Ueli: An efficient application launcher for the Linux desktop

Over four years ago, we published a fantastic series of articles about the most popular and widely used application launchers for the desktops of Linux-based operating systems (distributions) . As you can imagine, that's enough time for many of these projects to become much more developed (updated), while others have been abandoned or even removed. Also, during this period, some new launchers have been created that are worth exploring and trying out. One of these, which we'll be introducing and testing today, is called "Ueli . "

And if you don't have much knowledge or recollection of this type of software (Application Launchers), it's worth noting that some of those we've previously mentioned include Dmenu and Rofi , ideal for Window Managers (WM); and Gnome-Pie , Albert, Kupfer , Ulauncher, Synapse, and Cerebro , ideal for Desktop Environments (DE). So, if you're one of those smart and innovative users who likes these kinds of productivity tools, keep reading this post to learn more about this interesting and useful application and keyboard launcher, which is also open source and cross-platform, and is very similar to Ulauncher.

Ulauncher and Synapse: 2 Excellent Application Launchers for Linux

But before revealing some of the most relevant technical details of this AI tool called " Ueli ," which has been developed using the Electron framework and with a focus on simplicity , we recommend exploring a previous post related to other productivity tools for Linux of this same style, after you finish reading this one:

Ulauncher is a fast application launcher for the Linux desktop, written in Python with GTK+, and boasts great features such as application search (using approximate matching), a calculator, extensions, shortcuts, a file explorer mode, and beautiful custom color themes.

Ulauncher and Synapse: 2 Excellent Application Launchers for Linux

Ueli: An efficient and simple application launcherdeveloped with the Electron framework

What is Ueli?

According to its developers, in its official GitHub repository , the application is briefly described as follows:

Ueli is a simple and efficient application launcher and keystroke launcher that is also free, open source, and cross-platform.

For this reason, it's considered a tool focused on increasing user productivity, regardless of the operating system (Windows, macOS, and Linux) being used. Its use facilitates quick access to applications, files, and web searches with just the touch of a key. Furthermore, it can customize workflows and automate repetitive tasks effortlessly. Therefore, it's undoubtedly one of those applications capable of transforming anyone's desktop experience.

Finally, it's worth noting that a stable version , 9.26.0 , dated November 10, 2025, is currently available. For Linux, AppImage and Deb files are available.

When you launch Ueli for the first time, the application will display the main window, and you can begin typing your search query. Use the shortcut "Alt+Space" to show/hide Ueli. Use the arrow keys to navigate up and down the search results list. Press "Enter" to open the selected item. Press "Cmd+K" (macOS) or "Ctrl+K" (Windows, Linux) to open additional actions for the selected search result and use the arrow keys to navigate up and down the menu. Alternatively, you can press "Enter" to invoke the selected action. Or press "Escape" to close the additional actions menu. Explore the official website

program visual interface

In Ueli, to add a frequently used item to your favorites, open the additional actions menu and then click "Add to Favorites." This way, the item will always appear first in the search results list. To remove an item from your favorites, open the additional actions menu and then click "Remove from Favorites." You can also open the settings and go to "Favorites" to view all your favorites. Alternatively, you can click the "x" icon to remove an item from your favorites. Pressing "Cmd+" (macOS) or "Ctrl+" (Windows, Linux) or clicking the "Settings" button will open the program's settings section, where you can configure Ueli to your liking. Finally, to explore extensions, click "Extensions" in the left navigation menu to enable or disable them. For example, when you enable an extension, an additional item will appear in the left navigation menu where you can find the settings for that specific extension.

Top 15 Application Launchers for the Linux Desktop and Terminal (2026)

Albert is an application launcher that can access virtually anything with minimal effort. It can run applications, open files and their paths (folders/directories), open browser bookmarks, search the web, perform calculations, and much more. Albert is a desktop-agnostic launcher focused on usability, aesthetics, performance, and extensibility. Written in C++ and based on the Qt framework, it is developed under the GPL license and is 100% free and open source.

Albert and Kupfer: 2 excellent pitchers as alternatives to Cerebro

Summary

In short, Ueli is a modern, simple, and efficient application launcher developed using the Electron framework. In this early year of 2026, it's worth getting to know and trying on various GNU/Linux distributions to take advantage of its low resource consumption and excellent versatility . Therefore, it's certainly worthwhile to support and provide feedback to its development team so that the project can progress and establish itself amidst so much competition from other similar, equally good, or more complete applications. And if you're already using this or a similar application launcher, we invite you to share your experience in the comments for the benefit of our loyal and growing community of Linux readers.

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