{
 "schemaVersion": 1,
 "generated": "2026-10-30",
 "dataLicense": "CC BY-SA 4.0",
 "license": "CC BY-SA 4.0",
 "notice": "Data from Open Source Everything (https://opensourceeverything.org), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0: use it freely, credit the site, link to the page, and share changes under the same license. Listings were drafted with AI assistance and are managed by the r/TrueOpenSource moderators; check a project's own page before relying on a fact.",
 "id": "file-search",
 "name": "Finding files and text in files",
 "page": "https://opensourceeverything.org/g/file-search/",
 "category": "files",
 "categoryName": "Files & cloud",
 "job": "Searching your computer for files or words inside them",
 "closedApps": [
  "Everything (file search)",
  "Spotlight"
 ],
 "coverage": "partial",
 "alternatives": [
  {
   "id": "ripgrep",
   "name": "ripgrep",
   "page": "https://opensourceeverything.org/p/ripgrep/",
   "summary": "ripgrep is a free command-line tool that searches for words and patterns inside files across folders, quickly. It is aimed at programmers and people comfortable typing commands in a terminal.",
   "kind": "developer_tool",
   "setup": "advanced",
   "setupWhy": "Made for developers: you use it from code or the command line.",
   "platforms": [
    "windows",
    "mac",
    "linux"
   ],
   "license": "Unlicense",
   "licenseClass": "open",
   "licenseNeedsCheck": false,
   "stars": 69511,
   "forks": null,
   "status": "active",
   "verified": false,
   "latestRelease": null,
   "code": "https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep",
   "website": null,
   "download": null,
   "release": null,
   "family": null,
   "familyChildren": [],
   "howToHelp": null,
   "project": "ripgrep",
   "rank": 1,
   "fit": "partial",
   "note": "Searches file contents well, but it is a typed command-line tool, not a search-everything app like Everything or Spotlight.",
   "why": "Does part of the job · Advanced setup",
   "score": 40.5
  },
  {
   "id": "fd",
   "name": "fd",
   "page": "https://opensourceeverything.org/p/fd/",
   "summary": "fd is a command-line program that finds files and folders on your computer by name, using a simpler syntax than the classic find tool. It is made for programmers and people comfortable typing commands in a terminal.",
   "kind": "developer_tool",
   "setup": "advanced",
   "setupWhy": "Made for developers: you use it from code or the command line.",
   "platforms": [
    "windows",
    "mac",
    "linux"
   ],
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
   "licenseClass": "open",
   "licenseNeedsCheck": false,
   "stars": 44873,
   "forks": null,
   "status": "active",
   "verified": false,
   "latestRelease": null,
   "code": "https://github.com/sharkdp/fd",
   "website": null,
   "download": null,
   "release": null,
   "family": null,
   "familyChildren": [],
   "howToHelp": null,
   "project": "fd",
   "rank": 2,
   "fit": "partial",
   "note": "Finds files by name and runs commands on results; searching text inside files is not shown in README.",
   "why": "Does part of the job · Advanced setup",
   "score": 38.5
  },
  {
   "id": "fsearch",
   "name": "FSearch",
   "page": "https://opensourceeverything.org/p/fsearch/",
   "summary": "FSearch is a fast program that finds files on your computer by name, and can also search inside some files for words. It is meant for people on Linux who want quick, Everything-style file search.",
   "kind": "app",
   "setup": "easy",
   "setupWhy": "Install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser.",
   "platforms": [
    "linux"
   ],
   "license": "GPL-2.0",
   "licenseClass": "open",
   "licenseNeedsCheck": false,
   "stars": 4521,
   "forks": null,
   "status": "active",
   "verified": false,
   "latestRelease": null,
   "code": "https://github.com/cboxdoerfer/fsearch",
   "website": null,
   "download": null,
   "release": null,
   "family": null,
   "familyChildren": [],
   "howToHelp": null,
   "project": "fsearch",
   "rank": 3,
   "fit": "partial",
   "note": "Covers file names and text search, but the README does not confirm it searches inside all file types or on macOS.",
   "why": "Does part of the job · Easy setup",
   "score": 38
  },
  {
   "id": "fzf",
   "name": "fzf",
   "page": "https://opensourceeverything.org/p/fzf/",
   "summary": "fzf is a free tool that lets you type a few letters to quickly pick an item from a list, such as a file, a past command, or a menu option, in a terminal window. It is mainly for programmers and people comfortable using command-line tools.",
   "kind": "developer_tool",
   "setup": "advanced",
   "setupWhy": "Made for developers: you use it from code or the command line.",
   "platforms": [
    "windows",
    "mac",
    "linux",
    "android"
   ],
   "license": "MIT",
   "licenseClass": "open",
   "licenseNeedsCheck": false,
   "stars": 83829,
   "forks": null,
   "status": "active",
   "verified": false,
   "latestRelease": null,
   "code": "https://github.com/junegunn/fzf",
   "website": null,
   "download": null,
   "release": null,
   "family": null,
   "familyChildren": [],
   "howToHelp": null,
   "project": "fzf",
   "rank": 4,
   "fit": "partial",
   "note": "Finds files and text inside a terminal, but needs setup; no indexed system-wide search like Everything or Spotlight.",
   "why": "Does part of the job · Advanced setup",
   "score": 37.8
  },
  {
   "id": "recoll",
   "name": "Recoll",
   "page": "https://opensourceeverything.org/p/recoll/",
   "summary": "This is a server that lets you search the files on your own computer from an Android phone app called RecollDroid. It is for people who already run Recoll, a desktop search tool, and want to reach their files from a phone.",
   "kind": "self_hosted",
   "setup": "advanced",
   "setupWhy": "You run it on your own server (a computer you set up and keep running), or from the command line.",
   "platforms": [
    "server"
   ],
   "license": "GPL-3.0-or-later",
   "licenseClass": "open",
   "licenseNeedsCheck": true,
   "stars": 4,
   "forks": null,
   "status": "inactive",
   "verified": false,
   "latestRelease": null,
   "code": "https://gitlab.com/gbygrave/recolldroid-server",
   "website": "https://www.recoll.org",
   "download": null,
   "release": null,
   "family": null,
   "familyChildren": [],
   "howToHelp": null,
   "project": "recoll",
   "rank": 5,
   "fit": "partial",
   "note": "Searches indexes built with Recoll on a separate machine; not a general file search tool.",
   "why": "Does part of the job · Advanced setup · No recent activity",
   "score": 3.5
  }
 ],
 "source": "https://opensourceeverything.org/g/file-search/",
 "group": "Finding files and text in files",
 "replaces": [
  "Everything (file search)",
  "Spotlight"
 ]
}