Catfish vs KFind

CCatfish8.6Visit KFind8.2Visit

Higher score C Catfish #5 in Desktop Search Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Catfish

vs

KFind #7 in Desktop Search Software 8.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit KDE

• Catfish fits best

  Simple free full-text search on Linux

• KFind fits best

  Linux users who need basic local file search

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	CCatfish 8.6/10 Visit ↗	KFind 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	8.2
Ranking	#5 in Desktop Search Software	#7 in Desktop Search Software
Best for	Simple free full-text search on Linux	Linux users who need basic local file search
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Linux	Linux
Support	Docs	Community, Docs
Features Catfish 1/4 · KFind 1/4
Content search	✓	✓
Email search	Not checked yet	—
Message search	Not checked yet	—
OCR search	Not checked yet	—
Specs
Supported platforms	linux	linux
Index locations	local, network	local
Indexed-item limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Searches filenames, paths, and file contents Filters by file type, modification date, hidden files, and exact matches Free and open source with list, thumbnail, index, and command-line options	Search by filename and limit results to specified locations Filter by file type, size, and modification date Search within supported file contents; free and open source
Cons	Platform support is focused on Linux Integration coverage centers on Zeitgeist, locate, and mlocate Designed for filesystem search rather than broader desktop content search	Linux-only desktop availability limits platform choice No email, message, or OCR search Community and documentation support rather than commercial support
Our verdict	Catfish is a lightweight desktop file-search utility for Linux and Unix systems, with a GTK-based interface suited to users who want a straightforward way to find files. It searches filenames and paths, and can search inside file contents… Read the review →	KFind is KDE’s desktop utility for locating files and folders, aimed at Linux users who want a straightforward way to search local files. Searches can target filenames and specified locations, with filters for file type, size, and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Catfish — where it wins

  • Searches filenames, paths, and file contents
  • Filters by file type, modification date, hidden files, and exact matches
  • Free and open source with list, thumbnail, index, and command-line options

  Where it doesn't

  • Platform support is focused on Linux
  • Integration coverage centers on Zeitgeist, locate, and mlocate
  • Designed for filesystem search rather than broader desktop content search

• KFind — where it wins

  • Search by filename and limit results to specified locations
  • Filter by file type, size, and modification date
  • Search within supported file contents; free and open source

  Where it doesn't

  • Linux-only desktop availability limits platform choice
  • No email, message, or OCR search
  • Community and documentation support rather than commercial support

• CCatfish8.6/10 · Free plan

  A capable free search utility for Linux users who want simple local and network file discovery.

  Visit CatfishFull verdict →
• KFind8.2/10 · Free plan

  A focused KDE utility for filtering local file searches by name, location, and properties.

  Visit KDEFull verdict →