Is PhpStorm or Raycast better?

Neither clearly leads. PhpStorm starts at $24/month and Raycast at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, PhpStorm or Raycast?

Raycast has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $24/month for PhpStorm and Free for Raycast.

Does PhpStorm or Raycast run on more platforms?

PhpStorm runs on windows, mac, linux. Raycast runs on Macos.

Can I use Raycast for free?

Yes. Raycast has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PhpStorm starts at $24/month.

What is PhpStorm best used for?

PhpStorm is most often used for building php web applications with laravel or symfony, debugging php code with xdebug, working across php, html, css, and javascript in one project, managing databases alongside application code. Of those, building php web applications with laravel or symfony and debugging php code with xdebug are not what Raycast is typically brought in for.

What can PhpStorm do that Raycast cannot?

PhpStorm covers PHP-aware coding assistance, Integrated debugger, Front-end tooling, Database tools. Raycast covers Application launcher, File search, Clipboard history, Snippets.

Developer Tools · head to head

PhpStorm vs Raycast

PhpStorm

Developer Tools

JetBrains IDE for PHP web development

From: $24/month
Free plan: No

Full review Website

Raycast

Technology

Blazingly fast, totally extendable launcher

From: Free
Free plan: Yes

Full review Website

The short version

Only Raycast has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: PhpStorm requires an ongoing paid subscription with no free tier for commercial use.; Raycast the free plan includes 50 Raycast AI messages, 5 notes and 3 months of clipboard history
They diverge on capability: PhpStorm covers PHP-aware coding assistance, Raycast covers Application launcher.
Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PhpStorm and Raycast actually diverge.

Attributes where PhpStorm and Raycast differ
Attribute	PhpStorm	Raycast
Starting price	$24/month	Free
Pricing model	subscription	freemium
Free tier	No	Yes
Platforms	windows, mac, linux	Macos
Category	Developer Tools	Technology
Founded	2000	2020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in PhpStorm

PHP-aware coding assistance
Integrated debugger
Front-end tooling
Database tools
Version control integration
Docker and remote deployment

Only in Raycast

Application launcher
File search
Clipboard history
Snippets
Window management
Calculator
System commands
Extension ecosystem

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

PhpStorm

Building PHP web applications with Laravel or Symfonynot Raycast
Debugging PHP code with Xdebugnot Raycast
Working across PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in one projectnot Raycast
Managing databases alongside application codenot Raycast

Raycast

App launchingnot PhpStorm
Quick calculationsnot PhpStorm
File navigationnot PhpStorm
Snippet expansionnot PhpStorm
Workflow automationnot PhpStorm

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

PhpStorm

Requires an ongoing paid subscription with no free tier for commercial use.
Heavier and slower to start than lightweight code editors.
Some advanced framework-specific tooling requires additional configuration or plugins.
Renewal pricing rises for lapsed subscriptions after the grace period.

Raycast

The free plan includes 50 Raycast AI messages, 5 notes and 3 months of clipboard history
Advanced AI models are sold only as an add-on to the paid Pro plan at a further $8 per month on top of the $10 subscription
Free team workspaces cap sharing at 30 snippets, 30 quicklinks and 5 commands across all extensions
Teams Pro is $15 per user per month, billed per seat rather than per workspace

Pricing, plan by plan

PhpStorm

$24/month

Individual$24/month
- Personal use license
- Access to PhpStorm
- Free for students and open-source maintainers
Organization$34/month
- Business use license
- Access to PhpStorm
- Volume and renewal discounts

Raycast

Free

FreeFree
- Core features: Clipboard History, Quicklinks, Calculator, Snippets, Window Management
- Thousands of community extensions
- 3-month clipboard history
Pro$10/month
- Raycast AI with advanced models
- Unlimited clipboard history
- Unlimited notes
Pro Annual$8/month
- Same as Pro plan
- Annual billing saves 20% compared to monthly
Teams FreeFree
- No cost per user
- Shared extensions, snippets, and quicklinks

Which should you pick?

Choose PhpStorm if

You need php-aware coding assistance.
You work on windows, mac, linux.
You also want integrated debugger.

PhpStorm review

Choose Raycast if

You need application launcher.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Macos.
You also want file search.

Raycast review

Questions people ask

Is PhpStorm or Raycast better?: Neither clearly leads. PhpStorm starts at $24/month and Raycast at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PhpStorm or Raycast?: Raycast has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $24/month for PhpStorm and Free for Raycast.
Does PhpStorm or Raycast run on more platforms?: PhpStorm runs on windows, mac, linux. Raycast runs on Macos.
Can I use Raycast for free?: Yes. Raycast has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PhpStorm starts at $24/month.
What is PhpStorm best used for?: PhpStorm is most often used for building php web applications with laravel or symfony, debugging php code with xdebug, working across php, html, css, and javascript in one project, managing databases alongside application code. Of those, building php web applications with laravel or symfony and debugging php code with xdebug are not what Raycast is typically brought in for.
What can PhpStorm do that Raycast cannot?: PhpStorm covers PHP-aware coding assistance, Integrated debugger, Front-end tooling, Database tools. Raycast covers Application launcher, File search, Clipboard history, Snippets.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PhpStorm: How much does PhpStorm cost?

PhpStorm is sold via JetBrains Toolbox subscription starting around $24/month for individuals and $34/month for organizations, with free licenses for students and open-source maintainers.

Source

Raycast: Does Raycast offer a free plan?

Yes. Raycast has a free plan with core features including clipboard history, quicklinks, calculator, snippets, window management, and access to thousands of community extensions.

Source

PhpStorm: Is there a free trial?

JetBrains offers a free trial of PhpStorm so developers can test it before subscribing.

Source

Raycast: How much does Raycast Pro cost?

Raycast Pro costs $10 per month or $8 per month when billed annually, saving 20% with yearly subscription.

Source

PhpStorm: What platforms does PhpStorm support?

PhpStorm is a desktop IDE available on Windows, macOS, and Linux via JetBrains Toolbox.

Source

Raycast: Does Raycast offer team plans?

Yes. Teams Free tier is available at no cost per user with shared extensions and snippets. Teams Pro costs $15 per user per month with unlimited team members.

Source

PhpStorm vs Raycast

PhpStorm

Raycast

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in PhpStorm

Only in Raycast

What people use each for

PhpStorm

Raycast

Where each one falls short

PhpStorm

Raycast

Pricing, plan by plan

PhpStorm

Raycast

Which should you pick?

Choose PhpStorm if

Choose Raycast if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on PhpStorm

More on Raycast

Keep looking

Other head to heads