Results as you type
Results update on every keystroke, with keyboard selection, open, reveal in Finder, a full results window, Space for Quick Look, and right-click copy actions.
Filename search for macOS
macEverything Fast, complete, precise filename search for macOS.
- Fast:Index a million files in about a second and see results as you type.
- Complete:Your home folder and Applications are indexed (with sensible default exclusions), including folders Spotlight skips.
- Precise:Filename matching with wildcards, path, case, and whole-word syntax.
⌥Space opens search
⌥⇧F opens results
Index stays local
Features
Built for finding files fast
No content indexing, no cloud, no Spotlight dependency. Just filenames, indexed locally.
Local index
Scans your home folder and Applications at startup (with sensible default exclusions), then reuses the saved index. The index never leaves your Mac.
Finds what Spotlight misses
Search folders Spotlight excludes, and see permission gaps listed explicitly instead of silently hidden.
Compare
macEverything vs Spotlight
Spotlight is a system-wide content index. macEverything is a filename index you control.
Item
Spotlight
macEverything
What gets indexed
Decided by the system
Home folder + Applications (default exclusions)
Folders excluded from Spotlight
Not indexed
Searchable; exclusions configurable
Folders without permission
Hidden
Listed separately
Developer folders
May be skipped
Searchable; node_modules and .git excluded by default
Index control
System managed
App managed
Terminal command
mdfind (built-in)
macEverything (bundled)
Default exclusions include ~/Library, node_modules, and .git.
Measured
Performance
Tested on an Apple M5 with an NVMe drive, with about 1.28 million indexed entries.
1.0–1.6 s
First scan of 1M files
Later launches read the saved index.
2.9–3.6 ms
Query time (P99)
About 1.28 million entries.
0.3 s
New file searchable
The index updates automatically.
0 %
CPU when hidden
Both windows hidden for 60 seconds.
6.9 MB
Installer size
No extra runtime.
136 MB
UI memory
Menu bar process, whether windows are open or not.
Guides
Learn more
In-depth guides for switching from Everything, fixing Spotlight, and choosing a Mac search workflow.
Everything for Mac
Everything is Windows-only. Here is how macEverything fills that gap on macOS.
Spotlight not finding files?
Common causes, fixes, and when a filename index is the better tool.
Mac file search guide
Spotlight, Finder, and macEverything compared by scope, speed, and workflow.
Download
Download and install
Version 2.3.0, for Macs with Apple silicon.
Open the downloaded DMG, drag macEverything into Applications, then open it. A menu bar icon appears after launch.
Press ⌥Space to open search, or ⌥⇧F to open the results window.
Runs on macOS 13 or later (Apple silicon). The index uses about 63 MB per 1 million files.