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DocFetcher VS Putback

Compare DocFetcher VS Putback and see what are their differences

DocFetcher

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

Rating
5.0 · 1 review
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Alternatives Is it good?
Putback

Putback is a Mac window manager that puts every window back where it was when your displays change, and switches named layouts with one hotkey.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Paid Free trial $19 / One-off (1 Mac. Family 5 Macs $29, Team 20 Macs $79)
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Alternatives Is it good?
JustDocz
Private document search for Windows. Find files by what’s inside them — locally, without uploading your documents. sponsored
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, DocFetcher seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 12 times since March 2021.

social mentions
12 vs 0
File Manager popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
118 vs 17

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

DocFetcher
Putback
Website docfetcher.sourceforge.io putback.app
Pricing —
Paid Free trial $19 / One-off (1 Mac. Family 5 Macs $29, Team 20 Macs $79) Official pricing
Platforms —
Mac
Company — Startup from Australia · 1 - 9 employees · 2026
Listed in
File Manager Clipboard Manager Note Taking Email Converter +1
Window Manager OSX Window Manager Mac Tools OSX Tools Productivity Menu Bar Apps +3

About DocFetcher and Putback

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

DocFetcher
Putback

No description of DocFetcher yet.

Every time your display setup changes, macOS moves your windows and does not move them back. Undock from a monitor and everything piles onto the laptop screen. Dock again and it stays piled. Putback is a menu bar window manager for macOS that fixes this. It learns where your windows sit while you...

Read more about Putback

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

DocFetcher 5 features
Putback 8 features
  • Open Source
    DocFetcher is free and open-source software, which means you can use it without any licensing costs and contribute to its development.
  • Wide File Format Support
    The tool supports a wide range of file formats including PDFs, Microsoft Office documents, OpenOffice.org documents, RTF, HTML, and plain text files.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    DocFetcher is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, making it accessible on various operating systems.
  • Fast Indexing and Searching
    DocFetcher offers fast indexing and searching capabilities, making it easier to find specific files or text within documents.
  • Portable Version
    It offers a portable version that can be run from a USB drive, allowing for flexibility and ease of use on different computers.

Possible disadvantages

  • User Interface
    The user interface may feel outdated and less intuitive compared to more modern software solutions.
  • Initial Setup Complexity
    Setting up the software initially can be somewhat complex, especially for users who are not familiar with indexing tools.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    It lacks some of the advanced features and customization options found in other, more sophisticated document management systems.
  • Performance on Large Data Sets
    Performance may degrade when handling extremely large data sets, leading to slower indexing and searching times.
  • No Cloud Integration
    DocFetcher does not offer direct cloud integration, limiting its usefulness for users who rely heavily on cloud storage solutions like Google Drive or Dropbox.
  • Restores windows on display change
    Puts every window back on the screen and in the position it came from when you dock, undock or plug in a monitor.
  • A memory for every desk
    Keeps a separate layout for each display setup: laptop only, desk with a monitor, office dock.
  • Scenes with one hotkey
    Name any arrangement as a Scene and switch to it with a single hotkey.
  • Scene Studio
    Draw a desk with a box for each app, even apps that are not open yet, plus a wallpaper per Scene.
  • Triggers
    Apply a Scene by time or calendar, like Coding at 9am or Meeting for a video call. Off by default.
  • Stash
    Tucks every window aside with one shortcut, then brings them all back exactly where they were.
  • Undo and history
    Undo the whole desk, and see every restore with the reason it happened.
  • Private, no account
    Window data never leaves your Mac. One-time purchase, no subscription, signed and notarized.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

DocFetcher
Putback

Overall verdict

  • DocFetcher is considered a good tool for those who need a versatile and powerful search application. Its open-source nature and broad file compatibility make it a valuable choice for individuals and small businesses looking for a cost-effective solution.

Why this product is good

  • DocFetcher is a desktop search application that allows users to search the contents of various file types quickly and efficiently. It is open-source software, which means it is free to use and modify. Its ability to index and search through documents, emails, archives, and other types of files makes it a convenient tool for users who need to manage and search through large amounts of data.

Recommended for

    DocFetcher is recommended for users who require an efficient tool to manage and search through diverse file types, such as documents, PDFs, and archives. It is particularly useful for researchers, students, and professionals who deal with large volumes of data and need to quickly locate specific information.

