Head-to-head · Desktop Search Software
dtSearch Desktop vs FoxTrot Search
dtSearch Desktop leads on 0 checks, FoxTrot Search on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoredtSearch Desktop · 7.4/10
- Free trialboth
- Most featuresFoxTrot Search · 4 of 4
dtSearch Desktop scores higher on our rubric for desktop search software: 7.4 against 7.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #15 and #16.
dtSearch Desktop is the better fit for large-scale Windows investigative search. FoxTrot Search is the better fit for mac users searching files, email, and messages.
- dtSearch Desktop fits best
Large-scale Windows investigative search
- FoxTrot Search fits best
Mac users searching files, email, and messages
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Side by side
| Feature | dtSearch Desktop 7.4/10 Visit ↗ | FoxTrot Search 7.3/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 7.4 | 7.3 |
| Ranking | #15 in Desktop Search Software | #16 in Desktop Search Software |
| Best for | Large-scale Windows investigative search | Mac users searching files, email, and messages |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | $1,225/user/yr | $35 one-time |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | 30 days | 60 days |
| Free trial length | 30 days | 60 days |
| Deployment | Desktop | Desktop, Mobile |
| Platforms | Windows | macOS, iOS |
| Support | Email, Phone, Docs | Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features dtSearch Desktop 3/4 · FoxTrot Search 4/4 | ||
| Content search | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email search | ✓ | ✓ |
| Message search | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| OCR search | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| Supported platforms | windows | macOS, iOS |
| Index locations | local, network | Local folders, connected/removable volumes, network drives, NAS, synced index files |
| Indexed-item limit | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | dtSearch Desktop is a Windows application for indexing and searching substantial collections of locally or network-accessible files, folders, email messages, attachments, databases, and other supported data. It is aimed at individuals and… Read the review → |
FoxTrot Search is a macOS document-search application for individuals, professionals, workgroups, and organizations managing large document collections. It indexes PDFs, office documents, email, web pages, media, messages, contacts, and… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
dtSearch Desktop — where it wins
- Federated search across files, email, databases, and online data
- Terabyte-scale indexing with multithreaded searching and indexing
- OCR PDF search, highlighted hits, and scheduled index updates
Where it doesn't
- Windows-only desktop application
- No free plan and a $249 one-time starting price
- Investigative licensing costs $1,225 per user per year
FoxTrot Search — where it wins
- Searches content, metadata, filenames, authors, tags, and keywords
- Indexes PDFs, office documents, email, messages, media, contacts, and more
- Professional and Server editions support multiple, shared, network, and NAS indexes
Where it doesn't
- No free plan; the entry option is a paid license
- Single-index searching is limited to the Personal Search edition
- The iOS app is a companion for indexes, not the primary desktop application
- dtSearch Desktop7.4/10 · 30-day trial
A deep Windows search tool for large document collections, with a high one-time cost.
Visit dtSearchFull verdict → - FoxTrot Search7.3/10 · 60-day trial
A focused Mac search tool for files, email, messages, metadata, and network content.
Visit FoxTrot SearchFull verdict →
All desktop search software comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update