Mac file apps, compared
Where Peekaboo fits next to the file managers, search tools, disk analyzers and duplicate finders people already use, and where those apps are the better choice. Prices are checked against each vendor’s own site.
Roundups
- The best Finder alternatives for Mac
- The best duplicate file finders for Mac
- The best disk space analyzers for Mac
File manager
The long-standing Finder replacement: dual pane, Drop Stack, batch rename, folder compare and sync.
$29.95/year, or $32.95 for a 1-year licence key
Dual-pane file manager with SFTP, S3, cloud drives, folder sync and Git.
$19.95 one-time (1 year of updates) or $34.95 (2 years) · macOS 14.6+
Orthodox dual-pane manager with cloud mounts, archives and phone access over USB.
$29.99 one-time (Personal, 1 Mac) · macOS 10.13+
QSpace Pro
Multi-pane Finder replacement with 12 layouts, 20+ server types and regex rename.
$29.99 one-time (shown discounted to $13.99 when checked) · macOS 10.15+
Nimble Commander
Free, fast, keyboard-driven dual-pane manager with a built-in terminal.
Free and open source · macOS 11+
Fileside
Tiled multi-pane layouts saved per project, with thumbnails and undo.
Price not listed · macOS 12+
File search
Power search on top of Spotlight: boolean criteria groups, templates, text previews.
Price not listed · macOS 10.14+
Searches what Spotlight skips: external and network volumes, packages, other users’ folders.
$6 one-time · macOS 10.11+
EasyFind
Free, index-free search by name, content and tags with boolean and regex.
Free · OS X 10.11+
Raycast
Keyboard launcher with file search, clipboard history and thousands of extensions.
Free; Pro $10/month or $96/year
Alfred
Long-running keyboard launcher with file navigation and Workflows.
Free; Powerpack £34 (or £59 lifetime upgrades) · macOS 10.14+
Disk space
The classic sunburst disk map, with admin scans of System Data and APFS snapshots.
$9.99 one-time (up to 5 personal Macs) · macOS 10.13+
GrandPerspective
Free treemap of your disk with filters and scan-to-scan comparison.
Free (SourceForge) or $2.99 on the Mac App Store · macOS 14 (3.7.2 for macOS 11–13)+
All-in-one maintenance suite: system junk, malware, uninstaller, updater.
$39.99/year, $9.99/month or $89.99 one-time (Mac App Store) · macOS 11+
Duplicates
Dedicated duplicate finder with Smart Select and Photos and Music library support.
$19.99/year (Mac App Store in-app purchase) · macOS 10.13 (App Store)+
PhotoSweeper X
Photo-only duplicate finder for Photos, Lightroom Classic and Capture One libraries.
$14.99 one-time (Mac App Store) · macOS 10.15+
Duplicate File Finder
Nektony’s duplicate scanner for disks, libraries and cloud folders, with folder merge.
Free; Pro from $7.95/month · macOS 11+
Text in images
Grab text from any part of the screen: images, PDFs, video, plus QR codes.
From $7.99 one-time (1 Mac) · macOS 10.15+
Automation
Hazel
Rules that file, rename and tag files automatically as they arrive.
$42 (single user)