Overall verdict

  • Putback is a niche app designed to help resellers and organizers track items that need to be returned to their proper place, which can be genuinely useful for people managing inventory, decluttering, or reselling goods, though its value depends heavily on your specific workflow needs and how well it integrates with tools you already use.

Why this product is good

  • Helps maintain organization by tracking items that need to be put back or returned
  • Can save time by reducing the need to remember or manually log misplaced items
  • Useful for resellers who need to track inventory location and status
  • Simple, focused functionality without unnecessary feature bloat

Recommended for

  • Resellers managing physical inventory across multiple locations
  • People decluttering or organizing home spaces who need a tracking system
  • Small business owners who need lightweight inventory location tracking
  • Users who prefer simple single-purpose apps over complex all-in-one solutions

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

DocFetcher 4 videos + Add
Putback 0 videos + Add

How to use a "FREE" utility called DocFetcher

More videos

  • - Docfetcher File Management Desktop Search
  • - The Ultimate Guide to DocFetcher: Search the Contents of Your Files Like a Pro
  • - 12 - Docfetcher - Increase the app size [DFC04-03]

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

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
DocFetcher
Putback
100% 100%
File Manager
0% 0%
0% 0%
OSX Tools
100% 100%
100% 100%
Clipboard Manager
0% 0%
0% 0%
Mac Tools
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing DocFetcher and Putback.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Putback's answer:

Mac users who move between display setups: a MacBook that docks to a monitor at the desk, a second screen at the office, a laptop on the couch. Developers, designers and anyone who runs a lot of windows and is tired of putting them back by hand every morning.

What makes your product unique?

Putback's answer:

Most Mac window managers snap windows into place when you ask. Putback remembers. It learns where your windows sit while you work, keeps a separate memory for every display setup, and puts everything back when that setup returns. Named Scenes, drawn in Scene Studio and switched with one hotkey, turn any arrangement into something you can recall in a second.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Putback's answer:

Rectangle and Magnet are great at snapping a window to half the screen, and Putback runs happily alongside them. Choose Putback if your problem is that your windows get scrambled every time you dock, undock or plug in a monitor, or if you want whole desks you can switch between with a hotkey. It is a one-time purchase with a 7 day free trial, no account, and your window data never leaves your Mac. On first launch it even checks your Mission Control settings and tells you if the free macOS fix is enough before you pay.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Putback's answer:

A native macOS app in Swift and SwiftUI, using the macOS Accessibility API to move windows and Sparkle for updates. Licensing and the website run on Cloudflare (Workers, D1 and Pages).

What's the story behind your product?

Putback's answer:

Putback launched in July 2026 with a simple pitch: unplug your MacBook and macOS piles every window onto one screen. The launch post passed 60,000 views and the replies split down the middle, half saying "I've needed this for years" and half saying "my Mac already does this." So we went and found out. The real answer is two Mission Control settings most people never touch, and we published that free fix ourselves. Even with those settings, restores still fail when a dock reconnects slowly or an app resists being moved, and nothing in macOS remembers more than one desk or lets you name a layout. That gap is Putback. About half of its first features came straight from those launch replies.

User comments

Share your experience with using DocFetcher and Putback. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

DocFetcher 5.0 · 1 review
Putback no reviews yet
  • Pros, Cons
    SaaSHub review
    · Aug 2020

    I love DocFetcher! I discovered this gem of a program when Windows stopped supporting string searches in word processors other than Word.

We have no reviews of Putback yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

DocFetcher 12 mentions
Putback 0 mentions
  • Tool to parse, index, and search local documents? - Windows
    I use https://docfetcher.sourceforge.net/en/index.html to index and search large repos of docs. I use Papermerge for my digital file cabinet though. DocFetcher is good for searching an existing repository of files. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Docfetcher is a cross-platform free and open source desktop search application
    As they state, it is crap-free, free forever, cross-platform, portable, private (local only), and indexes only what you need. You can also set minimum and maximum file sizes to index. See https://docfetcher.sourceforge.net/en/index.html. Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Career Advice for a fresh graduate who wants to enter Structural Engineering field
    What I'd recommend is setting up a digital and/or physical technical library. Download any useful documents, books, standards etc. and store them in a clear, concise folder structure. Then create an index of the library with a tool like... Source: almost 4 years ago

View more

Tracking Putback since Jul 2026.

Alternatives to DocFetcher and Putback

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