Welcome to Kunkun
An open source, extensible, cross-platform app launcher built on a portable multi-shell core.
Kunkun is an open source, extensible, cross-platform app launcher — an alternative to Alfred and Raycast, designed with security, developer experience, and a portable core in mind.
Extensions are ordinary npm packages. You write TypeScript with React, Vue, Svelte, or any static-SPA framework, declare a manifest, and Kunkun runs your code in a sandbox scoped by the permissions you request.
Why Kunkun?
- Cross-Platform — macOS, Windows, and Linux. Write once, run anywhere.
- Not Electron-only — the same backend/core is designed to run from Electron today, and from a CLI, headless server, browser UI, or native shell tomorrow. See Architecture.
- Secure by default — extensions run sandboxed. Only the permissions you declare are granted, and the host enforces them — never your plugin.
- AI-native — a built-in AI agent can call any extension that exposes a service as a tool. Install more extensions, and the agent gets more capable.
- Record storage built in — a real per-plugin document store (
db.collection) with queries, full-text search, and live-updating UI bindings. See Record Storage.
Pick an extension type
Kunkun supports several plugin architectures for different needs:
| Type | Runtime | UI | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom-View | BrowserWindow (kunkun-ext://) | Any framework | Complex SPAs, dashboards, existing web apps |
| Worker-View | Web Worker | React → host renders | Raycast-style extensions, maximum isolation |
| Node-View | Node.js/Deno process | React → host renders | UI + filesystem/shell/native access |
| Worker-Headless | Web Worker | none | Background commands (browser sandbox) |
| Node-Headless | Node.js/Deno process | none | Background commands with system access |
| Service | Node.js/Deno process | none | APIs callable by other extensions and the AI agent |
One product, many hosts
Complex extensions like a terminal or a disk scanner can run as an npx CLI and as a Kunkun plugin from a single shared core. The CLI + Plugin guide walks through the pattern with two real case studies.
Just using Kunkun, not building extensions? Switch to the User Guide tab for downloading, AI Search, API keys, and MCP integration.
Start here
Getting Started
Build and load your first extension in minutes.
Architecture
The multi-shell/core design that makes Kunkun portable.
Extension Types
Compare the runtimes and choose the right one.
Record Storage
The db.collection API: queries, FTS, live queries.
CLI + Plugin
Ship one codebase as both an npx CLI and a plugin.
SDK Reference
Every host API the @kunkunsh/sdk exposes.