FileCab is a desktop file organizer for macOS and Windows. It lets you define rules that automatically sort files by extension, MIME type, size, date, or keywords.
Yes. FileCab is free to download and use. There are no subscriptions, no paid tiers, and no feature paywalls.
No. FileCab operates entirely offline. The only network activity is checking for updates. All file operations are local.
No. FileCab is 100% local. No telemetry, no analytics, no usage data. Nothing leaves your machine. Your files and rules stay entirely on your computer.
FileCab supports macOS (arm64 and x64) and Windows (x64 and arm64). Downloads are available for all four variants.
Linux is not officially supported.
Installation & Updates
Download the .dmg for your architecture (arm64 for Apple Silicon, x64 for Intel). Open the DMG, drag FileCab to your Applications folder, and launch it. macOS may ask you to approve the app on first launch in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
Download the .exe installer for your architecture and run it. Windows SmartScreen may flag it the first time; click "More info" then "Run anyway." The app installs to your user folder with no admin rights required.
FileCab checks for updates automatically and notifies you when a new version is available. You can also update manually by downloading the latest release and installing it over the existing version.
Using FileCab
Dry-run mode generates a full preview of every file move without actually moving anything. It's enabled by default. You'll see exactly what will happen (source and destination) before you commit to any action.
Every operation is recorded with a default retention period of 7 days. You can undo an entire session in one action. Undo is available immediately after any operation completes.
No. FileCab can only undo moves for files that still exist. If you enabled hard delete (opt-in) and a file was permanently removed, it cannot be restored through FileCab. Use hard delete only when you're certain.
When a file would be moved to a location where a file with the same name already exists, FileCab applies your chosen conflict strategy: rename (append a number), skip (leave the file in place), or overwrite (replace the existing file). You can set a default in Settings and override per-rule.
Real-time monitoring watches one or more folders using OS file-system events. When a new file lands in a watched folder, FileCab applies your rules to it automatically. No manual scan needed.
Yes. You can add as many watched folders as you need.
OS system directories are always blocked. E.g. /System, /usr, /bin on macOS, and C:\Windows, C:\Program Files on Windows. These cannot be added as source or destination folders regardless of your settings.
Deep MIME inspection reads the actual content of a file (magic bytes) to determine its true type regardless of its extension. A .jpg that's actually a PDF will be categorized correctly. This is an opt-in feature due to the added processing time on large folders.
Yes. Rules can be exported as .json files from the Rules page. You can re-import them on another machine or share them with others. This also serves as a backup mechanism.
Troubleshooting
Check the following: (1) Is dry-run mode still enabled? Dry-run previews without moving. (2) Do your rules have correct priority ordering? Higher-priority rules take precedence. (3) Is the folder on your excluded directories list? (4) Does the file match the rule's conditions: extension, MIME type, size range, date range?
Copy the full error message shown at startup and submit it via the Bug Report page. Include your OS version, architecture, and FileCab version. This helps us diagnose environment-specific issues quickly.
Undo requires that the file still exists at its destination. If the file was deleted, moved again, or renamed outside of FileCab after the session, undo cannot restore it. FileCab will report which files failed to restore and why.
First, verify that the monitor is enabled in Settings and that the correct folder is listed as watched. On macOS, FileCab may need Full Disk Access granted in System Settings → Privacy & Security. On Windows, check that the folder is not on a network drive, which may not support file-system events reliably.
Check the following: (1) Rule priority: a higher-priority rule may have already matched the file. (2) Condition logic: AND conditions require all conditions to match; check each one. (3) Ignore list: the file or its parent folder may be excluded. (4) MIME type: if the rule targets MIME type and deep inspection is off, the result is based on extension only.