Comparison
Curator vs FileBot
FileBot has been the go-to tool for renaming media files for years, and it's genuinely good at it. Curator does the same core job — cryptic filenames in, clean correctly-named files out — but as a fast native app with a modern interface, and it carries on past the rename into a collection you'll actually open for fun. Here's an honest comparison so you can pick the right one.
| Feature | Curator | FileBot |
|---|---|---|
| Built with | Native Rust app, around 12 MB | Java (runs on the JVM), larger download |
| Interface | Modern, Apple-like, light and dark | Functional and utilitarian |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Metadata sources | TheTVDB, TheMovieDB, Trakt, AniDB | TheTVDB, TheMovieDB, AniDB and more |
| Matching | Automatic, with a confidence score and a poster picker when it's unsure | Automatic, with manual override |
| Collection / poster wall | Yes — a browsable library | No — a renamer only |
| Completion tracking | Yes — % owned and a missing-episodes report | No |
| Presentation mode | Yes — full-screen poster slideshow | No |
| Automation | Yes — watch folders, scheduled scans, Plex/Jellyfin/Emby refresh, webhooks & hooks | Yes — via the CLI and scripts |
| Command line & scripting | Yes — a CLI and rhai scripting/macros (newer) | Yes — a powerful CLI and format scripting, long-proven |
| Anime renaming | Yes — AniDB hash matching, absolute-numbering, preferred fansub group | Yes — long-established anime support |
| Music renaming | No — focused on TV and film | Yes |
| Free tier | Yes — renaming and online matching are free forever, no account | No — paid/donation-gated |
| Licensing | Offline-verifiable, 2 computers, no phone-home lockout | Paid licence required |
| Track record | New in 2026 | Long-established |
Where Curator is different
Curator is built in Rust as a real installed app, so it's small and quick rather than a packaged web browser or a Java program waiting on a runtime. The matching shows a confidence score for every file and, when it isn't sure, lets you pick from a wall of posters instead of guessing. Everything you file lands in a collection with quality badges and ratings, and Curator can tell you which episodes of a season you're still missing.
Licensing is deliberately gentle. Your licence is verified on your own machine, so the app doesn't lock you out when it can't phone home — a common frustration with software that checks in constantly. One licence covers two of your computers, and you can move it between them.
Where FileBot still wins
Honesty matters more than a sales pitch, so: Curator now has a CLI, scripting and watch folders of its own, but FileBot's command line and format expressions are more powerful and have years of real-world use behind them. FileBot also renames music libraries, which Curator doesn't, and draws on a wider set of sources. If deep scripting or music is central to how you work, FileBot is the better fit today.
So which should you choose?
If you want a tidy, native app that names your TV and films correctly and turns your library into something worth browsing, Curator is built for you. If you live deep in the command line or need music support, stay with FileBot. Curator is free to rename and match online forever, so the easiest answer is to try it on your own messy folder.