Comparison
PowerToys Run is a great free launcher from Microsoft. FileScope goes further, searching inside your files, reading text from images, and understanding what you mean with AI.
| Feature | FileScope | PowerToys Run |
|---|---|---|
| App launcher | ✓ | ✓ |
| Filename search | ✓ | ✓ |
| Search inside files | ✓ | ✕ |
| OCR (text in images) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Semantic / AI search | ✓ | ✕ |
| Calculator / system commands | ✕ | ✓ |
| Plugin system | ✕ | ✓ |
| Global hotkey | ✓ | ✓ |
| Price | $19 one-time | Free |
PowerToys Run only matches filenames and app names. FileScope reads the content of PDFs, Word docs, Excel files, and more. Search for a phrase you remember, and FileScope finds the document.
Screenshots, scanned receipts, photos of whiteboards. FileScope extracts text from images automatically and makes it searchable. PowerToys Run has no image reading capability.
Type "last quarter finances" and FileScope returns your Q4 revenue report, even if those words aren't in the filename. PowerToys Run requires exact filename matches.
FileScope finds what PowerToys Run can't. Search by content, meaning, or text in images.
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