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oil-oil/oil-find

A macOS file search app modeled on Everything for Windows, using its own in-memory file-name index instead of Spotlight.

Open-source alternative to:SpotlightEverything

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Last commit
2 days ago

What is it?

Oil Find is a file search tool for macOS that works like Everything on Windows. It keeps its own in-memory index of every file name on the disk, so results appear as you type, and the index updates in real time as files are created, renamed or deleted. Press ⇧⌘F to open the search panel.

Search supports pinyin initials and full pinyin for Chinese file names, wildcards, boolean operators, regular expressions, and filters by extension, kind, size and modification date. Paths pasted from a terminal or editor, including file:// URLs and paths ending in line:column, are recognized. Results can be opened, shown in Finder, previewed with Quick Look, copied or dragged into other apps.

File-name search, including external drives while they are plugged in, is free and open source under MIT. The closed-source Pro add-on adds searching inside images and documents, and keeping unplugged external drives searchable. The app requires Apple silicon and macOS 14 or later, and network volumes are not supported.

Key features

  • 01Instant file-name search with results updating on every keystroke.
  • 02Live index updates through FSEvents, with catch-up after restart.
  • 03Pinyin initial and full-pinyin matching for Chinese file names.
  • 04Wildcards, regular expressions, boolean operators and path scoping.
  • 05Filters by extension, kind, size and modification date.
  • 06Keyboard-driven actions: open, reveal in Finder, Quick Look, copy path, move to Trash.

Use cases

  • Finding files by name across a large disk faster than Spotlight returns results.
  • Locating files on external drives while they are connected.
  • Searching with pinyin when file names are in Chinese.
  • Quickly grabbing file paths from a terminal or editor for use elsewhere.

Topics

#macos#file-search#spotlight-alternative#swift#appkit#search#productivity#everything#everything-for-mac#file-finder

FAQ

What is oil-find?
A macOS file search app modeled on Everything for Windows, using its own in-memory file-name index instead of Spotlight. Oil Find is a file search tool for macOS that works like Everything on Windows. It keeps its own in-memory index of every file name on the disk, so results appear as you type, and the index updates in real time as files are created, renamed or deleted. Press ⇧⌘F to open the search panel.
Is oil-find free to use? What license does it have?
oil-find is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is oil-find still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to oil-find was on Oct 17, 2026.
What can I use oil-find for?
Finding files by name across a large disk faster than Spotlight returns results. Locating files on external drives while they are connected. Searching with pinyin when file names are in Chinese. Quickly grabbing file paths from a terminal or editor for use elsewhere.
Where can I get oil-find?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/oil-oil/oil-find

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