8 Free and Open-source File search Apps for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon)

1- DocFetcher

File Search Tool

DocFetcher is an Open Source desktop search application: It allows you to search the contents of files on your computer. — You can think of it as Google for your local files. The application runs on Windows, Linux, and OS X, and is made available under the Eclipse Public License.

Read about DocFetcher 's features, license, platforms, and more.

2- KatSearch

Fast, simple, powerful filesystem search for macOS

KatSearch is a work in progress and currently only available as an alpha release. Some things will be broken. Caveat emptor!

Mac power-user app to quickly find files on entire APFS and HFS+ volumes by scanning the file system catalog.

KatSearch is written by: Sveinbjörn Þórðarson

Read about KatSearch 's features, license, platforms, and more.

3- LaunchMenu

open-source cross-platform launcher

LaunchMenu is an free, open source, cross-platform utility application which brings utilities (applets) to your fingertips. It intends to increase your productivity through it's keyboard-centric design, meanwhile also being extremely customisable with advanced theming and applet settings. The application is styled similar to that of Spotlight for Mac, however it allows for 3rd party applets to be built and installed, further increasing your productivity in any aspect of life.

LaunchMenu runs in the background, and launches when the user presses the "open LaunchMenu" hotkey (⌘ + space/⊞ + space by default).

Read about LaunchMenu 's features, license, platforms, and more.

4- Snap

A better Spotlight search for macOS.

Snap is an application which searches your Files, Contacts and Calendar events using Spotlight Metadata. It has many customization options as well as the ability to speed up your workflow by providing features like music control, clipboard history, snippet expansion and system commands like sleeping, restarting and shutting down the computer. Snap is inspired by Alfred.

Read about Snap 's features, license, platforms, and more.

5- Tonnerre

An extensible and productive spotlight alternative

Tonnerre is a pure swift built, extensible, and productive Spotlight alternative. You can consider it as a global search bar with everything you are interested, or it is a text-based Siri who responds to all your requests.

Read about Tonnerre 's features, license, platforms, and more.

6- Sloth

Native Mac app that shows all open files, directories, sockets, pipes and devices in use by all running processes.

Sloth is a native Mac app that shows all open files, directories, sockets, pipes, and devices in use by all running processes on your system. This makes it easy to inspect which apps are using which files, etc.

Read about Sloth 's features, license, platforms, and more.

7- Spotter

🔭 Productivity tool to launch everything

Spotter is a free open-source productivity tool that allows to launch everything (e.g. switch the next song, connect bluetooth device, set a timer, etc.) so you can stay focused on your current task.

Spotter is written using Flutter and Dart language.

Read about Spotter 's features, license, platforms, and more.

8- Verve

lightweight and blazingly fast launcher for accessing and opening applications, files and documents.

Verve is a lightweight and blazingly fast launcher for accessing and opening applications, files and documents. It serves as a replacement for popular tools such as Spotlight, Raycast, and Alfred, and is written in the Rust programming language using the Tauri Framework.

Read about Verve 's features, license, platforms, and more.