Bulk Rename Utility vs Files (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Files grades higher than Bulk Rename Utility: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Bulk Rename Utility grades higher on features. Files grades higher on value for money, the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bulk Rename Utility
Windows file renamer with many criteria, free for home use
Files
Open-source file manager for Windows with tabs and dual pane
Which one is for you
Pick Bulk Rename Utility if
- Fits if you rename photos or files in bulk on a Windows PC at home
- Works for people who want to preview every change before it happens
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use a Mac or Linux, as it is Windows only
- Pricey if you use it at work, at $92.95 per computer, one for each machine
- Watch out: yearly maintenance with updates and priority support is an add-on from $29.95
- Watch out: any business, company or government use needs a commercial licence on every computer
Pick Files if
- Fits if you want tabs, two panes and tags in a file manager at no cost
- Works for people in project folders all day who want Git branches in view
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac or Linux, as it's Windows only, on Windows 10 version 19041.0 or higher
- Not for you if you connect to servers over SFTP, because only FTP and FTPS are supported
- Not for you if you leave a file manager open for days, since the FAQ admits to memory leaks
- Watch out: cloud drives show in the sidebar only while each service's own client is running
- Watch out: the Store copy costs $12.99, so the free route is the classic installer or a PowerShell command
How we grade them
| 2.4GPABulk Rename UtilityFair | 2.8GPAFilesGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BFree for home use, $24.95 once for a Home or Academic licence, but $92.95 per computer for business, against a utilities one-time middle of $21.99. | AFree through the classic installer, a real program you download and run. The Microsoft Store version is $12.99 once, sold to fund development, and that's still under this category's usual one-time price. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree of charge for personal, private use at home; business use needs a licence. | AThe app is free if you install it with the classic installer, a PowerShell command or the offline packages. No trial clock. The project just asks you to think about supporting it on GitHub. |
| Features | BRule-based renaming, previews, photo and media metadata, folders and timestamps; the listing names no gap in the core job. | COn the browsing side: tabs, dual pane, a column layout, colored tags, zip and 7zip archives, Git branches and a Command Palette. The listing names two holes, though. Remote connections stop at FTP and FTPS with no SFTP, and the FAQ admits memory use builds up over long sessions. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Many rename rules have to be learned before the preview looks right. | BNo store rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: it's a file manager, so you already know the basics, and the Command Palette puts commands and settings on the keyboard. Just remember the free route is the classic installer, not the Store. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only, with no Mac or Linux version. | DWindows only, a single operating system, and the Store listing wants Windows 10 version 19041.0 or higher. It does list OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox and Box in the sidebar, as long as each one's own client is running, and it works with Git. |
| Best for | renaming many files at once on Windows | a File Explorer swap with tabs and dual pane |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bulk Rename Utility and Files. How we grade
Where they differ
- Files is open source, according to its own site.
- Files also covers file compression.
At a glance
| Bulk Rename Utility | Files | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $24.95 per user for a Home / Academic license, $92.95 for a commercial license | $12.99 one-time purchase (Microsoft Store, US price) |
| Free plan | Free of charge for personal, private use at home. | The app is free through the classic installer, a PowerShell command or the offline packages. The Microsoft Store version is the paid way to get it, sold to support the project. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Made by | TGRMN Software | Files Community |
| Price read from | bulkrenameutility.co.uk | apps.microsoft.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bulk Rename Utility
- Runs on Windows only, with no Mac or Linux version.
- Business and commercial use needs a paid license for each computer where it is installed.
- Yearly maintenance with updates and priority support is an add-on, starting at $29.95 for one item.
- The vendor's prices can be shown in other currencies at checkout; the figures here are the US dollar ones.
Files
- Windows only; the Microsoft Store listing requires Windows 10 version 19041.0 or higher.
- The Microsoft Store version costs $12.99. The free version is installed with the classic installer or a PowerShell command.
- Remote connections cover FTP and FTPS only; the docs say SFTP is not currently supported.
- The FAQ acknowledges memory leaks that can make memory use build up over long sessions.
Key features
Bulk Rename Utility
- Flexible renaming rules
- Adds, replaces and inserts text, converts case, adds auto-numbers and removes or changes extensions.
- Preview before renaming
- Shows a detailed preview of the new names before any file is changed.
- Photo and media metadata
- Renames photos from EXIF data, MP3s from ID3 tags and other files from Windows file properties.
- Folders and sub-folders
- Processes whole folders and their sub-folders, not just a single list of files.
- Timestamp changes
- Changes files' creation and modification times.
- JavaScript renaming
- Scripted renaming is unlocked by a home/academic or commercial license.
Files
- Tabs and dual pane
- Several folders open as tabs in a single window, and the dual-pane view shows and manages two folders side by side.
- Layouts and column view
- Folders can be shown in several layouts, including a column layout for moving through different levels of the file system.
- File tags
- Files and folders can be organized and sorted with colored tags.
- Cloud drives in the sidebar
- Detects installed cloud clients such as OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox and Box and lists their drives in the sidebar. The provider's own client must be running.
- Archives and FTP
- Creates and extracts archives including zip and 7zip, and connects to FTP and FTPS servers from the address bar. SFTP is not supported.
- Git integration and Command Palette
- Creates and switches Git branches and syncs changes from within the app. The Command Palette gives keyboard access to commands and settings, and key bindings can be remapped.
Plans
Bulk Rename Utility
Home use$0
Free for personal, private use at home; a business, company or commercial use needs a commercial license.
Home / Academic license$24.95
per user, one-time
Unlocks all features, including JavaScript renaming, for home or school and university use. $22.95 each for 2 to 5 users and $19.95 each for 6 or more.
Commercial license$92.95
per computer, one-time
Required for each computer in a business, company, government or commercial use. $63.95 each for 2 to 5 computers and $49.95 each for 6 or more.
Files
Classic installer$0
The free version, in stable and preview branches. The project asks people who install it to consider supporting development on GitHub.
Microsoft Store$12.99
one-time purchase (US Microsoft Store price)
The stable release bought and updated through the Microsoft Store. The download page calls this the best way to support development.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bulk Rename Utility or Files?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Bulk Rename Utility starts at $24.95 per user for a Home / Academic license, $92.95 for a commercial license, and Files starts at $12.99 one-time purchase (Microsoft Store, US price).
Which has a free plan, Bulk Rename Utility or Files?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Bulk Rename Utility and Files have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.