcher that you would use when you need to be efficient at work. Instead, it is more like the type of program you would install when you want your PC to look a certain way.

Programs can be pinned easily to it, and the design, shape, and pattern of the Circle Dock interface can be changed at will into a variety of neat shapes.

More so, it makes your desktop seem less cluttered since it disappears when not in use, which is nice.

Pros:

• Plenty of customization features
• Purely for the visuals
• Disappears when not in use

Cons:

• May be too stylish for some

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Closing thoughts on application launchers for Windows 10

Application launchers are great for those that love to stay organized or people who love to have a visual improvement brought to their desktop.

However, if you barely have any programs installed, and you also don’t have too many system resources to spare, then getting a program launcher isn’t all that worth it.