Why Glaze when Claude Code and Codex exist?

I keep getting some version of this question: Claude Code and Codex can already build desktop apps, so why Glaze?

They're different tools for different outcomes.

Coding agents are incredibly powerful. They can build almost anything, a desktop app included. If you want full control over the code, frameworks, and architecture, they're a great place to start.

But you're still building a software project. You make the technical decisions, manage the code, shape the interface, package the app, and then figure out how anyone else is supposed to install it.

The output is an app

Glaze isn't trying to be a better coding agent. It's opinionated about one job: turning an idea into a desktop app people can actually use.

The unit of output isn't a repository. It's an app.

That sounds like a small distinction, but it changes the whole product. The interface should feel right without you art-directing every control. The app needs an icon, packaging, permissions, and updates. And your friend or teammate should be able to install it, not clone a repo.

We spent years building Raycast and learned what it takes to build a great desktop app. We've baked all of that into Glaze as defaults.

We chose the desktop because that's where work actually happens and tools matter the most. You describe what you need, shape it through conversation, and get something that feels at home on your Mac.

Creation is only the start

Here's the part I care about most. When software becomes cheap to create, creation stops being the bottleneck. Suddenly, distribution is the hard part.

A useful app shouldn't stay trapped on one person's machine. With Glaze, you can publish any app you make with one button to our Store, publicly or privately to your team. Everyone else can install it right away. No fiddling with certificates, no fighting with Xcode, no "works on my machine."

Once an app is out, the collaboration starts. Some of the most loved features in Raycast exist because someone told us what was missing. In Glaze, that loop is built in.

Anyone can send you an idea, and a prompt later it's in the app. No roadmap, no sprint, no tickets. The distance between "I wish it did this" and "it does this now" is basically gone.

A platform for apps

That's the whole bet behind Glaze. It isn't just an app builder. It's a platform to create, discover, and share apps.

If you want to build and manage a software project, use Claude Code or Codex. But if you just want an app, use Glaze.