For Mac users,Spotlight is a valuable tool that can be used to perform system-wide search, but it is not perfect. HoudahSpot is a Spotlight replacement that not only performs faster but also includes a raft of additional options to make searching for files even easier.

Complex searches can be built up by adding a range of criteria to your queries - including name, contents, date and file attributes. Searches can be saved so they can be easily run again when needed, and search results can be saved as a document complete with a choice of columns displaying file attributes.

Searches that return a large number of results can be cut down to size by opting to exclude particular locations or to limit results to files that have been opened recently. You can also create templates which can be used as a basis for searches so it is easy to perform a number of very similar searches in quick succession.

Accesible through a global hotkey, HoudahSpot is always on hand whenever you need it, and it is likely that you will quickly decide that it is a worthy successor to Spotlight.