Kempt
The short answer
For documents and paperwork, Kempt: it names and files each document from what it says, using Apple’s on-device model, never moves a file it is unsure about, and lets you undo any move. Hazel is better if you want to write precise rules yourself.
Why Kempt comes out ahead
- Speed
Instant search
About 10 ms to search 1,575 documents. Naming takes 1 to 1.4 seconds a file. A full Clean Up scan takes 0.86 s.
- Privacy
Nothing leaves your Mac
Reading, naming, search, answers and voice all run on your Mac. No upload, no analytics, no account. Only licence activation goes online.
- Security
Never loses a file
Every move is written to a journal first, so it can be undone even after a crash. Cleanup only uses the Trash. Doubtful files wait for you.
- Apple Intelligence
Apple’s on-device model
Kempt uses the Foundation Models built into macOS 26: no API key, no cloud bill, no rename quota.
- Accuracy
Checked, not guessed
Right file first 12 times out of 13. Every figure in an answer must appear on the cited page. 48 of 50 documents right in the accountant test.
- Native
Built for macOS 26
Written in Swift for Apple silicon. Lives in the notch, works with Finder, Shortcuts, Quick Look, AirDrop and Mail.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Kempt | Hazel | Sparkle | FilesMagic AI | DEVONthink | Spotlight | Paperless-ngx | NameQuick | Shortcuts + Apple Intelligence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organizing | |||||||||
| Names files from what’s inside them | YesApple’s on-device model, OCR and Vision | PartlyWith rules you write; OCR available | Not statedOrganizes into folders; renaming not advertised | PartlyMagic Rename uses Apple Intelligence | PartlyAI batch actions with a provider you connect | No | PartlyTags and types by machine learning | YesCloud AI by default, or your own key or local model | PartlyIf you build a shortcut with a model action |
| Names new downloads live, in the notch | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Never moves a file it’s unsure about | Yes“Needs a look” | NoRules run as written | Not statedNot advertised | PartlyPreview before moving | No | No | PartlyInbox for new documents | PartlyOptional “Review first” | No |
| Undo any move, with the reason it moved | YesPer file, batch or day, each with its reason | PartlyCan revert files | PartlyTrash first | YesOne-click undo | PartlyVersioning inside its databases | No | NoDocuments live in its library | Not statedNot advertised | No |
| Rules written as plain sentences | YesEnglish and French | NoCondition builder | PartlyCustom rules | No | NoSmart rules | No | NoMatching rules | PartlyRules move or tag after naming | No |
| Learns from your corrections | YesSuggests a rule; never applies it alone | No | Not statedNot advertised | Not statedNot advertised | PartlyClassify suggestions | No | YesLearns tags from your choices | Not statedNot advertised | No |
| Finding | |||||||||
| Searches inside PDFs, scans and photos of paper | Yes | NoNot a search app | No | No | Yes | YesIndexed file contents | YesOCR and full-text search | YesFinds files by the words inside | No |
| Answers questions, citing the source page | YesA figure must appear on the cited page | No | No | No | PartlyChat assistant via a connected AI provider | No | PartlyWith third-party AI add-ons | No | No |
| Ask out loud, in many languages | YesTranscribed and translated on your Mac | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Finds what’s said in voice notes and videos | YesTranscribed on your Mac | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Paperwork | |||||||||
| Turns a landlord’s or bank’s email into a checklist | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Ready-made rental, visa and mortgage dossiers | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Monthly pack for your accountant (PDF + CSV) | YesTotals read from each document; ⚠ when unsure | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Matches bank debits to receipts | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Clean Up | |||||||||
| Finds installers, duplicates and re-saved copies | YesSimilar copies are never pre-ticked | PartlyCleanup rules you set up | YesDuplicates, uninstaller, old screenshots | YesCleaner in beta | No | No | No | PartlyExact duplicate finder | No |
| Never deletes: everything goes to the Trash | YesWith Undo | PartlyDepends on your rules | Yes“Everything goes to trash first” | Not statedNot advertised | Not statedNot advertised | No | No | Not statedNot advertised | No |
| Privacy and security | |||||||||
| Reads your documents on your Mac (no upload) | YesNo upload, no analytics | Yes | Not statedVendor page both says it reads files and that it doesn’t | PartlyFolder structures proposed from filenames; contents stay local | PartlyLocal, unless you connect a cloud AI provider | Yes | YesOn your own server | PartlyManaged plan sends file text to its EU servers (deleted within 24 h); local models optional | YesOn-device unless you pick another model |
| No account needed | Yes | Yes | NoSubscription | Not statedNot advertised | Yes | Yes | PartlyYou run the accounts | PartlyCard for the managed plan | Yes |
| Nothing to set up or host | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | NoNeeds a server (often Docker) | Yes | Yes |
| Price and requirements | |||||||||
| Price | Yes$39 founding, then $49, one-time | Yes$42 one-time; family pack $65 | YesFrom $9.25/month | Yes$4.99/month, $34.99/year or $59.99 lifetime | YesFrom $99, includes 1 year of updates | YesFree, built in | YesFree, open source; you pay for hosting | Yes$12/month for 500 renames, or $69 one-time with your own AI | YesFree, built in |
| Runs on | PartlymacOS 26, Apple silicon; Apple Intelligence for naming | YesmacOS 13 or later | YesMac | YesIntel and Apple silicon | YesMac | YesEvery Mac | YesA server or NAS | YesMac and Windows | YesmacOS 26 with Apple Intelligence |
Proof, not promises
Measured on a real Mac (macOS 26) with about 1,600 real documents. Each test is re-run whenever the app changes.
