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Utilities · head to head

Everything vs WinDirStat

Everything logo

Everything

Utilities

Instant filename search for Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
WinDirStat logo

WinDirStat

Utilities

Windows disk usage analyser that shows where space went as a colour-coded treemap

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Everything searches filenames only, not file contents, which is the deliberate trade for its speed; WinDirStat it walks the directory tree rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a full scan takes minutes where WizTree takes seconds on the same drive.
  • They diverge on capability: Everything covers Instant results, WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Everything and WinDirStat actually diverge.

Attributes where Everything and WinDirStat differ
AttributeEverythingWinDirStat
Pricing modelFree; donations acceptedOpen source, no licence fee

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Windows), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Utilities).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Everything

  • Instant results
  • MFT-based indexing
  • Tiny footprint
  • Regex and filters

Only in WinDirStat

  • Treemap visualisation
  • Three linked views
  • Multithreaded scanning
  • Cleanup actions
  • Any filesystem
  • GPL licensed

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Everything

  • Finding a file by name instantly instead of waiting on Windows Searchnot WinDirStat
  • Locating duplicates and stray files across large drivesnot WinDirStat
  • Navigating a machine with hundreds of thousands of filesnot WinDirStat

WinDirStat

  • Finding what filled a Windows system drive when the usual suspects are not responsiblenot Everything
  • Auditing a shared or network drive where files are spread across thousands of foldersnot Everything
  • Environments where licence terms forbid personal-use-only freeware on company machinesnot Everything
  • Explaining disk usage visually to someone who will not read a list of folder sizesnot Everything

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Everything

  • Searches filenames only, not file contents, which is the deliberate trade for its speed
  • Windows and NTFS only: no macOS or Linux build, and non-NTFS volumes fall back to slower indexing
  • Requires administrator rights to read the Master File Table

WinDirStat

  • It walks the directory tree rather than reading the NTFS master file table, so a full scan takes minutes where WizTree takes seconds on the same drive.
  • The version most users have installed is the 2007 build, and because it was dormant for so long, search results and download mirrors still point at it.
  • It is Windows only, so a mixed estate needs a different tool for macOS and Linux machines.
  • There is no scheduling, reporting or export for fleet use, so it answers a question on one machine at a time rather than monitoring storage across an organisation.
  • Hard links, junctions and deduplicated volumes can be counted in ways that make the totals disagree with what Windows reports, which causes confusion on servers.

Pricing, plan by plan

Everything

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Core functionality
    • Personal use

WinDirStat

Free
  • WinDirStatFree
    • GPL licensed
    • Commercial use permitted
    • No paid edition or feature gating

Which should you pick?

Choose Everything if

  • You need instant results.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want mft-based indexing.
Everything review

Choose WinDirStat if

  • You need treemap visualisation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows.
  • You also want three linked views.
WinDirStat review

Questions people ask

Is Everything or WinDirStat better?
Neither clearly leads. Everything starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Everything or WinDirStat?
Everything starts at Free and WinDirStat at Free.
Does Everything or WinDirStat run on more platforms?
Both run on Windows, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Everything for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Everything best used for?
Everything is most often used for finding a file by name instantly instead of waiting on windows search, locating duplicates and stray files across large drives, navigating a machine with hundreds of thousands of files. Of those, finding a file by name instantly instead of waiting on windows search and locating duplicates and stray files across large drives are not what WinDirStat is typically brought in for.
What can Everything do that WinDirStat cannot?
Everything covers Instant results, MFT-based indexing, Tiny footprint, Regex and filters. WinDirStat covers Treemap visualisation, Three linked views, Multithreaded scanning, Cleanup actions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Everything: Is Everything free?

Yes, free to use with donations accepted.

WinDirStat: Is WinDirStat still maintained?

Yes. It was dormant from around 2007 until new maintainers resumed development and released the 2.x line with multithreaded scanning and current Windows support.

Everything: Why is it so much faster than Windows Search?

It reads the NTFS Master File Table directly instead of crawling the filesystem, so indexing a whole volume takes seconds.

WinDirStat: Can I use it at work?

Yes. It is GPL licensed with no personal-use restriction, which is the practical advantage over free-for-personal-use alternatives in this category.

Everything: Can it search inside files?

Only in a limited way. It is built for filename search, and full content search is not what it is for.

WinDirStat: Why is it slower than WizTree?

Different method. WizTree reads the NTFS master file table directly; WinDirStat traverses directories, which is slower but works on any filesystem, including network shares.

WinDirStat: Does it run on macOS or Linux?

No. Separate projects exist with similar treemap interfaces, but WinDirStat itself is Windows only.

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