dtSearch vs Lookeen (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, dtSearch and Lookeen share a 1.8 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about features, where dtSearch grades higher, or value for money, where Lookeen does.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and 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
Lookeen
Windows desktop search for email, attachments and files
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 Lookeen if
- Fits if your work lives in Outlook and you want faster search through it
- Works for people who want to ask questions about their own email
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you use a Mac, as the desktop product is Windows only
- Pricey if you are one person: $9 a month with only annual billing
- Tight if you want tags or OCR, since both need Business at $12
- Watch out: the mobile app, MCP, RAG and Vault are marked coming soon
- Watch out: the pricing page defaults to euros with a dollar switch
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAdtSearchWeak | 1.8GPALookeenWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CBasic is $9 per user a month billed annually, above the dearer quarter of this category's subscriptions. Business is $12 and Premium $25, and prices include VAT. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day evaluation of Desktop and Network. The listing does not say whether it needs a card. | CA 14-day free trial and no free plan. The listing does not say whether it needs a card. |
| 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. | CEmail and file search, AI answers and an Outlook add-in. The gaps in the listing: group policy, tags and OCR need Business, and the mobile app, MCP, RAG and Vault are coming soon. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record. You choose folders to index, and the search syntax has a learning curve. | CNo store rating is on record. It is an add-in that has to be pointed at your mailboxes and folders and indexed first. |
| Platforms and integrations | DDesktop and Network editions need Windows. Nothing for Mac or phones. | DWindows only for the desktop product, with no Mac or phone version yet. |
| Best for | searching terabytes of documents and email on Windows | searching Outlook email and files 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 Lookeen. How we grade
Where they differ
- dtSearch can be bought with a one-time purchase.
At a glance
| dtSearch | Lookeen | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $249 single user | $9 per user / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day evaluation of dtSearch Desktop/Network. | 14-day free trial. |
| Windows | ||
| Made by | dtSearch Corp. | Lookeen GmbH |
| Price read from | dtsearch.com | lookeen.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
Lookeen
- Only annual plans are available for the desktop editions.
- The pricing page lists amounts in euros by default with a US dollar switch, and states that prices include VAT.
- The mobile app, MCP, RAG and Vault products are marked coming soon.
- Windows only for the desktop product.
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.
Lookeen
- Email and file search
- Indexes Outlook email, attachments and documents, with full-text search over Office, PDF, email and CAD files.
- AI answers
- Ask questions about your emails and documents and get answers drawn from your own data.
- Outlook add-in
- A separate add-in brings Lookeen's search inside Outlook.
- Group policy and tags
- Business adds GPO-based deployment settings and tagging.
- OCR
- Business and Premium can read text from scanned images and documents.
- Shared index
- Premium lets a team search a shared index.
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.
Lookeen
Basic$9
per user / month, billed annually
Windows app with AI support and a Discovery Panel, for individual users.
Business$12
per user / month, billed annually
Adds Group Policy Objects (GPOs), tags and OCR, for professional users and small teams.
Premium$25
per user / month, billed annually
Adds a shared index, a personal account manager and customized onboarding support.
ServerCustom
Central indexing on Windows Server, individually negotiated.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, dtSearch or Lookeen?
As of Nov 13, 2026, dtSearch starts at $249 single user, and Lookeen starts at $9 per user / month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, dtSearch or Lookeen?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither dtSearch nor Lookeen has a free plan. Both have 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.