Google Desktop AlternativesFile Search Utilities and other similar apps like Google Desktop

Google Desktop is described as 'The power of Google on your desktop. Hit ctrl twice and you are ready for a full Google search of you hard drive and networked drives you may have. Indispensable if you need to find files quickly... the price doesn't hurt either!' and is a popular File Search utility in the network & admin category. There are more than 10 alternatives to Google Desktop for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone and iPad apps. The best Google Desktop alternative is Everything, which is free. Other great apps like Google Desktop are Alfred, Cerebro, Agent Ransack and Albert.

  • ...

The power of Google on your desktop. Hit ctrl twice and you are ready for a full Google search of you hard drive and...

More about Google Desktop
Google Desktop alternatives page was last updated Sep 9, 2022
Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard
  1. Everything icon
     1195 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    An administrative tool that finds files and folders by filename instantly, displaying all files on local or network drives. Supports filters, 19 languages, portable usage, lightweight resource consumption, no tracking, and dark mode.

    112 Everything alternatives

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Country of Origin

    • AU flagAustralia

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Clean design
    2.  Lightweight
    3.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  File Search
    2.  Instant results
    3.  Fast file and folder search
    4.  Support for regular expressions
    5.  Quick search
    6.  Monitor File Changes
    7.  Portable
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Exclude files and folders
    10.  Works Offline
    11.  Search-in-files
    12.  No registration required

    Everything VS Google Desktop

     
    Comments about Everything as an Alternative to Google Desktop
    Guest
    Negative Nov 7, 2015
    15

    "Everything" does not search in the files content, only in the files names. This is of course a major difference.

    Guest
    Negative Nov 28, 2019
    3

    It doesn't search in the files content.

    Google Desktop Icon
    Everything icon
    • Some users think Everything is a great Google Desktop alternative, some don't.

    • Everything is the most popular Windows alternative to Google Desktop.

    • Everything is the most popular free alternative to Google Desktop.

    • Everything is Free and ProprietaryGoogle Desktop is also Free and Proprietary
    • Everything is LightweightGoogle Desktop is not according to our users
  2. Alfred icon
     295 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Alfred is a productivity application for macOS, which boosts your efficiency with hotkeys, keywords and text expansion. Search your Mac and the web, and control your Mac using custom actions with the Powerpack.

    128 Alfred alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad

    Properties

    1.  Support for Themes
    2.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Application Launchers
    2.  Launcher
    3.  Workflow Automation
    4.  File Search
    5.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Full-Text Search
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Cloud Sync

    Alfred VS Google Desktop

     
    • Alfred is the most popular Mac, iPhone & iPad alternative to Google Desktop.

    • Alfred is Freemium and ProprietaryGoogle Desktop is Free and Proprietary
  3. Cerebro icon
     57 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Cerebro is an open source and free electron-based productivity software alternative to Alfred and Spotlight. It is focused on speed and good UI and UX. In most cases you don't even need to open another application, because you can see results right in Cerebro, like google...

    57 Cerebro alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Cerebro Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Theme changing
    3.  Launcher
    4.  Electron based
    5.  Calculus solving
    6.  Multiplatform Export

    Cerebro VS Google Desktop

     
    • Cerebro is the most popular Linux alternative to Google Desktop.

    • Cerebro is the most popular Open Source alternative to Google Desktop.

    • Cerebro is Free and Open SourceGoogle Desktop is Free and Proprietary
  4. Agent Ransack icon
     109 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Agent Ransack is a tool for finding files and information on your hard drive fast and efficiently. When searching the contents of files Agent Ransack also displays the text found. Users can then quickly browse the results without having to separately open each file!

    75 Agent Ransack alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Country of Origin

    • GB flagUnited Kingdom

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Agent Ransack Features

    1.  File Search
    2.  Search-in-files
    3.  Context Menu extension
    4.  Outlook search
    5.  Ad-free

    Agent Ransack VS Google Desktop

     
  5. Albert icon
     70 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Albert is a C++/Qt based desktop agnostic keyboard launcher that helps you to accomplish your workflows in a breeze. Its goals are usability and beauty, performance and extensibility.

