At a glance
| Stacked steps | Regex | Metadata | Presets | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finder | — | — | — | — |
| Batch File Renamer | ✓ | Pro | Pro | ✓ |
| Name Mangler | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| A Better Finder Rename | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transnomino | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| NameChanger | — | ✓ | — | — |
| f2, rename (CLI) | Scripted | ✓ | Some | — |
For a quick one-off: Finder
Right-click › Rename handles one find-and-replace, add-text or numbering change at a time. No regex, no presets.
Free apps
Batch File Renamer Lite is free, with up to 3 stacked steps, a live preview with conflict checks, built-in recipes and undo. Transnomino is a capable free renamer with many step types. NameChanger is a simple free option with regex but no presets.
Paid apps
Batch File Renamer Pro adds regex, EXIF/ID3/video tokens, filters, CSV renaming from the command line, file date editing, a CLI and on-device AI naming. Name Mangler and A Better Finder Rename are long-established paid tools with droplets and deep feature sets.
Command line
If you live in Terminal, f2 and Perl's rename are free and scriptable. Batch File Renamer Pro ships its own rename-cli that shares presets with the app, so you can design a rename visually and run it from scripts or Shortcuts.
Questions
What's the best free file renamer for Mac?
Batch File Renamer Lite and Transnomino are both free with stacked steps and previews. Batch File Renamer adds undo even after quitting and a recipe gallery.
Can I batch rename files on Mac without an app?
Yes, with Finder's Rename for simple changes, or a shell loop in Terminal for anything else.