Nimi Places vs Tabbles

Nimi Places organizes a Windows desktop into customizable containers that display files and folders from chosen locations as icons or thumbnails. Files stay in their original locations while the containers provide desktop access. Views include grids and single- or multi-column lists, with optional details. Items can be labeled, searched by name and sorted by type, size or dates. Containers can use individual item sizes, accent colors, themes and smooth scrolling. Rules can duplicate, move or link files and folders that match selected conditions, and containers can appear only under conditions such as time, location or foreground window title. Supported media can be previewed through a built-in multimedia front end. The application is free for non-commercial use under the Nimi projects general application license. It can run portably, including from removable storage, without installation on a specific computer. The Windows download is a multilingual installer with optional portable mode and a built-in uninstaller. The download page lists a requirement compatible with framework 2.0 or newer. Its license says personal data must not be used with the software and assigns users responsibility for information they choose to process.

Tabbles organizes files through tags that can be shared across local disks, network drives, and cloud-synced folders. It can tag any file type on any file system, storing tags in a database without changing file names or adding hidden files to disk. Rules can assign tags based on paths, names, content, types, or data-mining matches such as email addresses and social security numbers. Unified search covers file names, paths, tags, comments, and file content; comments on files, bookmarks, and emails are searchable too. Teams can share tags and manage users, groups, and granular permissions. Tabbles integrates with Windows Explorer context menus and overlay icons, and preserves tags when files are moved or renamed there. Other listed integrations include Outlook email tagging, a Chrome extension, a bookmarklet, and support for Google Drive, Dropbox, and SharePoint-synced folders. Plans include a free personal option and paid subscriptions, including team and hosted database options. Tabbles 6 is listed for Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10, and 11; LAN mode requires Microsoft SQL Server Express 2008 or newer, with Azure SQL support.