Ray.so is a free web app from Raycast that turns source code into styled, shareable images for social posts, documentation, and slide decks. You paste code into the browser editor, style it with syntax colors, backgrounds, and padding, and export a polished image without opening a design tool. It serves developers, technical writers, and educators who want code snippets to look crafted with almost no setup.[1][2]
Quick verdict
Developers and technical writers who share code on social media, in docs, or in slides benefit most from Ray.so. Its concrete strength is a focused styling workflow: paste code, pick syntax colors and a background, and produce a finished image in the browser. The material constraint is scope: it styles images only, with no snippet hosting, versioning, or team workspaces, so teams needing a shared snippet library should choose something else. If you want beautiful code images in seconds, use Ray.so; if you need versioned, searchable snippet management, pick a snippet manager instead.[1][2]
Key features
Code image styling Paste source code and render it as a styled image with syntax colors, backgrounds, and padding controls.[1][2]
Extension icon maker Generate icons for Raycast extensions with the built-in icon tool instead of opening a design program.[1]
Prompt explorer Browse community-shared AI prompts alongside the image tools.[1]
Preset explorer Reuse shared styling presets for consistent snippet looks.[1]
Quicklink explorer Discover community quicklinks published through the same site.[1]
Snippet explorer Browse shared code snippets from the community collection.[1]
Theme explorer Pick from community themes to restyle the editor and images.[1]
Official documentation A docs section explains the site's tools for new visitors.[1]
Who will love it
Who should avoid it
Cost, hosting, and platforms
No pricing page or paid plan was documented; the hosted app at ray.so is free to use as checked in October 2026.[1][2]
The MIT license permits a self-deployed instance and the README documents a local npm run loop; no official self-hosting deployment guide was verified.[1]
Ray.so runs in the browser at ray.so on any platform; no desktop or mobile edition was documented.[1]
Questions worth asking
What is the best Ray.so alternative for non-technical users?
Ray.so itself needs no technical skill: paste code, pick colors and a background, and export, with no account or setup. Users who need multi-file tabbed editing may prefer a tabbed code-image editor, but for single snippets Ray.so is the simpler conditional choice.[1]
Is Ray.so really no-code?
Yes for its task: the visual editor, style picker, and export flow require no programming. The content being styled is source code, but operating Ray.so involves no scripts or configuration.[1]
How much does Ray.so cost per month?
Can you self-host Ray.so?
The MIT license permits deploying your own instance, and the README documents a local npm-based run loop, but no official self-hosting deployment guide was verified. The hosted app itself runs at ray.so.[1]
Sources and editorial review
Source research. Reviewed on October 12, 2026. Written by Sanjib Sah. AI assisted; reviewed by a human editor.
We have not run or tested this product.
- Ray.so - Create beautiful images of your code
official · Observed October 12, 2026
Official Ray.so site: code-to-image positioning with syntax colors, backgrounds, and padding. Inspected 2026-10-12.
- raycast/ray-so README
official · Observed October 12, 2026
raycast/ray-so README: code images, icon maker, prompt/preset/quicklink/snippet/theme explorers, Built by Raycast, MIT license, 2,360 stars, Next.js 15.3.3, created Dec 2022, updated Sep 2026. Inspected 2026-10-12.
- zeke/ray-so fork page
official · Observed October 12, 2026
zeke/ray-so page showing it is a fork of raycast/ray-so with 0 stars, used only to exclude the name collision. Inspected 2026-10-12.
- Ray.so directory listing
aggregate telemetry · Observed October 12, 2026
Discovery lead page for Ray.so on the directory site; used for identity corroboration only, not as a fact source. Inspected 2026-10-12.
Compared with these products
No explicit proprietary baseline is recorded.