Our take
Newless than six months old- Activity
- 59
- Community
- 4
- Issues
- 76
- Pull requests
- 21
- Closes issues faster than 83% of the projects we track
- Fewer contributors than 92% of the projects we track
FinderSearch is a promising, actively developed Mac utility, but its very recent start and single-contributor development make it worth evaluating against your own file workflows before relying on it.
Good fit if
- You use macOS 15 or later and want local fuzzy filename search alongside browsing and file operations.
- You can use an early-stage app: it has recent commits and releases, though development is concentrated in one contributor.
- Its MIT-licensed code and the bundled MIT-licensed fsearch engine suit your project’s requirements.
Look elsewhere if
- You need file-content search, saved smart folders, folder merging, or persistent undo history.
- You need a notarized, Developer ID-signed app without manually allowing it in macOS security settings.
- You need verified Intel support or dependable performance with slow disks and cloud providers.
All health signals
| Last commit | 2026-10-11 (today) |
|---|---|
| Commits, last 90 days | 16 |
| Releases, last 12 months | 10 (latest v0.4.5, 2026-10-11) |
| Contributors | 1 |
| Issues closed, last 90 days | 4 (typically closed in 0 days) |
| Pull requests merged, last 90 days | 0 |
| Project age | 2 days |
Checked on 2026-10-11 with the GitHub API.
Overview
FinderSearch is a native Mac file browser for people who want to find files by approximate filename matches and then act on them without leaving the app. It combines folder browsing, previews, and common file operations with a local search engine powered by fsearch.
It is most relevant when filename search and browsing are the main needs. It is not a general content-search tool, and its current feature set is focused on local macOS file workflows rather than Finder extensions or cloud-provider performance.
Key Features
- Search filenames with fuzzy matching, relevance ranking, folder scope, and filters such as
ext:pdfandmtime:<7d. - Browse in icon, list, column, or gallery views, with Quick Look previews and tabs that restore on reopening.
- Select, copy, move, batch-rename, tag, share, and trash files.
- Create and manage ZIP archives, with transfer progress, cancellation, and file-conflict choices.
- Undo supported file actions and use drag selection for file workflows.
- Run searches locally; files are not uploaded.
Use Cases
- Mac users locating a file by a partial or uncertain filename, especially within a chosen folder.
- People who want to filter a large collection by filename extension or modification time before browsing results.
- Users who prefer a multi-view file browser with previews and tabs while organizing files.
- Users handling batches of files who need actions such as moving, renaming, tagging, or archiving alongside search.
What you need
Detected in the repository
- Swift (main language on GitHub)
- A test suite
License in plain words
MITpermissive
- Commercial use: yes
- Modify and redistribute: yes
- You must keep: the copyright and license notice
- Share your changes: no
A summary, not legal advice: the LICENSE file is what applies.
Getting Started
Download the latest release and install the app from the DMG. It requires macOS 15 or later. For a source build, use the repository’s documented command:
git clone https://github.com/zeusinsight/FinderSearch.git
cd FinderSearch
./scripts/build.sh
See the README and usage guide for installation permissions, shortcuts, and troubleshooting.
Alternatives
- fsearch: fsearch focuses on typo-tolerant filename and file-content search with a CLI and shared index, rather than FinderSearch’s native browsing and file management.
| Project | Language | License | Stars | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FinderSearch | Swift | MIT | 617 | New |
| fsearch | Rust | MIT | 1.7k | New |
Considerations
FinderSearch is marked as new and is only a few days old in the supplied project health data. It has recent commits and releases, and recent issues have been closed promptly, but all recorded contributions come from one contributor, so maintenance depends heavily on that person. The app is not yet Developer ID-signed or notarized, and Full Disk Access is needed to search protected folders. Source builds require macOS 15 or later, Xcode 16 or compatible Command Line Tools, and Rust 1.85 or later. The project also notes that content search, AirDrop, Finder extensions, saved smart folders, folder merging, and persistent undo history are not supported; slow disks and cloud providers can take time.
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