Both apps watch folders on your Mac and file things away with rules you set. Here's how they differ, including the jobs Hazel still does better.
Hazel details checked on noodlesoft.com on 22 October 2026.
The short answer
Hazel has been organising Macs for 20 years and its rule engine goes deeper than ours. It manages the Trash, cleans up after apps you delete, runs AppleScript and Automator workflows, and can read scanned PDFs that have no text in them. If you use those, stay with Hazel.
Footman covers everyday filing for less money. Its rules read like sentences, and the activity log lets you put back any move or rename. Bertie can also write a rule from a sentence or tell you why one didn't run.
Side by side
| Footman | Hazel 6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €14.99 once | $42 single user, $65 family pack |
| Updates | Free | Free within the major version, $20 to upgrade from any earlier version |
| Free trial | 30 days with every feature, no card. Rules pause when it ends. | 14 days with every feature except rule export, then a demo mode limited to one folder and two active rules |
| Needs | macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Bertie needs macOS 26 with Apple Intelligence, or your own Claude key. | macOS 13 Ventura or later |
| Matches files on | Name, extension, kind, size, dates, tags, the website a file came from and regular expressions, plus what Bertie says a file is | Name, date, type, source website and many other attributes, with pattern matching |
| Actions | Move, copy, rename, tag, sort into subfolders, unpack archives, run Shortcuts and shell scripts, move to Trash | Move, rename, sort into subfolders, open, archive, tag, upload, import to Photos, Music or TV, run Shortcuts, AppleScript and Automator |
| Reading inside files | Bertie reads PDF, Word, RTF and text files, and text in images, when you switch it on. PDFs with no text layer aren't read. | Reads text in images and in PDFs that haven't been OCR'd, and password-protected PDFs |
| Undo | Put back any moved, renamed or trashed file from the activity log, or undo a whole clean-up at once | Revert a file from Finder's right-click menu, including its name, place, tags and comments |
| Trash and app clean-up | Rules can move files to the Trash | Deletes old files from the Trash or clears it when it gets too big, and App Sweep offers to remove files left behind by apps you delete |
| Assistant | Bertie writes rules from a sentence, finds where a file went and explains why a rule didn't run | No built-in assistant |
When Hazel is the better choice
- You scan paper to image-only PDFs and want rules to read them.
- You want Trash clean-up or App Sweep.
- Your workflows use AppleScript or Automator, or import into Photos or Music.
- You already own Hazel 6 and your rules work.
When Footman suits you
- You want Downloads, Desktop and Documents kept tidy without learning a rule engine.
- You'd like to see every move in one list and put files back with a click.
- You'd rather describe a rule in a sentence and check what Bertie drafts.
- You want to rename receipts and documents by what's in them. See renaming scanned PDFs.
- You want to pay once, at €14.99, for all your own Macs.
Questions
Is Footman a replacement for Hazel?
For everyday filing, often yes. Footman watches folders and moves, renames, tags, sorts and unpacks files with rules, and adds Bertie, who can write rules for you. Hazel does more in some areas, including Trash management, App Sweep, AppleScript and Automator actions, and reading scanned PDFs that have no text layer. If you rely on those, Hazel is the better fit.
How much do Footman and Hazel cost?
Footman is €14.99 once, with free updates and a 30-day free trial. Hazel 6 is $42 for a single user or $65 for a family pack, with free upgrades within the major version and $20 to upgrade from any earlier version.
Can Footman import my Hazel rules?
No. You set up rules again in Footman. You can describe a rule to Bertie in a sentence and he drafts it for you to check.
Can I run Footman and Hazel on the same Mac?
Yes. Give each app its own folders so their rules don't act on the same files.
Sources
Hazel details come from Noodlesoft: the Hazel home page, the Hazel 6 FAQ, What's new in Hazel 6 and the Hazel manual. Hazel is a trademark of Noodlesoft. Spotted something out of date? Email support@footmanapp.com and we'll fix it.