NameQuick names the pile from its contents.
Hazel executes the rules you define.
Hazel is the stronger choice for deterministic, always-on Mac automation. It watches the folders you point at and runs the conditions and actions you wrote: move, copy, rename, tag, archive, upload, notify, script, Shortcuts, Trash. NameQuick is the app that reads a file and writes a name, for Mac and Windows, when the pile already exists and you will not write a rule per vendor.
NameQuick: 50 Self-Managed renames with no card, or a Managed trial for 14 days or 250 renames ($12–$99/month if you stay). Hazel: 14-day full evaluation, then limited demo mode; $42 single-user, $65 family, $20 upgrade.
NameQuick
AI reads your files and names them
Hazel
Deterministic always-on folder automation for Mac
Hazel wins always-on Mac rules, scripts, Trash, uploads and exact conditions, including OCR and text-match rename from captured attributes. NameQuick wins when the pile already exists — a To File folder of scan_0007, statement.pdf, Invoice_ and BANKPAID files — and you will not write a condition per vendor. The honest setup is sequential: NameQuick names, Hazel files. There is no plugin.
Choose NameQuick- for a To File pile of scans and statements whose names tell you nothing, when you will not write a Hazel condition per vendor.
- Choose Hazel
- for predictable, always-on Mac workflows that move, tag, archive, upload, run scripts, or manage the Trash according to rules you control.
- Or use both
- Use an ordinary watched-folder handoff: NameQuick names the file, then Hazel runs the downstream workflow. There is no official integration and no plugin. The filesystem handoff can also run in the opposite direction.
At a glance
How they compare
| Feature | NameQuick | Hazel |
|---|---|---|
| Reads file contents | Reads document text, runs OCR on-device for scans and screenshots, and uses AI vision for photos. On every plan. | Can inspect file text, OCR images and non-searchable PDFs, and capture matched text as custom attributes. Hazel 6 on-the-fly text recognition matches for rules and does not save an OCR layer. Included in the $42 / $65 license. |
| Content-based naming | AI interprets varied layouts and proposes a descriptive name. You can pin YYYY-MM-DD__Entity__DocType or YYYY-MM-DD__Entity__DocType__[Amount]. Self-Managed $69 BYOK or local (Ollama, LM Studio, MLX). Managed from $12/month. | Rename actions can combine text, file attributes and values captured by your rules. You define the conditions and match patterns. This is real content rename. The cost is a pattern that still holds when the next vendor PDF looks different. |
| Automation | Watch Folders rename and organize new files on Mac and on Windows Managed Edition. Manual runs can be reviewed before changes apply. | Continuously watches selected folders and applies matching rules in order. Recurring workflows stay predictable once the rules exist. This is the product Hazel is. |
| File actions | Mac rules can move, tag, color-label, comment, adjust dates, archive and trash. Quick Organize shows a proposed folder-and-name plan before approval. | Broader action set: move, copy, rename, sort into subfolder, sync, upload (FTP/SFTP/WebDAV), tags, color label, archive, notifications, scripts, Shortcuts, Automator, Trash, App Sweep. |
| Extensibility | Managed AI (EU-routed Gemini), or bring a Gemini, OpenAI or Claude key, or run Ollama, LM Studio or MLX locally. | AppleScript, JavaScript, shell scripts, Automator and macOS Shortcuts on matched files. |
| Privacy and AI | Local models keep content on the Mac. Cloud modes use your provider key or NameQuick’s EU-routed Managed service. OCR stays on-device. | Rules run on the Mac. Noodlesoft’s official materials reviewed do not document a built-in generative-AI or LLM service as of 23 August 2026. |
| Control model | Preview, history and undo. You review AI-proposed names before a backlog is rewritten. | Explicit conditions and ordered actions. Experienced users get fine-grained, repeatable control. Hazel 6 can revert file-attribute changes from Finder. |
| Windows | Windows Managed Edition, x64 and ARM64. | No Windows product is documented. |
Choose NameQuick when…
- The pile already exists — a To File folder of about 700 PDFs — and you do not want to set up Hazel.
- The names are scan_0007, 08212026_001.pdf, statement.pdf, Invoice_20260723_0001.pdf, 08212026_bank.pdf, or a BANKPAID-style dump, and next week’s batch will not share one layout.
- You already want YYYY-MM-DD__Entity__DocType or YYYY-MM-DD__Entity__DocType__[Amount] and will not write a condition per vendor.
- You want on-device OCR plus a local-model option (Ollama, LM Studio, or MLX) on Self-Managed ($69 one-time BYOK), or Managed AI from $12/month for 500 renames.
- You need preview, history and undo before the backlog is renamed, on Mac (macOS 15.4+) or Windows Managed Edition (x64 and ARM64).
Choose Hazel when…
- You want an always-on Mac automation engine with deterministic rules and many downstream actions: move, copy, upload, scripts, Shortcuts, Trash, App Sweep.
- Your workflow depends on exact metadata, text, OCR or filename conditions you can define in advance, including rename from captured attributes. Hazel’s manual documents this. The work is writing the pattern.
- AppleScript, JavaScript, shell scripts or Shortcuts have to run on the matched file.
- You want one lower-cost Mac license for folder automation: $42 single-user (two machines) or $65 family, $20 to upgrade to Hazel 6 — not a naming subscription.
- You are on macOS 13+ (Hazel 6.1.2) or macOS 12 (Hazel 6.0.4) and you do not need Windows.
Better together: NameQuick names, Hazel files
There is no official integration. The apps hand files off through an ordinary folder that NameQuick writes to and Hazel watches. NameQuick names. Hazel files. The handoff is the filesystem, not a plugin, and it can also run in the opposite direction.
scan_0007YYYY-MM-DD__Entity__DocTypeHazel moves it into To File/2026/Invoices and runs the next action. You did not write a vendor rule.statement.pdfYYYY-MM-DD__Entity__DocTypeHazel tags it and files the statement. The match pattern was not the job.Invoice_20260723_0001.pdfYYYY-MM-DD__Entity__DocType__[Amount]Hazel uploads, scripts, or sorts the folder. NameQuick filled the line you already wanted.08212026_bank.pdfYYYY-MM-DD__Entity__DocTypeHazel files the bank PDF. The 08212026 stamp is the scanner date; the name comes from the document.The handoff works through the filesystem, not a plugin or product integration, as of 23 August 2026.
Common questions
Hazel facts and primary sources
Hazel version, system requirements, pricing, trial behavior, content matching, OCR and actions were checked against Noodlesoft’s current official materials. This is a first-party source audit, not an installer test. Competitor facts should be rechecked when this page is refreshed. Audit notes, 23 August 2026: the public download currently redirects to Hazel-6.1.2.dmg; a current 6.0.4 download link was not found on this pass. The Hazel 6 FAQ still says Version 6.0 requires macOS 13.0, which conflicts with the 6.0 release notes (macOS 12 or later) and with the live page’s 6.0.4 for macOS 12 line; that line is kept, not treated as newly proven. Noodlesoft materials reviewed still do not document a built-in generative-AI or LLM service. NameQuick prices match pricing.md. The Managed trial wording (14 days or 250 renames) is from the live /vs/hazel page; pricing.md only says the Managed trial starts in checkout.
Try NameQuick on your messiest folder. 50 renames, no credit card.