Everything Alternative for Mac

If you used Everything by Voidtools on Windows, you know how addictive instant search can be.

You type a few letters and files appear immediately. No waiting. No indexing drama. Just fast filename search.

Then you switch to macOS and realize something:

Everything does not exist on Mac.

So what is the closest alternative?

The answer depends on what you actually used Everything for.

If you only needed instant filename search, Spotlight might be “good enough.”

But if you relied on Everything because you wanted speed and control over your files, then the real upgrade on Mac is not another filename search tool.

It is a private file intelligence layer.

That is where Fenn comes in.

First: what Everything actually does

Everything is famous for:

• Ultra-fast filename search

• Minimal UI

• Lightweight indexing

• Instant results as you type

What it does not do well:

• It does not deeply understand file content

• It does not jump to the exact page inside a PDF

• It does not help you extract information

• It is primarily about filenames

That was fine in the Windows era of structured folders.

But modern work is different.

Why Spotlight does not feel like Everything

Mac users quickly notice:

• Spotlight sometimes prioritizes recent files over precise matches

• It is good for launching apps, not deep work search

• It often returns the file, not the answer inside it

• There is limited precision for navigating inside long documents

So people searching for an “Everything alternative for Mac” usually want:

• speed

• reliability

• precision

• control

The problem Everything never solved

Even on Windows, Everything only helped you find:

the file

It did not help you find:

the exact sentence inside the file

If your real bottleneck is:

• finding the clause in a 200-page PDF

• locating the number buried in a deck

• retrieving the screenshot with specific text

• jumping to the moment in a meeting recording

Then filename search is not enough anymore.

The modern Mac alternative: search inside your files, not just their names

Fenn is built for this exact shift.

Instead of searching only filenames, Fenn:

• Indexes the content inside your files

• Searches across PDFs, documents, slides, spreadsheets

• Finds text inside screenshots and scans

• Works with audio and video

• Opens the exact page, slide, frame, or timestamp

This is what Everything users often wanted but never had.

Private by default (this is the big difference)

Many modern “AI search” tools require uploading your files to cloud services.

Fenn runs on-device.

That means:

• Your documents stay on your Mac

• Client data is not sent to OpenAI or Google

• Confidential files remain private

• You are not dependent on cloud uptime

For professionals, that is not a bonus feature. It is the requirement.

Mini comparison

Everything (Windows)

• Instant filename search

• Very fast

• Limited to file names

• Windows-only

Fenn (macOS)

• Searches inside file content

• Jump-to-page precision

• Works across modern file types

• Private, on-device

• Built specifically for Mac

If you moved from Windows and miss Everything’s speed, Fenn gives you speed plus depth.

Who should use Fenn instead of looking for a clone

You will benefit most if you:

• Work with large numbers of documents

• Handle confidential information

• Search inside PDFs and decks daily

• Want to retrieve the answer, not just the file

• Prefer keeping data on-device

If you only need filename search, Spotlight might be fine.

If you need real work retrieval, you need more.

Everything is a great Windows tool.

But macOS deserves something better than a filename clone.

If you want the closest equivalent in speed, plus the ability to search inside your files and keep everything private:

Try Fenn, “Private AI that finds any file on your Mac.”
Find the moment, not the file.