Spotlight Alternatives

Spotlight is described as 'The system-wide desktop search feature built into Apple's OS X operating system since version 10.4 (Tiger). Backed by an index of all items and files on the system, it's designed to allow the user to quickly locate a wide variety of items on the computer' and is a application launcher in the file management category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Spotlight for a variety of platforms, including Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and iPad apps. The best Spotlight alternative is Everything, which is free. Other great apps like Spotlight are Flow Launcher, Vicinae, Raycast and Alfred.

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Alternatives list

  1. Unleash.so icon
     4 likes

    Your productivity level just sprouted wings. Find what you need easily, across your cloud services from one place. Formerly known as ChaseApp.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  2. The Spotlight Search Metadata on your Mac is a truly remarkable thing. Given some text it is able to find all occurrences anywhere on the filesystem in the blink of an eye. At that this point your options are limited however.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Spotlight
     
  3. Asyar icon
     2 likes

    Asyar is a fast, extensible, local-first command launcher for macOS, Windows, and Linux. No account. No cloud. No subscription. Just a blazing-fast launcher that stays entirely on your machine.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  4. Dropbox Dash icon
     3 likes

    Meet Dash, your personal universal search tool. Search all your apps. All your tabs. All in one place.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Google Chrome
    • Firefox
     
  5. Start icon
     1 like

    With start, the innovative launcher for macOS, you can open applications, documents, shortcuts, URLs, and folders in an instant. Say goodbye to clutter - start brings order and efficiency to your workflow.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • MacPaw Setapp
     
  6. Search a comprehensive, centralized cache of all text found in your documents and other text-based files, including database and package files.

    44 FoxTrot Professional Search alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
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    1
    FoxTrot Professional Search vs Spotlight Comments
    jerome1
    Positive
    1

    Find the document you are searching for, locate the interesting pages inside the document, and highlight the found words in the document

    • FoxTrot Professional Search is Paid and ProprietarySpotlight is Free and Proprietary
  7. Flashlight icon
     7 likes

    Flashlight gives you control over Spotlight. There are tons of options for customization so you can do things how you want to. Flashlight is designed to make enhancing Spotlight easy and enhance it's usefulness on macOS 10.9 and up.

    59 Flashlight alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
  8. ProFind icon
     1 like

    ProFind provides fast and complete searches of any disk, beneath an elegant and extremely powerful interface.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
     
  9. XMenu icon
     4 likes

    XMenu adds one or more global menus to the right side of the menu bar. They give you access to your preferred applications, folders, documents, files, and snippets. Launch any application, or insert text snippets or URLs into your email messages or Pages documents with a single...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
  10. Numsy icon
     1 like

    Numsy is the fastest, most elegant way to perform calculations on your Mac. Designed to sit perfectly in your menu bar, it stays out of your way when you're focused and appears instantly when you need to crunch numbers.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
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