    59 Albert alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Support for Themes
    3.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Search Bar
    3.  Autocompletion
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  Currency Conversion
    7.  No Coding Required
    8.  Dark Mode
    9.  Support for scripting
    10.  No Tracking
    11.  No registration required
    12.  Launcher

    Albert VS Google Desktop

     
  6. Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    Instantly find documents, e-mails(full text), attachments, videos, pictures, music(metadata), and other types of files(file names). The size limit of the index of the free version is 75,000.

    81 Copernic Desktop Search alternatives

    License model

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • CA flagCanada

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Copernic Desktop Search Features

    1.  OCR
    2.  Outlook search
    3.  PDF OCR
    4.  Indexed search

    Copernic Desktop Search VS Google Desktop

     
    • Copernic Desktop Search is the most popular commercial alternative to Google Desktop.

    • Copernic Desktop Search is Paid and ProprietaryGoogle Desktop is Free and Proprietary
  7. RecentX icon
     106 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    RecentX is an innovative launcher that gives you instant access to your files, folders, programs, websites & clipboard history. It automatically remembers your favorite & recent items so that you can launch them even faster.

    293 RecentX alternatives

    License model

    Country of Origin

    • IN flagIndia

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Top RecentX Features

    1.  File Tagging
    2. File Explorer icon  Windows Explorer Extension
    3.  Portable
    4.  Tagging
    5.  Indexed search
    6.  Folder-Search
    7.  Tabbed interface
    8.  Clipboard monitoring
    9.  Image Preview
    10.  Tag based
    11.  Folder Tagging
    12.  Bookmark History

    RecentX VS Google Desktop

     
  8. Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    A fast and next-generation desktop search and productivity tool for standard and virtual desktops, for private and enterprise search requirements. Finds documents, outlook archives and e-mails, contacts, appointments, folders, etc.

    75 Lookeen Desktop Search alternatives

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • DE flagGermany
    • European Union flagEU

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Microsoft Office Outlook

    Lookeen Desktop Search Features

    1.  Indexed search
    2.  Outlook search

    Lookeen Desktop Search VS Google Desktop

     
  9. SwiftSearch icon
     21 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    SwiftSearch is a lightweight program whose purpose is to help you quickly find the files you need on your Windows machine without ever requiring you to index your drives. Most search utilities that achieve similar speeds do so by indexing drives while the computer is idle, but...

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Persistent Linux
    3.  Support for regular expressions

    SwiftSearch VS Google Desktop

     
  10. XSearch icon
     13 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    XSearch is a free search tool that with more features that Windows Search didn't provided. It can search files on your computer in high speed. When searching for special words in files, you can specify the words option such as "Any of the words", "All of the...

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows

    XSearch Features

    1.  Non-Indexing search

    XSearch VS Google Desktop

     
  11. X1 Search icon
     10 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    X1 offers next generation enterprise search, eDiscovery and desktop search for traditional and virtual environments

    75 X1 Search alternatives

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows

    X1 Search Features

    1.  File content indexing
    2.  Indexed search
    3.  Email tracking
    4.  File preview
    5.  Ediscovery

    X1 Search VS Google Desktop

     
  12. FileSearchy icon
     37 likes
    Copy a direct link to this comment to your clipboard

    File search utility that provides instant search by file name, and powerful search by file contents, size and date. Supports search inside PDF, Microsoft Office and other documents. Highlights found text in file names and contents. Clean and intuitive multi-tabbed user interface.

    License model

    • Free PersonalProprietary

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Discontinued

    The official website is no longer available. Last version, 1.43, released in October 2016, can be still downloaded from Majorgeeks

    FileSearchy Features

    1.  Local Search

    FileSearchy VS Google Desktop

     
12 of 18 Google Desktop alternatives