Hazel review
A powerful one-time-purchase tool for automating file management on macOS.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Hazel is a macOS desktop utility from Noodlesoft that watches selected folders and applies user-defined rules to files and folders. It is aimed at individuals and Mac users who want to automate downloads, documents, media libraries, trash maintenance, and other recurring file-management tasks. Rules can inspect names, dates, contents, tags, comments, media metadata, and other attributes, then apply actions such as moving, copying, renaming, archiving, uploading, tagging, notifying, or running scripts and workflows.
The published plans show a one-time price of $42 for Hazel 6 with a single-user license. A Hazel 6 Family Pack costs $65 and covers up to 5 members of a household, while Hazel 6 Upgrade costs $20 for upgrades from a previous version. There is no free plan, but a 14-day free trial is available. The main value is the rule engine: nested logic lets users combine conditions for more specific automation, while actions cover common file operations, archive handling, Finder tags, color labels, comments, trash management, and App Sweep.
Hazel fits Apple's ecosystem through Finder, Dropbox, Photos, Music, TV, AppleScript, JavaScript, Automator, Shortcuts, and shell-script actions. It also supports FTP, SFTP, and WebDAV uploads, giving local rules a route to external file destinations. This makes it a strong choice for Mac-centered file organization and cleanup, especially where automation should run on the desktop. Users seeking a cross-platform or cloud-first workflow platform, webhook-based triggers, or broader service orchestration should choose an alternative. Hazel is most suitable when local folder monitoring and detailed file rules are the main requirement.
Hazel pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Nested conditions support detailed, attribute-based file rules
- Handles file operations, archives, tags, uploads, and scripts
- One-time pricing avoids a recurring subscription
- Where it doesn't
- Runs on macOS rather than across multiple operating systems
- No webhooks for cloud-service event triggers
- No free plan; the trial lasts 14 days
Hazel fact sheet, pricing and score →
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