# Raycast vs BUSY

The clearest difference is rating: Raycast at 4.5 against BUSY's 3.8. Raycast also leads on ratings volume (252 vs 13). BUSY's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Raycast sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. BUSY asks for nothing beyond the download.

Raycast holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Raycast has 252 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of Raycast's written reviews are positive against 58% of BUSY's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Raycast ships an update every 11 days, BUSY fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Raycast | BUSY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (252 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raycast-ai-notes-and-more/id6503428327/reviews)** | [3.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busy-advanced-focus-timer/id6738797176/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **252** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 53.9% of reviews | **58.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 225 MB | 160 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Raycast Technologies](https://appshunter.io/developer/1735916299) | [Flipper - FZCO](https://appshunter.io/developer/6777132645) |

## What reviewers say

### Raycast

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/raycast-ai-notes-and-more/id6503428327)

This app extends your desktop productivity to your mobile device. It offers AI chat, note-taking, quick links, code snippets, and seamless cloud synchronization. Keep your essential tools and ideas accessible anywhere.

**Highlights:** AI chat with multiple models, Capture and organize notes, Save and access Quicklinks, Store code snippets and templates, Seamless cloud sync across devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| Advanced AI | $19.99 | per month |
| Max Plan | $49.99 | per month |
| Pro | $96.00 | per year |
| Advanced AI | $191.99 | per year |
| Max Plan | $479.99 | per year |
| 500 AI Credits | $5.00 | one-time |
| 2,500 AI Credits | $23.90 | one-time |
| 5,000 AI Credits | $46.49 | one-time |
| 5,000 Team AI Credits | $60.00 | one-time |
| 10,000 Team AI Credits | $116.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Running circles around Spotlight and Siri
- 👍 Great start
- 👍 Amazing fast and effective!
- 👍 Finally!! Absolutely amazing
- 👍 Am I really this early?

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Useless w/o a Subscription
- 📁 iOS Limitations Stifle Raycast
- 🤖 Too Much AI
- 🤖 Not really Raycast as we know it
- 🤖 This Isn't Raycast

**Reported bugs**

- Sync feature should be free at least for Raycast notes

**Requested features**

- Attach documents via the UI when starting a conversation
- Sync between desktop and iOS chat history
- Create notes quickly from the Share Sheet
- Extensions support


### BUSY

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busy-advanced-focus-timer/id6738797176)

Enhance your productivity by blocking distracting apps and muting notifications. This tool offers customizable focus sessions, including Pomodoro-style workflows, and provides insights into your distraction attempts to help you improve focus.

**Highlights:** Customizable focus sessions (timer, Pomodoro, no time limit), Distraction blocking (apps, notifications), Accountability features (no skipping sessions), Distraction attempt tracking, Apple Watch integration, Customizable timer themes

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Raycast free?

Raycast is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is BUSY free?

BUSY is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Raycast or BUSY?

Raycast is rated higher. Raycast averages 4.5 out of 5 from 252 ratings, while BUSY averages 3.8 from 13 ratings.

### Do Raycast or BUSY have ads?

Neither Raycast nor BUSY shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Raycast or BUSY?

Raycast ships an update every 11 days, and BUSY fortnightly. Most recently, Raycast was updated on October 24, 2026 and BUSY on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*