Short answer
Pick Zush if you want Mac and Windows, your own naming templates with 145+ blocks, and your own API key or local model. Pick Filewise if you use an Apple-silicon Mac and want content-based naming with nothing to configure, free for now.
What is Zush
Zush describes its Mac app as an AI file renamer that builds Finder filenames from the details you choose: preview every suggestion, apply when ready, undo any batch, and keep supported analysis on-device with Local AI. It handles screenshots, design files, audio and video, ebooks, PDFs, photos, Office and iWork files, with 145+ naming blocks, templates and Custom AI Blocks, folder monitoring for Downloads, Desktop or screenshots, and a newer AI folder-sorting mode that groups files by content.
Side by side
| Dimension | Filewise | Zush |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Reads file contents (PDF text layer, OCR on scans) and a local AI proposes names and destinations | You choose fields, order, separators and date format; content, metadata and custom prompts can feed the name; folders can be monitored for automatic naming |
| Platform | Apple silicon only, macOS 14 or later; a DMG from the website, or install with Homebrew | Mac and Windows; the Mac app is also on the App Store; the page says macOS Sequoia or later |
| Price | Free to download for now | 50 free AI renames with no signup or card; PRO is $10 per month or $48 once (a limited-time code is also shown); 14-day refund via Paddle |
| Do contents leave your Mac? | No. Reading and naming run on the Mac | Your choice: Zush Cloud (through a relay to a commercial AI provider), your own key (Gemini, OpenRouter, OpenAI, Claude), or on-device LM Studio or Ollama |
| Confirm before renaming | Shows an "original name → new name" plan first and acts only after you approve | Yes. Every suggestion is previewed before it is applied |
| Undo and deletion | Every step goes into an undo log that survives a restart; it only renames and moves, never deletes | On Mac every rename is logged so a batch can be reverted; whether it deletes files is not stated (unverified) |
"Unverified" means we did not see a clear statement on the official pages, not that the feature does not exist. Prices, features and user counts are vendor claims and change; check the vendor's own site before you buy or download. Checked 2026-10-16.
How this page was checked
The facts about Zush come from its official pages (sources at the bottom), read in a real browser with no signup, no login, no download and no trial of paid features; the Filewise side matches the live version v0.8.0. Dimensions marked unverified here: Undo and deletion. That does not mean the feature is missing, only that the official pages do not state it; we will update after checking.
When to pick Zush
- You need a Windows version or the same naming system on both systems.
- You have a fixed naming convention (client, case number, brand) and want templates and Custom AI Blocks to build it.
- You want to bring your own API key or manage local models with LM Studio or Ollama.
- You want Downloads and screenshots watched so files are named as they arrive.
When to pick Filewise
- You do not want to learn templates; Filewise reads the content and proposes naming and filing directly.
- Your files are sensitive and you want reading and naming to stay on the Mac with no relay server.
- You want a free, install-and-go Mac tool without picking an AI provider.
The limits are worth stating too: it needs Apple silicon, the first launch downloads a local model of about 2 GB, and when the local model cannot read a file it keeps the original name instead of guessing, so files it cannot identify still need you.
Migrating or running both
Zush templates can be exported, but Filewise has no template concept, so nothing imports directly. They can coexist: give the files that need a strict format to Zush templates and the miscellaneous downloads to Filewise, and never run both on the same batch at once.
Try it on your own files (10 minutes)
Reviews are only a starting point; what your files look like is what matters. Take 20 real downloads, including invoices, scans, screenshots and English PDFs, and run them through Filewise and Zush separately without letting either touch the originals. Compare three things: whether the extracted details (issuer, date, amount) are right, whether an unreadable file keeps its name or gets an invented one, and whether a wrong rename can be undone in one step. Then turn the network off and see which one still works.
FAQ
Is Zush free?
The site offers 50 free AI renames with no signup or card; after that PRO is $10 per month or $48 once. Filewise is free to download for now.
Can Zush run fully locally?
The site says you can run supported analysis on-device with LM Studio or Ollama; the default Zush Cloud goes through a relay to a commercial AI provider. Filewise runs on the Mac by default.
Will Zush rename things without asking?
No. The site says each suggestion is previewed before it is applied and batches can be undone.
Can I install both?
Yes.
Sources and check dates
- Zush for Mac: zushapp.com/mac, checked 2026-10-16.
- Zush pricing: zushapp.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-16.
- Filewise: matches the live version v0.8.0, checked 2026-10-16.
