General Guide

Zush vs FilesDesk: Unlimited vs Credits, Formats, Pricing

lirik
lirik
5 min read
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TL;DR: Both are AI file renamers for Mac and Windows. Pick Zush for unlimited renames without counting credits ($8/month or $38 one-time), 100+ formats including RAW, design, iWork, video, and audio, templates, Naming Blocks, and folder monitoring. Pick FilesDesk if you want the cheapest managed entry point ($5/month for 500 credits) or a $20 BYOK lifetime and mostly rename documents, invoices, and photos.
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Quick answer: Zush and FilesDesk are the two most directly comparable AI file renamers — both run on Mac and Windows, both name files by content, both offer cloud, BYOK, and local Ollama modes. The structural difference is the meter: Zush PRO is unlimited renames for $8/month or $38 one-time, while FilesDesk meters managed plans in credits (1 credit = 1 filename suggestion; 500 for $5/month, 2,000 for $15/month) and reserves its $20 lifetime for BYOK users with their own AI key or local model.

Pricing and public feature claims last checked July 3, 2026.

Sources checked for this update: Zush and FilesDesk, including public pricing, platform, provider, monitoring, and format-support claims.

TL;DR comparison

DimensionZushFilesDesk
Pricing$8/month or $38 one-time, unlimited PRO renames$5/month (500 credits), $15/month (2,000 credits), $20 lifetime BYOK-only
MeteringUnlimited — no countingCredit-based: 1 credit per filename suggestion
Free tier50 renames, no signup15 credits trial, no credit card
5-year cost (one-time path)$38 total, managed cloud included$20 + your own API costs or local model setup
PlatformsMac (macOS 15+) + Windows 10/11Mac + Windows
Format coverage100+ formats: 41 image incl. RAW/HEIC/AVIF, 4 design (Sketch, Figma, AI, PSD), 37 document incl. iWork, 16 video, 7 audioPhotos, PDFs, invoices, receipts, contracts, screenshots (documents-first focus)
Video and audio renamingYesNot publicly listed
Design files (Figma/Sketch/PSD)YesNot publicly listed
AI providers (BYOK)Gemini, Groq, OpenAI, ClaudeClaude, OpenAI, Gemini, OpenRouter
Local AIOllamaOllama, vLLM
Folder monitoringYes — auto-name new filesNot publicly listed
Naming conventionsTemplates, 145+ Naming Blocks, custom promptsNaming templates
UndoYes, full rename historyNot publicly listed
Devices per licensePer standard license terms1 device (lifetime plan)
Money-back guarantee14 days3 days
CheckoutPaddleRazorpay

Zush

Platform
Mac (macOS 15+) and Windows 10/11
Pricing
Free tier (50 renames), PRO $8/month or $38 one-time with unlimited PRO renames, BYOK optional at API cost, local Ollama on supported builds

Zush AI rename results on macOS showing content-aware filenames for mixed files
Zush AI rename results on macOS showing content-aware filenames for mixed files

Zush’s bet is breadth plus workflow. The 100+ supported formats matter when your folders aren’t only documents: RAW and HEIC photos, Sketch/Figma/Illustrator/PSD design files, iWork and Office documents, 16 video and 7 audio formats all go through the same review-first batch flow. Templates and 145+ Naming Blocks keep conventions consistent (dates, clients, invoice fields, counters, AI titles), folder monitoring names new files automatically as they land in Downloads, and every batch is reversible from rename history.

The pricing is deliberately boring: unlimited PRO renames either as a subscription or a one-time $38 purchase. You never think about whether a messy 800-file folder is “worth the credits”.

FilesDesk

FilesDesk positions itself as the plug-and-play option: 15 free credits in 60 seconds with no API keys, then $5/month for 500 credits or $15/month for 2,000, processed in memory and never stored. Its focus is documents-first renaming — invoices, receipts, contracts, scans, screenshots, photos — with useful template presets for those cases. The $20 lifetime plan is genuinely cheap but comes with real constraints: BYOK-only (you bring a Claude/OpenAI/Gemini/OpenRouter key or run Ollama/vLLM locally), 1 device, and 12 months of updates.

Where FilesDesk is a good fit: light users who rename a few hundred documents a month and want the lowest managed entry price, or tinkerers happy to run their own models against a one-time $20.

How to choose

  • You rename a lot, or in bursts — credit meters punish exactly the moments you need the tool most (a 1,500-file photo import is 3 months of FilesDesk Basic credits in one afternoon). Zush unlimited wins.
  • Your folders go beyond documents — video, audio, RAW, and design files are publicly supported in Zush and not listed by FilesDesk.
  • You want automation — Zush folder monitoring auto-names new files; FilesDesk doesn’t list an equivalent.
  • You want the cheapest possible entry — FilesDesk’s $5/month managed plan and $20 BYOK lifetime undercut everyone, including Zush, if the credit budget and document focus fit your usage.
  • Safety net — both let you try free without a card; Zush’s money-back window is 14 days vs FilesDesk’s 3.

FAQ

Is FilesDesk cheaper than Zush? At entry, yes: $5/month vs $8/month. Over time it depends on volume — Zush’s $38 one-time buys unlimited managed renames, while FilesDesk’s $20 lifetime requires your own AI key (ongoing API costs or a local model) and covers 1 device with 12 months of updates.

Do both work offline? Both support local models: Zush via Ollama, FilesDesk via Ollama or vLLM. Offline quality in both cases depends on the local model you run.

Which supports more file types? Zush publishes a concrete list of 100+ formats including RAW photos, design files, iWork, video, and audio. FilesDesk’s public materials focus on photos, PDFs, invoices, receipts, contracts, and screenshots.

Can I undo renames in both? Zush keeps full rename history with one-click revert. FilesDesk does not publicly document an undo feature — check before running large batches.

Also comparing other tools? See Zush vs NameQuick, Zush vs Renamer.ai, and the full best AI file renamers roundup.