Icon of program: Hazel

Hazel for Mac


Key Details of Hazel

  • Organize files according to your rules.
  • Last updated on
  • There have been 6 updates
  • Also available on
  • Virus scan status:

    Clean (it's extremely likely that this software program is clean)


Editors' Review

Download.com staff

A flexible and feature-rich file management application, Hazel for Mac makes it easy for you to organize files and folders, offering through its intuitive interface an extensive range of functions that are about more than just categorizing newly-saved files.

Pros

Automates file management: Hazel for Mac offers a rich set of functions that make file management a breeze. It can sort downloads, automatically move files to specific folders or export them to iPhoto and iTunes based on predefined rules, resize images to manageable sizes, run scripts (including AppleScript), and manage your trash by partially emptying it once it reaches a certain size. All of these functions can be easily accessed and configured through the software's System Preference pane-like interface.

Works in the background: Since it silently runs in the background, once you're done setting rules for your folders, you can just forget about it unless you start encountering memory or Mac performance problems (Hazel can be one of the usual suspects). That said, if you want the app to inform you about important things it is doing, you can create custom notification messages.

Outstanding AppSweep: The built-in AppCleaner-like feature called AppSweep helps you fully get rid of the traces of an application you want to delete, including useless preference and cache files. Interestingly, it enables you to restore these related items if you decide to undelete an application.

Cons

RAM-demanding: Set a lot of rules on numerous folders, and you'll end up using too much RAM. While doing some intensive, automated file management, this software can make some applications freeze or crash.

Lack of import/export feature: Setting up your own rules can be quite tedious. It will be great if future releases include an import/export system for rules or configurations, so you can just copy somebody else's rules instead of doing everything, yourself.

Bottom Line

Overall, Hazel proves to be a useful application -- the hype it has been getting over the years is justified. To use it without degrading your system performance, however, you need to avoid setting too many rules, especially if your Mac does not have much RAM.

What's new in version 4.4.5

  • Fixed crash when editing certain fields using non-Latin characters.
  • Fixed cosmetic issues with cancel/save buttons in rule editor.
  • Fixed display of + buttons in the rule editor on non-retina Mojave systems.


Explore More


Full Specifications

GENERAL
Release
Latest update
Version
4.4.5
OPERATING SYSTEMS
Platform
Mac
Operating System
Mac OS X
Additional Requirements
  • macOS Catalina
  • macOS Mojave
  • macOS High Sierra
  • macOS Sierra
  • OS X El Capitan
POPULARITY
Total Downloads
11,668
Downloads Last Week
2

Report Software

Program available in other languages


Related Software


User Reviews

4.2/5

10 User Votes


Developer's Description

Organize files according to your rules.
Hazel is your personal housekeeper, organizing and cleaning folders based on rules you define. Hazel can also manage your trash and uninstall applications. Organize your files using a familiar rule interface. Filter on the file's name, type, date, the site or email address it came from and more. And do more than just file. You can set color labels, Spotlight keywords and comments and even archive files. Hazel also cleans, sporting options to clean out incomplete and duplicate downloads. In addition, Hazel can manage your Trash for you, relieving you of having to empty it yourself. All this is done automatically in the background allowing you to focus on your real work.