Spotlight Alternatives for Linux

Spotlight is not available for Linux but there are plenty of alternatives that runs on Linux with similar functionality. The best Linux alternative is DocFetcher, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Spotlight and many of them are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to Spotlight are Ulauncher, Albert, Cerebro and Clapgrep.

filter to find the best alternatives

Spotlight alternatives are mainly Application Launchers but may also be File Search Utilities or Web Search Engines.  Other popular filters includes Linux + File Search. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Spotlight.
Spotlight iconSpotlight
  19
  • ...

Spotlight is 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...

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Spotlight alternatives page was last updated Oct 3, 2024
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  1. DocFetcher icon
    DocFetcher icon

    DocFetcher

     121 likes
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    DocFetcher is a portable German/English open source desktop search application. It allows you search the contents of documents on your computer. - You can think of it as Google for your local document repository.

    120 DocFetcher alternatives
    Filter panel and preview panel enabled

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Filter panel and preview panel enabled
    No extra fluff
    +2
    Preview panel enabled

    Top DocFetcher Features

    1.  Search-in-files
    2.  File content indexing
    3.  Indexed search
    4.  Full-Text Search
    5.  Content Searching
    6.  Portable
    7.  Built-in viewer
    8.  Shared Folders
    9.  Reads odt files
    10.  Network Scanner
    11.  Search in Archives
    DocFetcher iconSpotlight Icon

    DocFetcher VS Spotlight

    Is DocFetcher a good alternative to Spotlight?
     

    • Most users think DocFetcher is a great Spotlight alternative.

    • DocFetcher is the most popular Linux alternative to Spotlight.

    • DocFetcher is Free and Open SourceSpotlight is Free and Proprietary
  2. Ulauncher icon
    Ulauncher icon

    Ulauncher

     47 likes
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    • Ulauncher provides instant search results. It also remembers your previous choices and automatically selects the best option for you.
    55 Ulauncher alternatives
    Dark theme

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    File browser
    White theme

    Top Ulauncher Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Application Launchers
    3.  Integrated Search
    4.  File Search
    5.  Launcher
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  No registration required
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Support for Themes
    10.  No Tracking
    11.  Lightweight
    12.  Works Offline
    Ulauncher iconSpotlight Icon

    Ulauncher VS Spotlight

    Is Ulauncher a good alternative to Spotlight?
     
    Comments about Ulauncher as an Alternative to Spotlight
     
    ThunderFox

    It's a great alternative for Linux users

    Positive comment •Oct 4, 2021
    0
    Spotlight Icon
    Ulauncher icon
    • Ulauncher is Free and Open SourceSpotlight is Free and Proprietary
    • Ulauncher is LightweightSpotlight is not according to our users
  4. Albert icon
    Albert icon

    Albert

     69 likes
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    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.

    55 Albert alternatives
    Apps

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Arch wiki
    Calculator (Qalculate)
    +9
    Clipboard history

    Top Albert Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  No Coding Required
    4.  Command line interface
    5.  Autocompletion
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  Currency Conversion
    8.  Lightweight
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  No registration required
    11.  Dark Mode
    12.  Support for scripting
    Albert iconSpotlight Icon

    Albert VS Spotlight

    Is Albert a good alternative to Spotlight?
     
  5. Cerebro icon
    Cerebro icon

    Cerebro

     54 likes
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    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...

    52 Cerebro alternatives
    Cerebro screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Cerebro screenshot 1
    Cerebro screenshot 2
    +2
    Cerebro screenshot 3

    Cerebro Features

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

    Cerebro VS Spotlight

    Is Cerebro a good alternative to Spotlight?
     
  6. Clapgrep icon
    Clapgrep icon

    Clapgrep

     5 likes
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    Ever had a folder full of PDF files, where you knew, somewhere in there, is what you're looking for. But you did not know in which file. So you had to search each of them at a time…

    51 Clapgrep alternatives
    Clapgrep screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Clapgrep screenshot 1

    Clapgrep Features

    1.  Full-Text Search
    2.  No Tracking
    3.  Privacy focused
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Lightweight
    6.  No registration required
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Content Searching
    9.  File content indexing
    10.  Advanced searching
    Clapgrep iconSpotlight Icon

    Clapgrep VS Spotlight

    Is Clapgrep a good alternative to Spotlight?
     
