dtSearch vs Everything (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Everything grades higher than dtSearch: 2.8 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
dtSearch grades higher on features. Everything 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.
dtSearch
Windows full-text search for terabytes of documents and email
Free trial · from $249
Which one is for you
Pick dtSearch if
- Fits if you search very large piles of documents and email on Windows
- Works for legal and records teams, which the forensics edition targets
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you are one person: $249, and the forensics license is $1,225 a year
- Not for you if you use a Mac, as Desktop and Network need Windows
- Skip it if you want a known renewal cost, because the page does not say what it is
- Watch out: all prices are marked subject to change, with a currency selector on the store page
Pick Everything if
- Fits if you know roughly what a file is called but not where you put it
- Works for drives holding hundreds of thousands of files, or millions
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on a Mac or Linux, as it only runs on Windows
- Not for you if you mostly search for words inside documents, because contents aren't indexed and that search is slow
- Tight if you pick the Lite build, which drops the servers and stops the command-line tool and SDK working
- Watch out: NTFS indexing needs the Everything service or admin rights, and FAT drives and network shares are added by hand
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAdtSearchWeak | 2.8GPAEverythingGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$249 for a single user, with a minimum of one year of support and updates. That is several times this category's one-time middle of $19.99, and renewal is not stated. | AFreeware, a plain download, with no paid edition anywhere. The developer asks you to think about donating, and that's the whole sales pitch. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day evaluation of Desktop and Network. The listing does not say whether it needs a card. | AAll of it is free: the installer, the portable ZIP and the Lite build, in 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM. Nothing is held back for a paid version. |
| Features | BA terabyte indexer, 25+ search options, many data types, a spider and network and developer editions. The listing names no gap in the core job. | CFinding files by name is one job and Everything covers it: 250,000 files indexed in about 5 seconds, results that update as files change, wildcards, filters and regex, a command line and an SDK. But it indexes names, not contents, so searching inside files is slow. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record. You choose folders to index, and the search syntax has a learning curve. | BNo store rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: install it and start typing. Two fiddly bits sit in the listing, mind. NTFS indexing wants the Everything service or administrator rights, and network shares have to be added by hand. |
| Platforms and integrations | DDesktop and Network editions need Windows. Nothing for Mac or phones. | DWindows only, a single operating system, from XP through Windows 11. Its HTTP server does let you search your files from a browser on a phone or another computer on the same network. No Mac or Linux version. |
| Best for | searching terabytes of documents and email on Windows | finding any file by name on Windows |
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: dtSearch and Everything. How we grade
Where they differ
- dtSearch can be bought with a one-time purchase.
In commonWindowsFile management
At a glance
| dtSearch | Everything | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $249 single user | Free |
| Free plan | None | Everything is freeware with no paid edition. The developer asks users to consider donating. |
| Free trial | 30-day evaluation of dtSearch Desktop/Network. | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Made by | dtSearch Corp. | voidtools PTY LTD |
| Price read from | dtsearch.com | voidtools.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
dtSearch
- The Desktop and Network editions require Windows.
- Support and updates are included for a minimum of one year; the page does not say what renewal costs.
- The forensics license is priced per year and is much higher than the single-user license.
- All prices are marked as subject to change, with a currency selector on the store page.
Everything
- Windows only; the FAQ lists Windows XP through Windows 11.
- It indexes file and folder names, not contents. Searching inside files is possible but slow.
- NTFS indexing needs the Everything service or administrator rights, and FAT volumes and network shares must be added as folder indexes by hand.
- The Lite build removes the HTTP and ETP/FTP servers and IPC, so the command-line tool and SDK do not work with it.
Key features
dtSearch
- Terabyte indexer
- A single index can span over a terabyte of text across folders, email and online data.
- 25+ search options
- Includes phrase, boolean, fuzzy and other search types, plus forensics-oriented options.
- Many data types
- Reads PDF, Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, email with nested attachments and more through its own document filters.
- Spider
- The built-in Spider can add local and remote web content to a search.
- Network edition
- Lets many users search an organization's shared indexes at once.
- Developer products
- An Engine SDK for Windows, Linux and macOS and a Web edition are sold separately.
Everything
- Instant filename search
- Starts by listing every file and folder on the PC and narrows the list as you type. Only names are indexed: about 250,000 files on a fresh Windows 11 install take about 5 seconds.
- Real-time index updates
- Results update as files change. NTFS indexes are kept current through the USN Journal, so changes made while Everything was closed are picked up when it restarts.
- Search syntax
- Supports boolean operators, wildcards, file-type and location filters and optional regular expressions. A content: function searches inside files, but contents are not indexed, so it is slow.
- Low resource use
- The vendor quotes about 35 MB of RAM and under 14 MB of disk space for roughly 250,000 files, and about 100 MB of RAM for 1,000,000 files.
- HTTP and ETP/FTP servers
- Search and open your files from a web browser on another computer, phone or tablet on the local network. Version 1.4 includes the servers; for version 1.5 they are separate plugins.
- Command line and SDK
- The ES command-line tool queries a running copy of Everything, and the SDK gives other programs a DLL and Lib interface to it over IPC.
Plans
dtSearch
Desktop, single user$249
per license; includes support and updates for a minimum of one year
One person may use it on up to two computers.
Desktop, annual investigative$1,225
per year, for one individual
For forensics and e-discovery use; can be moved between machines and includes a personal-use single-user license.
Network, multi-user$200
per seat, for 5 to 24 seats
Price per seat falls with volume, to $175 for 25 to 99 seats and lower beyond that.
Everything
Everything$0
Freeware in installer, portable ZIP and Lite builds, with 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM downloads. Donations are optional.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, dtSearch or Everything?
As of Nov 13, 2026, dtSearch starts at $249 single user, and Everything is free.
Which has a free plan, dtSearch or Everything?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Everything has a free plan. dtSearch does not, though it has a free trial.
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.