- SpeedSearch time
- ≈10 msMedian search over 1,575 indexed documents; the first search after launch takes 25 ms.
- SpeedTo name a file
- 1.0–1.4 sWith Apple’s on-device model; 25 files in under 20 s in batches.
- SpeedFull Clean Up scan
- 0.86 sDown from 8.2 s; 83 MB of memory instead of 1.74 GB.
- AccuracyRight file first
- 12 / 13Scored search suite run on every change; answers cited from the right document in 0.9–2.2 s.
- AccuracyAccountant pack, right documents
- 48 / 50Against 50 hand-verified labels over three months; amounts 11 / 11.
- AccuracyItems read from real published lists
- 25 / 25Rental, mortgage and visa lists published by a rental site, a bank and an insurer.
- AccuracyWrong bank matches
- 0Three real statements, 74 operations, each balancing to the cent.
- SafetyFiles held for review
- 6.7 %Of 540 real downloads, the doubtful ones wait for you instead of being moved.
- SafetyFiles deleted by Kempt
- 0Moves are journaled before they happen and undoable even after a crash; cleanup only uses the Trash.
- PrivacyDocument uploads
- 0Reading, naming, search, answers and voice all run on your Mac with Apple’s on-device model. No analytics, no account.
How we compare: Kempt’s rows come from its own measured tests. Every other app’s row comes from that maker’s public pages on the date shown. When a page is silent or unclear, we say so instead of guessing.
Just got your first Mac? Install this first
Downloads fill up within a week: PDFs named “document (3).pdf”, scans, screenshots, installers. Kempt keeps it tidy from day one, before the mess starts.
- Every download gets a clear name and a home
- Ask for any document in plain words
- Paperwork ready when a landlord, bank or accountant asks
- Installers and duplicates cleared safely
All comparisons
- Kempt vs HazelRule-based folder automation for Mac
- Kempt vs SparkleAI cleanup and folder organizer, by subscription
- Kempt vs FilesMagic AIAI renamer and organizer for Mac
- Kempt vs DEVONthinkDocument database and research workspace
- Kempt vs SpotlightSearch built into macOS
- Kempt vs Paperless-ngxSelf-hosted document management server
- Kempt vs NameQuickAI file renamer for Mac and Windows
- Kempt vs Shortcuts + Apple IntelligenceBuild-it-yourself automation, built into macOS
Questions people ask
What is the best app to organize files on a Mac?
For documents and paperwork, Kempt: it names and files each document from what it says, using Apple’s on-device model, never moves a file it is unsure about, and lets you undo any move. Hazel is better if you want to write precise rules yourself.
Is there a Mac file organizer that uses AI without uploading my files?
Yes. Kempt runs entirely on your Mac with Apple’s on-device model. It has no analytics and no account, and documents are never uploaded.
Which Mac apps use Apple Intelligence to rename files?
Kempt uses Apple’s on-device Foundation Models to name and file documents. FilesMagic AI says its Magic Rename uses Apple Intelligence. You can also build a Shortcut with a model action yourself.
Does Kempt need a subscription?
No. Kempt is a one-time purchase: $39 at launch, then $49.
What do I need to run Kempt?
A Mac with Apple silicon running macOS 26. Naming uses Apple Intelligence; search and Clean Up work on your Mac too.
Guides
- How to organize the Downloads folder on a Mac, automaticallyStop the Downloads mess on macOS: what Finder can do by hand, and how Kempt names and files each new download with Apple’s on-device AI.
- How to rename PDFs and scans by their content on a MacTurn “scan_0042.pdf” into “2026-10 Electricity bill EDF.pdf”: Finder batch rename, Shortcuts, and Kempt’s on-device naming compared.
- How to find a document on a Mac by what’s inside itSearch inside PDFs, scans and photos of paper on macOS: Spotlight tips, and how Kempt answers questions like “what’s my IBAN?” with the page cited.
- Rental application documents: the checklist, and how to send it fastWhat landlords usually ask for in a US rental application, how to gather it on a Mac, and how Kempt turns the landlord’s email into a ready checklist.
- How to send your accountant a clean monthly pack from a MacA simple monthly routine for receipts, invoices and bank statements, and how Kempt builds the accountant pack (PDF + CSV) with amounts read from each document.
- New Mac? How to keep it organized from day oneA short plan for a new Mac: a folder layout that lasts, the macOS settings that help, and the one app that keeps documents named and filed automatically.
- How to find duplicate files and old installers on a Mac, safelyFree up space on macOS without risk: what System Settings shows, how to spot duplicates by hand, and how Kempt’s Clean Up finds installers, exact duplicates and re-saved copies in under a second.
- Private AI for your files: organizers that don’t upload your documentsWhich Mac file organizers send your documents to the cloud and which don’t. How Kempt uses Apple’s on-device Foundation Models: no upload, no account, no analytics.
Try Kempt free
Names, files and finds your documents with Apple’s on-device model. Nothing leaves your Mac. $39.