Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

AstroGrep VS dnGREP

Compare AstroGrep VS dnGREP and see what are their differences

AstroGrep logo AstroGrep

AstroGrep is A Microsoft Windows GUI File Searching (grep) utility.

dnGREP logo dnGREP

dnGrep allows you to search across files with easy-to-read results.
  • AstroGrep Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-27
  • dnGREP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-04-23

AstroGrep features and specs

  • Open Source
    AstroGrep is an open-source project, which means its source code is available for anyone to inspect, modify, and enhance. This allows for community-driven improvements and trust in the software's integrity.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    AstroGrep features a graphical user interface (GUI) that makes it easier for users who are less comfortable with command-line tools, providing a more accessible way to perform search operations.
  • Customizable Search Options
    The software offers a variety of search options, including regular expressions, file size filters, and date filters, allowing for more precise and tailored search results.
  • Portable Application
    AstroGrep does not require installation and can be run from a USB drive or any other portable storage device, making it convenient to use on different machines without setup.

Possible disadvantages of AstroGrep

  • Limited to Windows
    AstroGrep is designed for Windows operating systems, which limits its usability for users on macOS or Linux platforms without the use of additional software like Wine.
  • Performance
    Compared to command-line tools like 'grep' in Unix/Linux, AstroGrep might be slower, especially for very large sets of files or complex searches due to its GUI overhead.
  • Less Powerful Than Command Line Tools
    While AstroGrep provides many features, it may not offer the same level of functionality or flexibility as some advanced command-line tools available in Unix/Linux environments.
  • Dependency on .NET Framework
    AstroGrep requires Microsoft's .NET Framework to run, which means users must have it installed on their systems. This can be a hurdle for some users or in certain environments.

dnGREP features and specs

  • Open Source
    dnGREP is open-source software, which means it is free to use and its source code is publicly available for inspection, modification, and enhancement.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    dnGREP offers a graphical user interface that makes it easier for users to perform complex search and replace operations without needing to remember command-line syntax.
  • Powerful Search Capabilities
    The tool supports a variety of search options, including regular expressions, XPath, and phonetic search, providing powerful and flexible search functionality.
  • Advanced Features
    It includes advanced features like file encoding support, search inside archives and support for multiple file types, making it a versatile tool for different use cases.
  • Integration with Plugins
    dnGREP can integrate with various plugins, enhancing its functionality and allowing for greater customization based on user needs.

Possible disadvantages of dnGREP

  • Limited Platform Support
    dnGREP is primarily designed for Windows environments, which can be limiting for users who work on other operating systems like macOS or Linux.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic functions are user-friendly, leveraging its advanced features such as regular expressions and XPath searches can require a steep learning curve for beginners.
  • Performance Issues with Large Files
    Users may experience performance issues, such as slow search times, when working with very large files or extensive directories.
  • Limited Community Support
    As a smaller open-source project, dnGREP might not have as large a community or as extensive documentation compared to more widely-used alternatives.
  • Dependency on .NET Framework
    The tool requires the .NET framework to run, which could be an additional overhead for users who do not already have this installed.

Analysis of AstroGrep

Overall verdict

  • AstroGrep is generally regarded as a good choice for users looking for a powerful and user-friendly file search tool on Windows.

Why this product is good

  • AstroGrep is considered a good tool by many because it offers a simple and efficient way to search through files and directories using regular expressions. It provides a graphical user interface for the grep tool, making it more accessible to users who may not be comfortable using command-line tools. Additionally, it supports a variety of search options, including searching within file contents, supporting multiple file types, and providing context for search results.

Recommended for

    AstroGrep is recommended for software developers, system administrators, and any users who need to perform complex search operations across multiple files on their Windows systems. It is particularly useful for those who prefer a graphical interface over command-line utilities.

Analysis of dnGREP

Overall verdict

  • Yes, dnGREP is a highly effective tool for text searching and manipulation, especially suited for users who require advanced features like regular expressions. Its user-friendly interface and integration with Windows Explorer enhance its functionality, making it a good choice for both casual users and professionals.

Why this product is good

  • dnGREP is a powerful tool for searching and replacing text across multiple files. It supports regular expressions and allows for advanced search options, such as proximity search and exclusion search. The tool integrates seamlessly with Windows Explorer for easy access and provides a user-friendly GUI for managing complex search tasks. Additionally, dnGREP offers features like syntax highlighting, search result export, and search history tracking, making it an efficient choice for users needing robust text search capabilities.

Recommended for

  • Software developers and programmers who need to conduct complex search and replace tasks across codebases.
  • Data analysts and researchers who require effective text searching tools for processing large datasets.
  • IT professionals and system administrators looking for a reliable tool to manage and search configuration files.
  • Writers and editors who want to streamline their workflow by quickly locating and modifying text within documents.

AstroGrep videos

Sentence Banks: yourei.jp, Subs2SRS+Anki, Astrogrep

dnGREP videos

No dnGREP videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to AstroGrep and dnGREP)
File Manager
39 39%
61% 61
Clipboard Manager
40 40%
60% 60
Note Taking
39 39%
61% 61
Email Converter
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, dnGREP seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 9 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

AstroGrep mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of AstroGrep yet. Tracking of AstroGrep recommendations started around Mar 2021.

dnGREP mentions (9)

  • IrfanView
    Chipping in dnGrep. Allows to grep inside XLSX and Word files. http://dngrep.github.io/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Research aid, multiple text file searching.
    You can try Recoll (https://www.lesbonscomptes.com/recoll/pages/index-recoll.html - instant result when searching, but needs indexing first and you might want to donate a little for windows version) or dnGrep (https://dngrep.github.io/ - slower but free and do not need much setup). Source: over 2 years ago
  • What are the best apps you've been using for a long time on Windows?
    DnGrep - TL;DR : grep with less headaches, a gui, and less features. Source: over 2 years ago
  • IT Pro Tuesday #192 - Windows Search, Fiber How-To, Autopsy Tutorial & More
    DnGrep is a Windows tool that allows you to search text, Word, Excel, PDF and archive files using text, regular expression, XPath and phonetic queries. Features include search/replace, whole-file preview, right-click search in File Explorer and more. Kindly suggested by majkinetor. Source: about 3 years ago
  • What tool(program or cli) did you wish you knew about earlier
    - dnGrep – Powerful search for Windows - https://dngrep.github.io/. Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing AstroGrep and dnGREP, you can also consider the following products

grepWin - grepWin is a simple search and replace tool which can use PCRE regular expressions to search for...

DocFetcher - DocFetcher is a portable German/English open source desktop search application.

PowerGREP - Quickly search through large numbers of files on your PC or network using powerful text patterns to find exactly the information you want. Search and replace with plain text or regular expressions to maintain web sites, source code, reports, ...

Agent Ransack - Agent Ransack is a tool for finding files and information on your hard drive fast and efficiently.

grep - grep is a command-line utility for searching plain-text data sets for lines matching a regular...

SearchMyFiles - Alternative to the standard Search For Files And Folders module of Windows. Duplicates search is also supported.