Compare software

FileQL vs fselect: catalog facts
FileQL	fselect
Best for: Command-line users who want to query and summarize file collections	Best for: People who find SQL easier to write than find expressions
Free Free and open source under the MIT license.	Free Free and open source, dual licensed under MIT and Apache 2.0.
Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Queries file metadata using SQL-like statements Works on local files without a database import All 3 strengths for FileQL Queries file metadata using SQL-like statements Works on local files without a database import Offers Cargo and Winget installation	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
Focused on querying local file metadata	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: MIT	License: MIT OR Apache-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for FileQL github.com/AmrDeveloper/FileQL Catalog checked October 8, 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.