Is there a Listary for Mac?

Listary is a Windows app, so there is no official Listary for Mac. If you want the same feel on macOS, the goal is to replace it with a keyboard-first search tool that finds files instantly and works across all your folders.

What is the closest equivalent to Listary on Mac?

The closest equivalent is a fast, keyboard-first workflow that finds files and folders immediately. Fenn is built for this, and it goes further by searching inside PDFs, screenshots, and documents, then opening the exact place you need.

How is Fenn different from Spotlight or Finder search?

Spotlight and Finder often work best when you remember a filename. Fenn is designed for the common case where you remember content instead, and it can open results at the exact page, snippet, or moment inside your files.

Does Fenn keep my files private?

Yes. Fenn runs on-device for privacy, so your indexed content stays on your Mac. That is ideal if you work with confidential documents and cannot upload files to cloud AI tools.

Is Fenn a good fit for someone migrating from Windows to Mac?

Yes. If you used Listary to find files fast on Windows, Fenn gives you a similar keyboard-first flow on Mac, plus the ability to search inside PDFs, images, and more, and jump straight to the exact match.

Listary for Mac: The Closest Equivalent in 2026

Jan 12, 2026

Download Fenn for Apple Silicon

If you switched from Windows to Mac and miss Listary, start here: Fenn is Private AI that finds any file on your Mac. It searches inside PDFs, screenshots, docs, audio, and video, then opens the exact page, frame, or timestamp. Find the moment, not the file.

You remember the clause, not the filename. You remember the slide, not the deck name. Listary made that easy on Windows. On macOS, the default experience can feel like a step back, until you build a workflow that matches how you actually recall information.

This guide shows the closest “Listary-like” workflow on Mac in 2026, with an emphasis on speed, precision, and privacy.

First: is there a real Listary for Mac?

Listary is a Windows search utility, and its official downloads are for Windows. That’s why so many switchers end up searching “Listary for Mac” and “Listary alternative.”

So the goal is not to find the same app. It’s to recreate the same feeling: instant results, keyboard-first, and no friction.

What ex-Listary users usually want on Mac

These are the Listary behaviors people miss most:

Find as you type: results appear immediately, not after a slow crawl
Keyboard-first flow: search, open, act, repeat
Folder and file recall: you can jump back into active work fast
Better-than-filename search: you can find content, not just names

Why typical Mac tools feel worse after Listary

A Windows-to-Mac switcher usually hits three walls:

Filename bias
If you remember a sentence inside a PDF, or a snippet inside a screenshot, filename search is a dead end.
No “open the exact spot” by default
Even when you find the right file, you still waste time scrolling to the page, slide, or passage.
Privacy tradeoffs with many AI tools
A lot of “AI search” workflows upload your data to the cloud. If your files are sensitive, that’s a non-starter.

The closest Listary equivalent workflow on Mac in 2026

The closest equivalent is a two-layer setup:

Use your Mac’s default launcher behavior for quick app launching
Use Fenn as your “Listary replacement” for finding files and content instantly, then jumping to the exact match

This is the key upgrade versus Listary: not just finding the file, but finding the exact moment inside it.

How to replace Listary with Fenn (step by step)

1) Index what matters

In Fenn, choose the sources where your real work lives:

Documents and project folders
Downloads
PDFs and research libraries
Screenshots and exports
Recordings (audio and video)

2) Search the way your brain remembers

Use the keyboard shortcut, then search by:

exact phrase (Exact mode)
keywords you recall (Keyword mode)
the idea or topic (Semantic mode)
both together (Hybrid mode, great default)

Example searches an ex-Listary user will recognize:

“termination clause notice period”
“invoice April 2025 wire details”
“screenshot with api key rotation steps”
“meeting where we agreed on pricing”

3) Jump straight to the match

This is the “closest equivalent” moment:

PDFs: open the exact page with the match
images and screenshots: find text inside the image, then open it
audio and video: jump to the right timestamp or frame

You spend less time opening, scrolling, and guessing.

4) Keep it private

Fenn is on-device. Your indexed content stays on your Mac. That matters for client work, contracts, finance, research, and anything you do not want leaving your machine.

5) Use Agent and Chat modes for messy queries

When you cannot phrase it cleanly:

Agent search mode handles more complex “find the thing I mean” queries
Chat mode answers questions using your local files

AI Agentic search enable users to find any file given specific constraints. Everything happens locally. Your data stays on your Mac

Chat mode enable users to use a Chatbot that have access to your data. Everything happens locally. Your data stays on your Mac

Mini case: the “I know it’s in a PDF somewhere” problem

Before: you open 5 PDFs, run Command+F, skim, lose track, repeat.
After: you type the phrase (or the concept) once, see the snippet, and open the PDF at the exact page.

That’s the Listary feeling again, and it usually saves minutes every time you do it.

If you mainly loved Listary’s Open/Save dialog workflow

Some people used Listary mostly to jump to recent folders in Open and Save dialogs. On Mac, that’s often solved with a file-dialog focused utility.

Even if you add one of those, you still want Fenn as your main “find anything instantly” engine, especially when the memory you have is inside the file.

Try the closest Listary equivalent on Mac

If you’re migrating from Windows and want a Listary-like workflow on Mac, start with the tool that solves the real problem: finding what you need when you remember content, not filenames.

Fenn is Private AI that finds any file on your Mac.

On-device for privacy, fast on Apple Silicon, and it opens the exact page, frame, or timestamp.
Find the moment, not the file.