Open source for macOS

Forel

The Hazel alternative for macOS. Watch folders, match files with clear rules, and move, rename, tag, or label them automatically on your Mac.

Download for free Free & Pro

macOS 14+ · 100% on-device · Open source · Free forever

Forel main window showing watched folders and rules

Forel rule editor showing conditions and actions

Forel rules list view with multiple active rules

No cloud Your files never leave your Mac.

Rule-based Match by name, extension, kind, size, tags, color label, or content.

Menu bar native Runs quietly in the background after setup.

Folder automation

Set up rules once. Let Forel handle the repetitive work.

Forel watches selected folders and applies actions when files match your rules. Keep Downloads, screenshots, invoices, and work folders organized without dragging files around by hand.

Downloads before

invoice_march_2026.pdf photo_2026-03-14.jpg contract_draft_v3.docx bank_statement_march.pdf screenshot_09-42.png

Forel rules

Sorted automatically

Work/Invoices/2026 invoice_march_2026.pdf

Photos/2026/March photo_2026-03-14.jpg, screenshot_09-42.png

Work/Legal/Pending contract_draft_v3.docx

Finance/2026 bank_statement_march.pdf

Rules that stay understandable

Conditions on one side. Actions on the other.

Forel keeps automation visible: choose what should match, then choose what should happen. Preview changes before running them.

Forel rule editor showing conditions, scope, and actions

Menu bar first

Modern, glanceable, and always there.

Forel keeps the menu bar front and center with a translucent popover that shows what is active right away. You can see the current state in one glance, without opening the main window.

Forel menu bar popover preview showing live status and watched folders

Private

Everything happens locally

No accounts, no telemetry, no remote processing. Rules and history are stored in a local SQLite database.

macOS

Built around Finder workflows

Use Finder tags, color labels, folders, scripts, and the menu bar patterns that feel native on macOS.

Open

Open source and native

Forel is built in the open with Tauri, Rust, React, and SQLite. Inspect the code, suggest improvements, or contribute.

Free & Pro

Free for everyday folders. Pro for everything else.

Forel Free works indefinitely, with no license and no time limit. Pro is a paid license that removes the limits and unlocks on-device OCR and imports into Photos, Music, and TV. There is no trial: Free is the way to try Forel.

Free

Organize your everyday folders automatically.

2 watched folders
300 processed files per month
Unlimited rules and actions
Background watching and Run Now
Move, copy, rename, tags, labels, trash, uncompress
Text matching in documents and PDFs
Custom scripts and Apple Shortcuts
Dry Run preview, history, and Undo

Download for free

Pro

Automate all your folders and recognize scanned documents.

Unlimited watched folders
Unlimited processed files
On-device OCR for images and scanned PDFs
Imports into Photos, Music, and TV
Everything in Free
Scheduler, sync actions, and AI features Planned

Buy Forel Pro

Already bought Pro? Activate your license in Settings → License. Dry Run never counts toward the monthly allowance, and if you return to Free your configuration is kept.

Open source

Built in the open for macOS automation.

Forel is open source and community-driven. Download the app, inspect the source, suggest improvements, or contribute to the next version.

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