Comparison
Étoiles or your computer's file search?
The search built into your computer finds files. Étoiles answers a question from what is inside them and shows the passage. One is a card catalogue; the other is a librarian who reads the book.
Third-party products change often. This page describes each kind of tool in general terms as of November 10, 2026; it is not a review of one product, and you should check a provider's current terms and features before you decide.
At a glance
| Desktop file search (for example, built-in search on a Mac or Windows PC) | Étoiles | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get back | A list of files, usually matched on name, and often on words inside the file | An answer in a sentence or two, with numbered citations to the passages in your documents |
| How you search | Names and keywords you remember | Questions in your own words |
| Works offline | Yes | The iPhone and iPad app does, because it runs on the device. Étoiles Cloud needs a connection |
| File types | Almost any file on the computer | Cloud: PDF, plain text and Markdown. App: files and PDFs, photos, scans, calendar, reminders and contacts |
| Price | Included with the computer | App free. Personal Cloud $10 a month, tax included |
| Sharing with a team | Usually one computer | A Cloud workspace for up to 5, 50 or 200 people on a Business plan |
| Reading required | You open each file and read | You read the cited passage |
Where desktop search is the better choice
- You know the file name, or you want the file itself, not an answer.
- It is free and works with every file type on your computer.
- You are looking for an exact phrase or want a list of every file that contains a word.
Where Étoiles is the better choice
- You remember what the document says but not what it is called or what words it uses.
- The answer is spread across several documents.
- You want to check the exact passage without reading the whole file.
- You want the same library on your phone and, with Étoiles Cloud, on the web and with a team.
They work together
Keep using your computer's search to find files. Use Étoiles when you have a question instead of a file name. See private document search on iPhone.
Ask a question instead of hunting for a file
Personal Cloud is $10 a month; the free iPhone and iPad app keeps everything on the device.
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Personal Cloud is $10 a month, tax included. Business plans are $99, $399 and $1,499 a month, tax excluded; paying yearly costs 10 times the monthly price. See every plan.
The free iPhone and iPad app is coming soon to the App Store.