Compare software

bfs vs fselect: catalog facts
bfs	fselect
Best for: Terminal users who rely on find and want nearby results first	Best for: People who find SQL easier to write than find expressions
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source, dual licensed under MIT and Apache 2.0.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Breadth-first order finds shallow matches first Drop-in compatible with GNU, BSD, macOS and POSIX find All 3 strengths for bfs Breadth-first order finds shallow matches first Drop-in compatible with GNU, BSD, macOS and POSIX find Existing find syntax works unchanged	Readable SQL-like queries instead of find flags Subqueries and aggregate functions All 3 strengths for fselect Readable SQL-like queries instead of find flags Subqueries and aggregate functions Can compare results across several directories
Keeps find's syntax, which some users find awkward No native Windows support mentioned	Not a complete replacement for find and ls Query grammar is SQL-like but not real SQL
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: MIT OR Apache-2.0
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for bfs github.com/tavianator/bfs Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for fselect github.com/jhspetersson/fselect Catalog checked September 23, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.