Everything vs Listary

Everything

• Windows users who want to find files and folders by name as they type
• Drives holding hundreds of thousands or millions of files
• Scripts and other programs that need a file index through the command line or SDK

Listary

• Windows users who want file-name search and an app launcher in one tool
• People who save and open files across many folders all day
• Personal use at no cost, with a one-time license for work

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.

Listary

• Windows only; the current release supports Windows 10 and 11, and an older Listary 5 remains for Windows 7 and XP.
• The free plan is for personal use only. Any commercial use requires Listary Pro.
• It searches by name, path and format, not file contents. Full-text search needs Gety, a separate app from the same team.
• Dark theme, custom filters and actions, advanced search syntaxes and shared network drive indexing are Pro features.

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.

Listary

File search

Finds files and folders by name as you type, with fuzzy matching and results ordered by your habits. Filters narrow by file type or date, and Alt+P previews a file.

Launcher

A minimal launcher searches apps and files together with no setup. Double-tapping Ctrl switches to the larger File Search Window and keeps your query.

Quick Switch in file dialogs

When saving or opening a file, click a suggested recent folder or search for one to jump the dialog there. It works with the standard Windows file dialog and some adapted apps.

File Explorer type-to-search

Typing in File Explorer locates files and folders in the current folder, and custom commands can be run from there.

Cloud, network and external drives

Indexes chosen folders on OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox, file servers, NAS and external drives with real-time updates. Indexing shared network drives needs Pro.

Commands, actions and web search

Run system commands, launch apps and search the web from the search bar, and act on results with actions such as copy or copy path. Custom actions need Pro.

Everything

• Everything$0

  Freeware in installer, portable ZIP and Lite builds, with 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM downloads. Donations are optional.

Listary

• Free$0

  Basic file search, app launch, filters and commands for personal use on your own PC. Quick Save & Open is included.

• Pro$19.95

  one-time payment, lifetime free updates

  Commercial use license, dark theme, custom filters and actions, advanced search syntaxes and shared network drive indexing, on up to 3 of your own computers.

Everything

No public discounts listed.

Listary

• Lifetime license

  One-time payment with lifetime free updates

  Listary Pro is a one-time $19.95 payment. Pro users get lifetime free updates, and existing licenses apply to the latest version.

• Education

  Educational discount for students and teachers

  Students and teachers are eligible for an educational discount on Listary Pro by emailing the vendor with proof of their status.