Organises your files.
Not your life.
Otlet uses Apple's machine learning and its own trained models to make sense of your messy folders.
Everything happens on your Mac.
No cloud. No accounts. No stress.
Mac App Store coming soon
How it works
Three ways to take back control
Tidy folders first, then organise files. Otlet builds understanding of your structure so it can make intelligent decisions.
Tidy Folders
Scan your drives to build a folder map. Otlet finds duplicates, empty folders, vague names, and deep nesting - then helps you move, merge, rename, or archive. All with full undo.
Organise Files
Point Otlet at a messy folder. Six machine learning models, three of them our own, analyse your files on your Mac and suggest where each one belongs. Review every suggestion before it happens.
Stay in control
Nothing moves until you say so. Don't like a suggestion? Change it. Changed your mind after? Undo it - even after closing the app.
No cloud. No accounts. Everything happens on your Mac.
Why Otlet
Why Otlet
Your files cannot leave your Mac. Otlet has no permission to use the network. That is not a promise, it is a rule macOS enforces, and you can check it yourself with one command.*
Nothing is ever deleted. Anything you remove is moved to an archive folder you choose. Every completed change can be undone, even after you quit and reopen the app.
You approve every move. Otlet suggests, shows you its reasoning, and waits. The decision is always yours.
Your whole system in one map. Every drive, including the external ones, so you can see everything you have without being overwhelmed.
Understands File Content
Otlet sees patterns, dates, and topics across your files - not just filenames. Smart organisation that makes sense.
Fast & Respectful
Handles thousands of files quickly without slowing down your Mac. Designed to be lightweight and efficient.
"Private AI" is not always private
Otlet was built to be private from the start. We do not send anything to the cloud. Not your files, not their contents, not their names. Everything Otlet does happens on your Mac.
Many file organisers now advertise local or private AI. Read the small print and the picture changes:
- Some send the text of your documents to third-party AI companies by default.
- Some claim no data is collected while file contents travel to cloud models.
- Often, 'local' is a mode you have to set up yourself, not a promise the app keeps for you.
Otlet is built the other way round: private by design, not by policy.
- The app has no permission to use the network at all. That is not a policy we ask you to trust, it is a rule macOS itself enforces.
- This process cannot open a connection, so your files cannot leave your Mac.
- And you can check that yourself with one command, straight from Apple's own tools.*
- Even Apple now gives apps a switch that can move AI work to Apple's own cloud. Otlet does not use that path either. Every model Otlet runs ships inside the app and executes on your Mac: not our cloud, not a third party's, and not Apple's.
If that ever changed, the permission checks would show it. We could not hide it if we wanted to.
Otlet ships only through the Mac App Store. That means the app on your Mac is exactly the sandboxed, signed build Apple reviewed, and the permission check you run applies to every copy there is. We do not ask you to trust our claims. We built them so you can check them.
* How to check for yourself
Open Terminal on your Mac and paste this line:
codesign -d --entitlements - /Applications/Otlet.appIt lists every permission Otlet ships with. You will find no network permission, because Otlet does not have one. This works for any app on your Mac. Try it on the tools you already use, and see what they are allowed to do.
Why choose Otlet?
Private, thoughtful, and yours to keep.
Otlet uses machine learning that runs entirely on your Mac to analyse your files and suggests logical locations. It doesn't need a cloud connection, doesn't sell your data, and doesn't lock you into a monthly payment.
You pay once, install it on your Mac, and use it whenever you need. Simple, quiet software that respects your time and attention.
Pricing
One price. Yours forever.
Buy once. No subscription, no accounts, nothing to rent. Minor updates are free.
Sign up before launch and you will get 50% off. The offer ends the day Otlet ships.
Stay in the loop
Get notified when Otlet launches on the Mac App Store. Be the first to know about release date, pricing updates, and new features.
We'll only email you about Otlet launch news. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
FAQ
Questions?
Does Otlet upload my files?
No. All file analysis is done locally on your Mac.
How does the AI work, and is it private?
Otlet uses six machine learning models, all running on your Mac: three of Apple’s, and three we trained ourselves. They read content, filenames and metadata. No internet connection is used or needed.
Can I undo changes?
Yes. Every action can be reversed instantly, even after you close the app (just don't uninstall it).
What types of files does it support?
Most everyday types - PDFs, images, zips, documents and more.
Will Otlet keep improving?
Yes. Updates to version 1.x are included in the price. We'll release new features based on real user needs, without bloat or feature creep.
Are there limits to how many files Otlet can handle?
Otlet works best with collections up to 3,000 files at a time. While it can handle larger folders, performance will depend on your Mac's capabilities. Intel Macs may take longer to process large collections, but Otlet is designed to stay responsive throughout the process.
Will Otlet work with my existing folder structure?
Yes. Otlet works with your existing files and folders. It suggests organisation without forcing any particular structure on you.
Does Otlet work with iCloud Drive or network storage?
Yes. Otlet can organise folders on iCloud Drive and connected drives. One thing to know: to read inside files that are stored in iCloud but not yet downloaded to your Mac, Otlet has to download them first. It always asks before doing so, and the downloaded files use space on your Mac only while you are tidying that folder; when you finish, Otlet frees the space again, with your files staying safely in iCloud. If your Mac is low on space, Otlet says so and judges those files by their names instead. So for a large iCloud library, the comfortable approach is to tidy one folder at a time.
Is Otlet safe for my files?
Absolutely. Otlet never deletes files - it only moves them to more logical locations. And with the full undo capability, you can always reverse any changes, even after closing the app.
Still have questions?
Calm software. Private by default.
Otlet was built to do less, better.
It doesn't interrupt you, spy on you, or upload your life to a server. It lives quietly on your Mac and helps you make sense of the digital clutter we all accumulate.
No noise. No pressure. Just a little peace of mind.
A small note on the name.
Paul Otlet imagined a universal library - a way to bring order to information.
This is our tribute to that idea. A thoughtful tool for your own digital world.