Listary vs Ueli
We give Listary a 3.2 GPA and Ueli a 3.6, out of 4.0. Ueli grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Listary
File search and app launcher for Windows with Quick Switch
Free plan · from $19.95 one-time
How we grade them
| 3.2GPAListaryVery good | 3.6GPAUeliExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | APro is $19.95 once, with lifetime free updates, on up to 3 of your own computers. That's well under a year of a typical paid utility here. It adds the commercial use licence, dark theme, custom filters and actions, and shared network drive indexing. | AFree and open source under the MIT license, with no paid tier at all. The website has a Sponsor link if you want to support it, and that part is up to you. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree forever for personal use, with file search, the launcher, filters, commands and Quick Save & Open. That's the heart of it, and plenty of people at home could stop there. The split is by purpose: the free plan doesn't allow commercial use, and the dark theme and custom actions are Pro. | AThe whole launcher is free, built-in extensions included, and its Microsoft Store listing is priced at 0. Nothing is kept back for a paid version. |
| Features | AFinds files and folders by name as you type, with fuzzy matching and results ordered by your habits. The launcher opens apps from the same bar, and Quick Switch jumps Open and Save dialogs to the folder you want. It indexes cloud folders and external drives. It doesn't search file contents. | AIt launches apps, searches files, does sums and conversions like 2 inch to cm, converts currencies, searches the web and your browser bookmarks, and runs commands like lock and sleep. That's the whole job of a launcher. One snag: file search on Windows needs Everything installed and running. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. The launcher needs no setup: type and go. Double-tap Ctrl and it switches to the larger File Search Window with your query still there. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. Press Alt+Space, type, hit Enter. On Windows it installs from the Microsoft Store. Mac users get it from GitHub, where the build is unsigned and not notarized, so macOS blocks it until you allow it by hand. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only. The current release supports Windows 10 and 11, and an older Listary 5 is kept for Windows 7 and XP. It indexes folders on OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox. No Mac or Linux. | BWindows, macOS and Linux, so three unrelated systems, and it hooks into Everything, DeepL, Visual Studio Code and JetBrains Toolbox. No phone apps. On Linux the hotkey may not work under Wayland. |
| Best for | file search and quick folder jumps on Windows | one free launcher across Windows, Mac and Linux |
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: Listary and Ueli. How we grade
Where they differ
- Listary starts at $19.95 one-time payment (Listary Pro). Ueli is free.
- Only Ueli lists macOS and Linux apps.
- Listary can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Ueli is open source, according to its own site.
- Listary also covers file management.
- Ueli also covers calculator.
In commonFree planWindowsLauncher
At a glance
| Listary | Ueli | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $19.95 one-time payment (Listary Pro) | Free |
| Free plan | Free forever for personal use: basic file search, app launching, filters, commands and the basic UI theme. Commercial use is not allowed on the free plan. | The whole app is free and open source under the MIT license, and its Microsoft Store listing is priced at 0. The website has a Sponsor link for supporting development. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Little Carved | Oliver Schwendener |
| Price read from | listary.com | apps.microsoft.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
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
Ueli
- People who want the same launcher on Windows, macOS and Linux
- Windows users who want a free keyboard launcher from the Microsoft Store
- Users who prefer open-source software with no paid tier
Worth knowing
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.
Ueli
- The GitHub builds are unsigned, and not notarized on macOS, so Windows and macOS block them until the user allows the app manually.
- File search on Windows depends on Everything and its command-line interface being installed and running.
- Global hotkeys may not work under Wayland sessions on Linux; the README suggests binding a system shortcut to the ueli command.
- The DeepL Translator extension needs the user's own DeepL API key, which a free developer account provides.
Key features
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.
Ueli
- Application search
- Alt+Space shows or hides the search window. Type to filter, move through results with the arrow keys and press Enter to launch the selected item.
- Built-in extensions
- Extensions are switched on or off in the settings and include Browser Bookmarks, Web Search, Custom Web Search, DeepL Translator, Visual Studio Code, JetBrains Toolbox and System Settings.
- File search
- Searches files and folders using mdfind on macOS and Everything on Windows, where Everything and its command-line interface must be installed and running.
- Calculator and conversions
- Calculations and unit conversions such as 2 inch to cm run in the search field, and a currency extension converts amounts at current exchange rates. Enter copies the result.
- Favorites and additional actions
- Cmd+K on macOS or Ctrl+K on Windows and Linux opens further actions for a result, including Add to Favorites, which keeps that item first in the results.
- System commands
- Operating system commands such as shutdown, restart, sign out, lock and sleep can be searched for and run with Enter on Windows and macOS.
Plans
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.
Ueli
Ueli$0
The complete launcher with all built-in extensions, from the Microsoft Store or winget on Windows and from the GitHub releases page for macOS and Linux.
Ways to pay less
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.
Ueli
No public discounts listed.
