Glaze by Raycast

Glaze: build native Mac apps by chatting with AI

Glaze is a desktop app builder from Raycast, released to the public on July 1, 2026 after a private beta that opened in early March. You describe the app you want in plain language, and an AI agent — running Claude Code or OpenAI's Codex under the hood — writes and assembles a real, native Mac application that lives on your machine, launches instantly, and keeps working offline.

Because Glaze apps run locally rather than in a browser tab, they can register keyboard shortcuts, sit in the menu bar, read and write files, and run background processes. Glaze is aimed at individuals building personal utilities and teams replacing spreadsheets or internal web tools. No coding knowledge is required, and you own the apps, code, and content you create. It currently requires macOS Tahoe on Apple Silicon, with Windows and Linux support planned.

Key Features

• Conversational app building: describe what you want and the AI agent writes, runs, and iterates on the app
• Local-first architecture: apps work offline with no servers to deploy or maintain
• Deep macOS integration including menu bar apps, keyboard shortcuts, file system access, and background processes
• Community store for publishing apps publicly or installing apps built by other users
• Pro and Team plans add unlisted 1:1 sharing and a private store for internal team apps
• Built on Claude Code and OpenAI Codex as the underlying coding models

Ideal Use Case

Glaze fits people who keep thinking of small tools they wish existed — a habit tracker in the menu bar, a file renamer, a client-invoice utility, an internal dashboard — but do not want to learn Swift or maintain a web deployment. Teams can use it to replace one-off internal tools with locally running apps shared through a private store.

How Glaze differentiates

Most AI app builders such as Lovable or Bolt generate web apps that live on someone else's server; Glaze generates native desktop software that runs and stores data on your own Mac. Its production credibility comes from its maker: Glaze is built by Raycast, the company behind the widely adopted Mac launcher, and shipped publicly on July 1, 2026 with a community app store and a free tier plus a $20/month paid plan already in place.

FAQ

What is Glaze? Glaze is a Raycast product that builds native Mac apps from natural-language descriptions using AI coding agents.

Is Glaze free? There is a free tier to build and use apps; a paid plan around $20/month unlocks more usage and sharing options such as unlisted apps.

What do I need to run Glaze? A Mac with Apple Silicon running macOS Tahoe. Windows and Linux support is planned but not yet available.

Do I own the apps Glaze creates? Yes. Raycast states that you own the apps, code, and content you create, and apps run locally on your machine.

tl;dr

Glaze by Raycast turns chat prompts into real, native Mac apps that run locally and work offline. Free to start, with a $20/month plan and a community store for sharing.

Related

Looking for more options? Browse the No-Code / Low-Code directory or read our best no-code AI tools listicle. Glaze by Raycast is also tracked on Crunchbase.