  7. Rofi icon
    Rofi icon

    Rofi

     21 likes
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    Rofi started as clone of simpleswitcher, written by Sean Pringle a popup window switcher roughly based on superswitcher. Simpleswitcher laid the foundations and therefor Sean Pringle deserves most of the credit for this tool.

    31 Rofi alternatives
    Rofi screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Rofi Features

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Command line interface
    3.  Support for Themes
    4.  Support for scripting
    5.  Window Switching
    Rofi iconSpotlight Icon

    Rofi VS Spotlight

    Is Rofi a good alternative to Spotlight?
     
  9. EverythingToolbar icon
    EverythingToolbar icon

    EverythingToolbar

     9 likes
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    EverythingToolbar is integration for the Windows taskbar to use "Everything" which is an administrative tool that locates files and folders by filename instantly for Windows.

    It's Lightweight & Simple

    11 EverythingToolbar alternatives
    Settings

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Now Supports the Windows 11 Taskbar with the 0.8.0.0 Beta1
    Dark-mode + long searchbar (you can resize it by right clicking the taskbar and unchecking "lock the taskbar")
    +1
    Medium-mode + if u make the searchbar smaller it turns into an Icon

    EverythingToolbar Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  No registration required
    4.  Dark Mode
    5.  Lightweight
    6.  Fast file and folder search
    7.  Customizable
    8.  Indexed search
    9.  Integrated Search
    10.  Launcher
    EverythingToolbar iconSpotlight Icon

    EverythingToolbar VS Spotlight

    Is EverythingToolbar a good alternative to Spotlight?
     
  10. Krunner icon
    Krunner icon

    Krunner

     14 likes
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    KRunner is the launcher built into the Plasma desktop.

    83 Krunner alternatives
    Krunner screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD

    Top Krunner Features

    1.  Support for Themes
    2.  Launcher
    3.  No registration required
    4.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Privacy focused
    7.  Support for scripting
    8.  Lightweight
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Works Offline
    11.  Dark Mode
    Krunner iconSpotlight Icon

    Krunner VS Spotlight

    Is Krunner a good alternative to Spotlight?
     
    Comments about Krunner as an Alternative to Spotlight
     
    Guest

    Quite comfortable to use if you install KDE's Plasma.

    Positive comment •Feb 3, 2018
    0
    Spotlight Icon
    Krunner icon
    • Krunner is Free and Open SourceSpotlight is Free and Proprietary
    • Krunner is Privacy focused and LightweightSpotlight is not according to our users
  11. TextSeek icon
    TextSeek icon

    TextSeek

     20 likes
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    TextSeek is a professional full-text desktop search tool for Windows and MacOS. It supports PDF, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, RTF and other formats.

    98 TextSeek alternatives
    TextSeek screenshot 1

    License model

    • Freemium • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    TextSeek screenshot 1
    TextSeek screenshot 2
    +2
    TextSeek screenshot 3

    TextSeek Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Full-Text Search
    3.  Privacy focused
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Works Offline
    6.  No registration required
    7.  Lightweight
    8.  No Tracking
    9.  In-document search
    TextSeek iconSpotlight Icon

    TextSeek VS Spotlight

    Is TextSeek a good alternative to Spotlight?
     

  12. fuzzel

     1 like
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    Application launcher for wlroots based Wayland compositors, similar to rofi's drun mode.

    30 fuzzel alternatives
    Fuzzel, with transparency, on top of a browser window showing a diff of a fuzzel commit

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Spotlight Icon

    fuzzel VS Spotlight

    Is fuzzel a good alternative to Spotlight?
     

  13. bemenu

     2 likes
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    Dynamic menu library and client program inspired by dmenu.

    56 bemenu alternatives
    bemenu screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux

    bemenu Features

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Wayland Support
    3.  Launcher
    Spotlight Icon

    bemenu VS Spotlight

    Is bemenu a good alternative to Spotlight?
     
  14. Catapult Launcher icon
    Catapult Launcher icon

    Catapult Launcher

     3 likes
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    Catapult allows you to easily launch apps, open files and do basic calculations with a keyboard-driven user interface. Custom plugins and themes can be loaded dynamically.

    19 Catapult Launcher alternatives
    Catapult Launcher screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux

    Catapult Launcher Features

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Dark Mode
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  Launcher
    Catapult Launcher iconSpotlight Icon

    Catapult Launcher VS Spotlight

    Is Catapult Launcher a good alternative to Spotlight?
     
12 of 23 Spotlight alternatives