# NameChanger review (2026): is it any good? > Free Mac app for renaming a list of files with a live preview Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. NameChanger is a Mac app built for one job: renaming a list of files. Files are dragged in, a renaming rule is chosen, and the new names update in a preview column as you type before anything is changed. It is free, with optional donations to fund development, and it also runs as a Finder service. - **Category:** Desktop Utilities - **Made by:** MRR Software - **Website:** https://mrrsoftware.com/namechanger/ - **Runs on:** macOS - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want to chain several rules in one pass, as it applies one at a time. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, NameChanger is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Free | $0 | The full app is free. The download page asks for an optional donation of $5 to $40 to fund future development. | Read from https://mrrsoftware.com/namechanger/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with NameChanger before buying. ## Key features - **Live preview of new names:** An Original Filename column and a Renamed Filename column update as you type, so every change is visible before you press Rename. - **Eleven rename types:** Replace first, last or all occurrences, wildcard, append, prepend, date, sequence, character removal, regular expression and case change. - **Checkbox control per file:** Load a folder of files once and rename only the checked rows, without adding and removing files between runs. - **Rename history:** The app keeps a history of the renames it has performed, and reports any files it could not change. - **Finder service and drag and drop:** Right-click files in Finder and choose Rename with NameChanger, or drop files or folders onto the app. - **Image browser and EXIF dates:** Reorder and name pictures visually, and use EXIF dates, including subseconds when available, in names. ## Good for - Mac users who want a simple, free renamer without a rule builder - Quick one-off renames where seeing the result as you type matters - Anyone who prefers a small single-purpose tool ## Worth knowing - Mac only; it needs OS X 10.13 or later, with older builds offered for earlier systems. - Renames files by one rule at a time rather than by chained methods. - The vendor page carries a 2018 copyright line, so its update cadence is not clear from the page. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. NameChanger is a free Mac app that renames a list of files, with a live preview as you type. But it applies one rule at a time, it is Mac only, and its page carries a 2018 copyright line. - **Value for money: A.** Free, with donations optional. No paid edition is listed. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The whole app is free, with no limits or trial on record. - **Features: C.** Eleven rename types, a per-file checkbox and rename history. It does that one job fully, but it is a smaller job: one rule at a time, no chaining. - **Ease of use: B.** Drag files in, choose a rule, watch the preview. Nothing to set up, though no store rating is on record. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Mac only, with older builds for older systems. No other platform. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from MRR Software's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among desktop utilities - NameChanger's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 154 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 27. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 107 of 186) and worst on features (C, above 2). - NameChanger has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/utilities ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** NameChanger is free, so making your own would save you nothing. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 154 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade. - You could not: A file manager working directly on your disk. - You could not: A real app for macOS. Something home-made would be a web page. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** File management, Works offline ## Alternatives - [Renamer](https://toolgpa.com/tools/renamer): Batch file renamer for macOS and Windows with reusable workflows. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/namechanger-vs-renamer) - [Advanced Renamer](https://toolgpa.com/tools/advanced-renamer): Batch file and folder renamer for Windows and Mac. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/advanced-renamer-vs-namechanger) - [Bulk Rename Utility](https://toolgpa.com/tools/bulk-rename-utility): Windows file renamer with many criteria, free for home use. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/bulk-rename-utility-vs-namechanger) - [Hazel](https://toolgpa.com/tools/hazel): Rule-based automatic file organization for the Mac. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/hazel-vs-namechanger) - [Path Finder](https://toolgpa.com/tools/path-finder): Dual-pane file manager for Mac, built as a Finder alternative. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/namechanger-vs-path-finder) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://mrrsoftware.com/namechanger/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/namechanger Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).