Drive Browser — Instantly Search All Your Unplugged External Drives, Discs & Tapes!

Organize and search your entire media world — hard drives, USB sticks, DVDs, tapes — all in one lightweight desktop app. Now with AI image search: describe what you're looking for and find it instantly.

Get Started Drive Browser Interface

What You Can Do with Drive Browser

Everything you need to keep track of your physical media collection.

Hard Drives

Hard Drives

Scan and catalog internal and external drives so you can find anything fast - even when disconnected!

USB Drives

USB & Flash Drives

Index all your thumb drives and portable devices — know what’s on them without plugging them in!

DVDs

DVDs & Optical Discs

Build a searchable list of all your discs — browsing without inserting just got real.

Tapes

Tape Archives

Keep track of backups and tape contents at a glance.

Everything That's Included

A full-featured catalog tool — not just a file list.

Offline Search

Find files on any indexed drive even when it's unplugged. No drive? No problem.

Browse Without Mounting

Navigate full folder trees and explore drive contents — without connecting anything.

Image & Video Thumbnails

Generate previews for your photos and videos, stored right in your catalog.

Gallery View

Browse your photos and video thumbnails in a scrollable visual grid per drive.

Filter by File Type

Narrow search results to specific extensions or categories instantly.

Lightning-Fast Scanning

Indexes thousands of files per second using an optimised, read-only scan.

100% Local & Private

Nothing leaves your machine. No cloud, no account required, no data collection.

Unlimited Drives & Files

Catalog as many drives, folders, and files as you need — no artificial limits.

Dark & Light Themes

Switch between dark and light modes — whichever suits your workflow.

Windows & Mac

Native desktop app for Windows 10+ and macOS 10.14 Mojave or later.

One-Time Purchase

$39.99 and it's yours forever. No subscriptions, no renewals, no surprises.

Search Across All Drives

One search box covers every drive you've cataloged — all results, instantly.

See It in Action

Drive Browser isn't just fast — it's built to make massive archives feel simple.

Media Library screenshot

Media Library

All your drives. One clear view.

The Media Library gives you a bird's-eye view of every connected drive, LTO archive, or catalog. At a glance you can:

  • See all indexed drives
  • Instantly see which drives have space and which are filled up
  • Jump into any catalog with one click
  • View folder structure without mounting the drive

No digging. No guessing. Just everything organized and visible.

Search Tab screenshot

Search Tab

Find anything. Even things you can't name.

Searching across multiple drives shouldn't feel like rolling the dice. The Search tab lets you:

  • Search across all indexed drives at once
  • Filter by file type, name, or path
  • See results instantly — even if the drive is offline
  • Locate exactly which drive the file lives on
  • Describe what's in a photo using AI — type "sunset over water" or "woman in red dress" and Drive Browser finds matching images across every drive you've cataloged
  • Filename matches and AI matches appear together, so you always get the full picture

It's like Spotlight for your entire archive — except it understands what's in your photos, not just what they're named.

Browse Tab screenshot

Browse Tab

Explore like it's mounted.

Sometimes you don't know what you're looking for. You just need to browse. The Browse tab lets you:

  • Navigate folder trees visually
  • Expand and collapse directories
  • Preview file structure without reconnecting storage
  • Quickly jump between volumes

It feels like the drive is mounted — even when it's sitting on a shelf.

Gallery View screenshot

Gallery View

See your media, not just filenames.

When you're looking for a specific photo or clip, filenames only get you so far. The Gallery View lets you:

  • Browse image and video thumbnails in a visual grid
  • See previews even when the drive is unplugged
  • Jump directly to a file's location in the Browse tab
  • Copy the file path with one right-click

Your archive, finally something you can actually look at.

Simple, One-Time Pricing

No subscriptions. Pay once, use forever.

Drive Browser License

$39.99 one-time
  • Unlimited media scanning
  • Full-text file search across all catalogs
  • Dark & light themes
  • Lifetime updates
  • Works offline
  • Includes a 14-day free trial — no credit card required!

14-day free trial included with download. No credit card required to try.

Getting Started Is Easy

Get up and running in three simple steps.

1

Grab a License

One-time purchase, no subscriptions ever.

Grab a License
2

Check Your Email

Your license key arrives immediately - ready to go.

Check Your Email
3

Activate in the App

Open Drive Browser, enter your key, and boom — you’re cataloguing!

Activate in the App

Frequently Asked Questions

Got questions? We've got answers.

Drive Browser is a desktop application that indexes your external drives and archives so you can search and browse them instantly — even when they're offline.

No. It only catalogs file names and folder structures. Your media stays exactly where it is.

Yes. Once a drive has been indexed, you can search and browse it anytime — even if it's unplugged.

Not at all. It's built for anyone managing large storage volumes — filmmakers, VFX artists, photographers, studios, IT departments, and archivists.

Finder and Explorer can only search what's currently mounted, and they only match filenames. Drive Browser searches everything you've indexed — online or offline — and also lets you search by describing what's in a photo using AI (e.g. "sunset on the beach"). That's something Finder and Explorer can't do at all.

Yes. Once indexed, LTO volumes behave like any other searchable catalog.

Drive Browser runs locally on your machine. Your catalogs stay on your system — no cloud uploads required.

Yes! Students with a valid .edu email address can request a free full license. Just scroll down to the Student Discount section and submit your request — we'll review it and send your license within 24–48 hours.

AI search uses a similarity threshold to decide how closely an image must match your description. The default is intentionally broad so you don't miss anything — but if you're getting too many results, you can raise the AI Search Threshold in Settings to make matches more strict.

Download Drive Browser

Try free for 14 days. Windows 10+ and macOS 10.14 Mojave or later.

Latest version: v1.3.1

Mac: 118 MB

Suggest a Feature

Got an idea that would make Drive Browser better? Tell us — if we build it, we'll send you two free licenses: one for you and one for a friend.

We read every submission. If your idea ships, you'll hear from us!

We Support Students!

Are you a student? We believe powerful tools should be accessible to everyone learning the craft. Submit a request from your .edu email address and we'll send you a free full license — on us.

  • Full license, no restrictions
  • Same lifetime access as paid users
  • No credit card required
Must end in .edu

We'll review and send your license within 24–48 hours.