AppGrid – A Modern Grid Launcher for KDE Plasma 6

You know the situation: You want to quickly launch an application, click on the Plasma panel launcher, wait what feels like an eternity while the categories expand, and get annoyed by the cumbersome navigation through submenus. Kickoff and Kicker are functional, but they have also aged. AppGrid for KDE Plasma 6 is a fresh, grid-based application launcher that addresses exactly this: fast, searchable, and tidy.

AppGrid is an open-source Plasmoid by Jason Scurtu (GitHub: xarbit/plasma6-applet-appgrid) that serves as a modern alternative to the built-in starters Kickoff and Kicker. Instead of a hierarchical menu structure, it relies on a clear grid of application icons—combined with a powerful, unified search. The project currently has over 420 stars and 12 forks on GitHub, with 746 commits—a quite active and mature project.

Features

AppGrid comes with two Plasmoid variants: AppGrid (Center) as a standalone, centered window with its own blur, opacity, and corner radius, and AppGrid (Panel) as a native Plasma popup that docks to the panel icon—just like Kickoff. Both share the same grid, the same search, the same categories, and the same configuration. You install once and then choose via right-click on the panel launcher → “Show Alternatives” → AppGrid which variant you want to use.

The search is the core: It not only searches application names but also integrates KRunner and its plugins. Type “2+2” and the calculation result appears. Convert units, convert currencies, find files, search bookmarks, use web shortcuts—all of this happens directly in the same search field without having to switch applications. The results are intelligently weighted: Depending on how well the name matches and how often you use an app, it moves to the top. Inline completion supplements the search term; often two letters and Enter are enough.

If you prefer browsing, use the category bar: Development, Graphics, Internet, and all other KDE menu categories are available. Alt+letter jumps directly to the desired category. The layout of the bar is customizable between text, icons, or both—and you can optionally use AppGrid’s own grouping or the live categories from the KDE menu editor.

Practical quick commands make the launcher even more versatile: t: opens the terminal, : executes shell commands, / searches files, i: shows system information, h: hidden apps, and ? opens help. Each prefix opens its own focused view.

AppGrid supports drag & drop and multi-selection: Apps can be dragged to the panel (pin), to the desktop (create launcher), or to the favorites bar (favorite). With Ctrl- or Shift-click, you can select multiple apps and then pin, start, hide, or remove them together. A right-click on an app reaches its jumplist (e.g., “New Private Window” in the browser) and shows whether the app comes from Flatpak, Snap, or the system package manager. Newly installed apps receive a badge; via “Open in Discover” you can update or uninstall them.

Installation

Installation is incredibly simple and prepared for all common distributions:

Distribution	Command
Arch Linux / AUR	yay -S plasma6-applets-appgrid
Ubuntu 25.10+	sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xarbit/plasma-applet-appgrid && sudo apt install plasma-applet-appgrid
Fedora	sudo dnf copr enable scujas/plasma-applet-appgrid && sudo dnf install plasma-applet-appgrid
NixOS	Flake—see packaging/nix/README.md in the repo
Immutable Distros (KDE Linux, Kinoite, Bazzite, etc.)	Universal tarball for ~/.local/—see INSTALL.TXT

After installation, simply right-click the panel launcher → “Show Alternatives” → select AppGrid and get started.

Technology & AI Pair Programming

AppGrid is based on KDE Plasma 6.0+ (6.4+ recommended) and is written in QML and C++. It uses the full range of KDE Frameworks 6: KRunner for search, KIO for file operations, KGlobalAccel for global shortcuts, PlasmaQuick as the Plasmoid framework, KActivities for activity-aware favorites management, and LayerShellQt for window management of the Center variant.

Particularly noteworthy: The project’s README openly states that AppGrid was developed with Claude Code as an AI pair programmer—“Context-engineered and reviewed, not vibe-coded.” In an era where AI support in software development is increasingly becoming everyday practice, this transparent approach is refreshing. The project shows that AI assistance and craftsmany clean code quality do not have to be a contradiction—746 commits, a well-thought-out release system, and REUSE-compliant licensing speak for themselves. The license is GPL-2.0-or-later, and the entire source code is openly available on GitHub.

Conclusion

AppGrid is a well-thought-out, modern application launcher that seamlessly integrates into KDE Plasma 6 and addresses the well-known weaknesses of Kickoff and Kicker. The two variants (Center and Panel) give the user the choice, the integration of KRunner and KDE plugins makes AppGrid far more than just an app overview, and the extensive configuration options leave little to be desired. If you use KDE Plasma 6 and are looking for a faster, searchable launcher, you should definitely give AppGrid a chance.

More information and installation instructions are available on the official project page and in the GitHub repository.

Sources

• GitHub repository: https://github.com/xarbit/plasma6-applet-appgrid
• Official project documentation: https://appgrid.xarbit.dev
• Release v1.9.3: https://github.com/xarbit/plasma6-applet-appgrid/releases/tag/v1.9.3