Compare software

bfs vs plocate: catalog facts
bfs	plocate
Best for: Terminal users who rely on find and want nearby results first	Best for: Linux users who want instant file name searches across a whole system
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
macOS, Linux, Command line	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	Very fast file name lookups Smaller index than mlocate All 3 strengths for plocate Very fast file name lookups Smaller index than mlocate Drop-in replacement for the system locate
Keeps find's syntax, which some users find awkward No native Windows support mentioned	Linux only Results are only as fresh as the last index update
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-2.0-or-later
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 plocate plocate.sesse.net Catalog checked September 23, 2026

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