Softwr

Utilities · head to head

Hazel vs Sedaru

Hazel logo

Hazel

Utilities

Rule-based file organisation for macOS that watches folders and automatically files, renames or deletes

From
$42/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Sedaru logo

Sedaru

Utilities

Water utility asset management and field operations built on top of Esri ArcGIS

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hazel there is no free tier, only a 14-day trial, so the full 42 dollar cost is a real barrier for a casual user just wanting one simple rule.; Sedaru the Esri dependency is absolute: an ArcGIS licence is a separate and substantial cost outside the Sedaru contract, and utilities without ArcGIS must buy into that platform before Sedaru is even usable.
  • They diverge on capability: Hazel covers Folder watching, Sedaru covers Esri-native asset model.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hazel and Sedaru actually diverge.

Attributes where Hazel and Sedaru differ
AttributeHazelSedaru
Starting price$42/one-timeOn request
Pricing modelOne-time purchasequote
PlatformsMacWeb, iOS, Android, Cloud

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Hazel

  • Folder watching
  • Conditional actions
  • Content-based matching
  • Duplicate detection
  • Trash auto-empty
  • App Sweep

Only in Sedaru

  • Esri-native asset model
  • Field crew mobile
  • Hydraulic model integration
  • SCADA alarm context
  • Capital planning
  • Customer service linkage

What people use each for

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

Hazel

  • A freelancer who wants invoices and receipts auto-filed into client folders based on the text inside themnot Sedaru
  • Anyone whose Downloads folder becomes unmanageable and wants files auto-sorted by type or agenot Sedaru
  • A photographer who wants imported files renamed by date pattern and moved to a project folder automaticallynot Sedaru
  • A user who wants old files in a scratch folder auto-deleted after a set number of days without remembering to clear it manuallynot Sedaru

Sedaru

  • A water utility whose crews already work from ArcGIS maps and that wants work orders on the same map rather than in a separate CMMSnot Hazel
  • A wastewater authority prioritising collection system renewal by risk and condition rather than by age alonenot Hazel
  • Giving field crews offline access to network asset data and work history in areas with no mobile coveragenot Hazel
  • A utility trying to connect SCADA alarms to the physical assets and recent work that explain them, instead of reading alarms in isolationnot Hazel

Where each one falls short

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

Hazel

  • There is no free tier, only a 14-day trial, so the full 42 dollar cost is a real barrier for a casual user just wanting one simple rule.
  • Rules are entirely hand-built, so the tool provides no value until a user invests time writing and testing conditions.
  • A misconfigured rule can silently move, rename or delete the wrong files, and mistakes are only obvious after the fact unless tested carefully first.
  • It is Mac only, so it does nothing for a Windows machine sharing the same file workflow.
  • It focuses purely on file automation, so a user also wanting window management, clipboard history or gesture control needs entirely separate tools.

Sedaru

  • The Esri dependency is absolute: an ArcGIS licence is a separate and substantial cost outside the Sedaru contract, and utilities without ArcGIS must buy into that platform before Sedaru is even usable.
  • Sedaru inherits GIS data quality, so a utility with an incomplete or stale geodatabase discovers the gaps in front of field crews rather than fixing them, and the data remediation project is not in the Sedaru quote.
  • The North American water focus means limited relevance and limited implementation support outside that market, particularly for utilities operating under European or Australian regulatory reporting requirements.
  • Nothing is published on price and the product is sold within a large corporate portfolio, so a small utility has little basis for judging whether the quoted subscription is competitive.
  • It is a water and wastewater product; a municipality wanting one asset system across water, roads, parks and facilities will need a broader public works platform alongside it.

Pricing, plan by plan

Hazel

$42/one-time
  • Single User Licence$42/one-time
    • One user, Hazel 6
    • Free updates within the major version
    • 14-day free trial before purchase
  • Family Pack$65/one-time
    • Multiple users covered under one purchase
    • Same feature set as the single licence

Sedaru

On request
  • Sedaru$undefined/year
    • Subscription sized on utility scale and module selection
    • Esri ArcGIS licence required and purchased separately from Esri
    • Implementation and GIS data preparation quoted as services

Which should you pick?

Choose Hazel if

  • You need folder watching.
  • You work on Mac.
  • You also want conditional actions.
Hazel review

Choose Sedaru if

  • You need esri-native asset model.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
  • You also want field crew mobile.
Sedaru review

Questions people ask

Is Hazel or Sedaru better?
Neither clearly leads. Hazel starts at $42/one-time and Sedaru at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hazel or Sedaru?
Hazel starts at $42/one-time and Sedaru at On request.
Does Hazel or Sedaru run on more platforms?
Hazel runs on Mac. Sedaru runs on Web, iOS, Android, Cloud.
What is Hazel best used for?
Hazel is most often used for a freelancer who wants invoices and receipts auto-filed into client folders based on the text inside them, anyone whose downloads folder becomes unmanageable and wants files auto-sorted by type or age, a photographer who wants imported files renamed by date pattern and moved to a project folder automatically, a user who wants old files in a scratch folder auto-deleted after a set number of days without remembering to clear it manually. Of those, a freelancer who wants invoices and receipts auto-filed into client folders based on the text inside them and anyone whose downloads folder becomes unmanageable and wants files auto-sorted by type or age are not what Sedaru is typically brought in for.
What can Hazel do that Sedaru cannot?
Hazel covers Folder watching, Conditional actions, Content-based matching, Duplicate detection. Sedaru covers Esri-native asset model, Field crew mobile, Hydraulic model integration, SCADA alarm context.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hazel: Is Hazel a subscription?

No. It is a one-time purchase per major version, currently 42 US dollars for a single user licence.

Sedaru: Do I need Esri ArcGIS to use Sedaru?

Yes. Sedaru is built on the ArcGIS geodatabase and the Esri licence is a separate purchase from Esri, not part of the Sedaru subscription.

Hazel: Can Hazel read the content of files, not just names?

Yes, rules can match on text found inside supported file types such as PDFs and text documents.

Sedaru: Who owns Sedaru?

Aquatic Informatics, which is part of Veralto, the water quality group spun out of Danaher in 2023.

Hazel: Does Hazel run in the background automatically?

Yes, it watches configured folders continuously and applies rules as files change, with no manual trigger needed.

Sedaru: Does Sedaru replace a CMMS?

For water network assets, largely yes. For plant equipment and facilities maintenance many utilities still run a separate CMMS.

Sedaru: Is pricing published?

No. Subscriptions are sized on the utility and quoted, with implementation and data preparation charged as services.

Share

Related pages

More on Hazel

More on Sedaru

Keep looking

Other head to heads