Best Free File Rename Utility [1]
Introduction
In these days of MP3 libraries and vast collections of digital images, many of us have faced the necessity of renaming our files for organizational purposes. If you've come here looking for a solution we have some good news. There are great and free programs to suit your needs.
There are many different methods to achieve the desired result, from laboriously renaming files one at a time using Windows Explorer, to bulk renaming utilities that can pull out metadata or execute powerful Perl based regular expressions. Some programs focus on simplicity and others are designed for power users. Most of the renamers support a basic set of features such as crop, insert, remove, replace, case changes, and auto number. And some renamers have more powerful features than others.
My rough guess is that about 95% of readers are mainly interested in bulk renaming MP3 files and pictures. While the remaining 5% (probably power users) rename thousands of files every day and have got their own favourite already. That's why the following reviews are focused on common users that are looking for an application to help with their music files and pictures.
Rated Products
[4]
File Renamer Basic [4] [5]
A solid utility to rename multiple files, images and photos with regular expressions
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [6] | [7]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [8]
| Our Rating: 4.5/5 |
Read more... [5]
[9]
Bulk Rename Utility [9] [10]
A file renaming software that is easy to use, powerful and highly functional
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [11] | [7]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [8]
| Our Rating: 4/5 |
Read more... [10]
[12]
Advanced Renamer [12] [13]
It has an attractive interface and renames multiple files and folders with renaming methods
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [14] | [7]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [8]
| Our Rating: 4/5 |
Read more... [13]
[15]
PFrank [15] [16]
Loaded with features and covers most renaming aspects for technically minded users
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [17] | [7]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [8]
| Our Rating: 3/5 |
Read more... [16]
Other Renamers
Siren [18] is one of the most powerful renamers I have tested. For a power user with many and varied tasks to complete Siren will make your life a lot easier. On the negative side, Siren has a steep learning curve compared to other renamers. With what is in essence a library of predefined tags the simplest rename will require a little studying of the help file. Siren is no longer developed. No installation required.
Lupas Rename [19] has a fairly intuitive interface and once you know your way around it, changing complex file names with this powerful utility is easy. I was unable to get the regular expressions to work on Vista or XP. Metadata tags are manually entered instead of choosing from a menu. Unfortunately, it appears Lupas Rename is no longer actively developed. No instalation is required.
ReNamer [20] has a clean interface, supports a few different metatags and offers powerful PascalScript option for power users. Help files could do with improvement. I have not linked to this renamer as Norton reports the website as malicious. This could well be due solely to the nature of the products being offered, but we would advise caution when deciding to enter this site. No installation is required.
Metamorphose 2 Beta [21] is more complicated to use than other renamers. I found myself reading help files more than actually doing any renaming.
Rename Master [22] supports EXIF and ID3 tags, regular expressions and scripts. No installation is required.
Wild Rename [23] is a very basic renamer that can perform tasks with support of regular expressions. It does not support EXIF or ID3 tags. No installation is required.
Flexible Renamer [24] v8.2 supports invalid character mapping, file attribute modification, metadata tags for documents, imaging, and audio. Also supports VB scripts, Javascript, and regular expressions. Learning curve is too steep for what you get out of it.
CKRename [25] v1.08 has a simple design and you can change file names, extensions, case, auto number, and use sting substitution but it doesn't have many advanced features.
Rename-It! [26] v3.05 is a very simple program with just a few features. It has an intuitive interface and you can do simple cropping, case changes. It supports regular expressions and a few ID3 tags, both v1 and v2. Seems to work well for what it does but has less functionality than other renamers.
Ant Renamer [27] v2.10 supports regular expressions, EXIF tags, and ID3 v1 tags. You can also change names from an imported file list. File change preview is limited to a single file and you cannot simultaneously view the commands and the file listing. No ID3 v2 support. Irritating bugs, for example, just open "Options", change anything and the language also changes.
A.F.5 Rename [28] v1.1 is a simple renamer for basic day-to-day use. Actually it is too simple for my liking with no ID3 or EXIF support and no recursive file structure.
Multi File Renamer [29] is another basic renamer on our list. It does not support ID3 or EXIF tags, extensions or recursive file structure. Suitable for basic tasks.
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