Rubick
Open-source Electron desktop toolbox that launches apps and runs installable plugins.
- Stars
- 10.1k
- Forks
- 1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 10 months ago
- Type
- App
What it is
Rubick is a desktop launcher and toolbox built with Electron. You press a shortcut (Alt/Option+R), type keywords to find local apps, files, or folders, and run plugins from a built-in plugin market. Plugins are installed like npm packages, and plugin data can be synced across devices with WebDAV.
- Search for system applications by pinyin or abbreviation and open them
- Install a UI plugin from the market and invoke it with a command keyword
- Export and import plugin data between devices using WebDAV sync
- Add system plugins from the market, then restart Rubick to activate them
Great for
- People who want a keyboard-driven launcher for apps and files on Windows or macOS
- Users who want to add small tools through a plugin market
- Teams that want to deploy it on an internal network, as the README states
- Developers who want to build their own plugins using the project's plugin CLI
Not ideal for
- People who want a minimal launcher with no plugin system, since the README centers on plugins
- Users who need guaranteed security features beyond what the README describes, since it makes broad claims without detail
How to get it
- 1
Download the app
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/rubickCenter/rubick - 2
Run it
- Download the latest release from the GitHub releases page for your operating system
- Install and launch Rubick
- Press Alt/Option+R to open the main window
- Type a keyword to search for apps, plugins, or files
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Open the plugin market by clicking the logo on the left side of the main window
- Set up WebDAV sync under Preferences > Account and Settings > Multi-Device Data Synchronization to keep plugin data across devices
- Install system plugins from the market, then restart Rubick for them to take effect
Downloads
Strengths
- Plugin installation follows the familiar npm package pattern
- Supports WebDAV for syncing plugin data across devices
- Has a large community, with about 10k GitHub stars and an MIT license
Trade-offs
- The README is short on detail about plugin security and the plugin ecosystem, so users must judge plugins themselves
- Some docs and download links point to third-party sites and mirrors, and the README is partly in Chinese
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rubick (this) | 10.1k | App | beginner | 10 months ago | People who want a keyboard-driven launcher for apps and files on Windows or macOS |
| Flow.Launcher | 15.9k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | Windows users who open apps and files mostly by typing |
| nylas-mail | 24.7k | App | advanced | 4 months ago | Developers curious about how an extensible Electron and React desktop app is structured |
| marktext | 63.5k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | People who write notes or articles in Markdown and want a clean, minimal editor |
| atom | 60.7k | App | beginner | 3.8 years ago | Developers who want a desktop code editor they can customize with packages |
| pear-desktop | 34k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | People who want YouTube Music in a standalone desktop window |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.