dtSearch vs FileLocator Pro (2026): which should you pick?

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 FileLocator Pro if

• Fits if you search inside lots of files by their contents
• Works for people who need search reports or shared indexes

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want free search, as there is no free plan after the 30-day trial
• Pricey if you need more than Standard: Technician is $142 and Floating is $206 per concurrent user
• Watch out: major upgrades are free for one year only, and renewals are optional
• Not for you if you use a Mac or Linux, as only Windows is listed

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.

FileLocator Pro

• Windows only; no macOS or Linux version is listed.
• Major upgrades are free for one year after purchase; support and upgrade renewals are optional and discounted.
• The vendor says it merged with Agent Ransack in 2019, so the two have the same 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.

FileLocator Pro

Content search

Dig into PDFs, Office documents and ZIP archives, and search several Outlook PST files at once.

Indexed or live search

Searches can be indexed for near-instant results or run without an index; there is no background indexing.

Results preview

Highlighted keywords with surrounding text, and views of hits or the whole file with syntax highlighting.

Reports and export

Results can be summarized and exported.

Shared indexes

Several user-defined indexes can be created and shared across a network.

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.

FileLocator Pro

• Standard License$79

  one-time, per named user

  Up to 3 Windows installations per named user; volume discounts from 25 licenses.

• Technician License$142

  one-time, per named user

  Unlimited Windows installations per named user.

• Floating License$206

  one-time, per concurrent user

  Licensed for a number of concurrent users rather than named people.

dtSearch

No public discounts listed.

FileLocator Pro

• Other savings

  Discounted support and upgrade renewals

  Renewals made before the support period ends get 40% off, and renewals after expiry get 30% off.