Everything vs AutoHotkey

Everything: what it's good at

Everything indexes filenames on NTFS volumes almost instantly and returns matches as you type, making Windows Search feel unusable by comparison. It uses very little memory and is a permanent fixture on most power users' machines.

• Near-instant filename search
• Indexes an entire drive in seconds
• Very low resource usage
• Regex and advanced query syntax

AutoHotkey: what it's good at

AutoHotkey is a scripting language for Windows automation: remap keys, expand text shortcuts, automate repetitive GUI tasks and build small custom tools. Enormously powerful for anyone who repeats the same actions daily.

• Custom hotkeys and key remapping
• Text expansion and auto-correction
• GUI automation scripting
• Compile scripts to standalone executables

Which should you choose?

Both are free, so the honest answer is that you can install either and decide for yourself — that is the advantage of free software over a paid trial.

Both run on Windows. If open source matters to you, AutoHotkey publishes its source code and Everything does not.

We deliberately do not publish a star rating for either. We have no way to verify a rating that would be honest at scale, and an invented one would be worse than none — so we give you the facts and let you decide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Everything better than AutoHotkey?

Neither is universally better. Everything instant filename search across your entire drive, while AutoHotkey automate anything on Windows with custom scripts and hotkeys. The right pick depends on your platform and workflow.

Are both really free?

Everything is free and AutoHotkey is open source. Both can be downloaded without paying.

Can I install both?

Yes. Since neither costs anything, installing both and comparing them on your own files is usually the fastest way to decide.