Unlost review
A free desktop indexer for searching files in selected local folders.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Unlost is a desktop file indexer for people who want to search documents by their contents as well as their names. It runs in the background on Windows and Linux and indexes user-selected local folders and subfolders, making it most relevant to solo users or small setups with documents kept on those devices. Search can use words, phrases, names, document types, dates, and tags, rather than relying only on filenames.
Its document organization features go beyond retrieval. An on-device AI model analyzes supported files to produce summaries and extract metadata such as document types, people, organizations, dates, and amounts. Users can edit indexed metadata and re-index files. Filters include document type, date range, and tags; the app also detects duplicates by comparing checksums, lists recently indexed files, and alerts users about documents with approaching expiry dates. According to the vendor, indexing and search happen locally and files are not uploaded. That local scope will appeal to people who want their searches and document analysis to stay on their machine.
Unlost is free, so there are no paid tiers to compare. The trade-off is its bounded scope: it searches selected local folders rather than presenting itself as a broader search service, and it is limited to Windows and Linux. The published description also limits AI analysis to supported files. Choose it if your documents are organized in watched local folders and content search, metadata, and duplicate detection are useful; look elsewhere if you need a wider platform or search beyond those folders.
Unlost pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Searches file contents and names across selected folders and subfolders
- On-device AI summarizes files and extracts metadata
- Filters, duplicate detection, and expiry alerts aid document organization
- Where it doesn't
- Indexes only user-selected local folders and subfolders
- Available for Windows and Linux only
- AI analysis is limited to supported files
Unlost fact sheet, pricing and score →
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