NoodleSoft

What NoodleSoft does

NoodleSoft is a New York-based, single-founder software company that develops Hazel, an automated file organization utility for macOS. Hazel watches user-specified folders and applies rule-based logic to move, rename, tag, archive, delete, or upload files based on attributes such as name, date, type, content, and origin. The product is built on Cocoa/Objective-C and integrates deeply with macOS system services including Spotlight, Photos, Music, TV, Tags, Shortcuts, AppleScript, and Automator; it also supports FTP/SFTP/WebDAV upload via the third-party ConnectionKit 2 framework. A helper-process architecture allows rules to execute in the background without keeping the main app running.

The company is operated entirely by founder Paul Kim, who handles product development, customer support, finance, and system administration; the company's legal entity is Noodlesoft, LLC. Hazel is sold exclusively through NoodleSoft's own e-commerce storefront as a one-time perpetual license — there is no subscription model and the product is not distributed via the Mac App Store. The company is bootstrapped, has raised no external capital, and the founder has stated explicitly that he has no interest in selling or exiting. Major releases occur approximately every four years (Hazel 1 in 2006, 2 in 2012, 3 in 2016, 4 in 2016, 5 in 2020, and 6 in 2026).

The primary customer base is individual Mac power users seeking to automate repetitive file management tasks, with a secondary segment of small Mac-based offices using Hazel for document workflow automation. Marketing is conducted through an owned developer blog (Noodlings), user forums, Twitter (@Noodle_Hazel), Bluesky, an email mailing list, and earned coverage in Mac publications including MacWorld (Editor's Choice Award) and Engadget. The company has been continuously operating and profitable since 2006.

Name

NoodleSoft

Legal name

Noodlesoft, LLC

Website

https://noodlesoft.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NoodleSoft is a one-person, bootstrapped New York software company founded in 2006 by Paul Kim. It develops Hazel, a macOS utility that automates file organization via user-defined rules, sold exclusively as a one-time perpetual license through its own direct-to-consumer storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

File Automation Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

iBPMS (Intelligent BPM Suites) & Process Automation Suites (HDAEAHAG)

Keywords

• File automation software
• Mac utilities
• Folder automation
• Rule-based file management
• Mac productivity tools

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. One-Time Software License: Hazel is sold as a one-time perpetual license purchase. There is no subscription model. Users pay once and own the license with free updates between major releases. Major releases occur approximately every 4 years with significant new features.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NoodleSoft develops and sells Hazel, a single macOS-native automated file organization utility that watches user-designated folders and automatically sorts, renames, tags, archives, uploads, or deletes files according to user-defined rules based on attributes such as name, date, type, content, and origin site. The product is sold as a one-time perpetual license through the company's own direct e-commerce store, with free updates between major releases distributed approximately every four years.

Product overview

NoodleSoft is a one-man company that produces a single unified product: Hazel. Hazel is a Mac automation utility that watches folders and automatically organizes files based on user-defined rules. The product has evolved from a preference pane format to a standalone app, with major releases approximately every 4 years. No subscription model or App Store distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hazel Hazel is an automated file organization utility for macOS that watches user-designated folders and automatically organizes files according to user-created rules. It can move, rename, tag, archive, delete, and upload files based on attributes such as name, date, type, content, and origin site, and integrates deeply with native macOS features including Spotlight, Photos, Music, TV, Tags, Shortcuts, AppleScript, and Automator. The product is sold as a one-time perpetual license and is targeted at individual Mac power users, small teams, and Mac-based offices.

Quantifiable outcome

• Users report significant time savings on repetitive file management tasks

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Karelia (ConnectionKit)coreTechnology or Integration · 10 July 2013NoodleSoft uses Karelia's ConnectionKit 2 library to provide FTP, SFTP, and WebDAV file upload capabilities in Hazel. The partnership includes NoodleSoft contributing CK2OpenPanel code back to the ConnectionKit project. The relationship is described as friendly, with Karelia maintaining the open source library.
• BrotherhoodminorOthersBrotherhood designed NoodleSoft's WordPress-based website. The site redesign (launched 2016) moved from static HTML to a WordPress-backed CMS, enabling easier content updates.
• Sparkle FrameworkcoreTechnology or IntegrationHazel uses the Sparkle framework for automatic software updates. Sparkle is a widely-used open source framework for macOS app updates. NoodleSoft has worked through various technical issues with Sparkle's update helper implementation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Default Folder X: Default Folder X is a long-running, one-time-license Mac file-management utility by St. Clair Software. It targets the same Mac power-user persona as Hazel and competes for the same share-of-wallet on file workflow automation.
• TextExpander (Smile): TextExpander is a Mac productivity utility that automates repetitive text and workflow tasks via rule-based expansion — same indie-utility, power-user, direct-sales model as Hazel, though focused on text rather than files.
• DEVONtechnologies (DEVONthink): DEVONthink is a Mac document organization and automation utility — overlapping with Hazel on automated file organization, tagging, and rule-based workflows — and is sold as a perpetual license to a similar power-user base.
• MacPaw (CleanMyMac, Setapp): MacPaw produces CleanMyMac and operates Setapp, a Mac utility subscription bundle that includes direct competitors and adjacent tools to Hazel in the file-organization and Mac-maintenance category.
• Stairways Software (Keyboard Maestro): Keyboard Maestro is a Mac automation utility that lets users trigger complex workflows from hotkeys and triggers — the same core use case (user-defined automation of repetitive Mac tasks) as Hazel, with a similar indie, one-time-license model.
• BetterTouchTool: BetterTouchTool is a Mac utility for automating input devices, gestures, and window/file workflows — directly overlapping Hazel's positioning as a rule-based Mac automation tool sold to power users via direct e-commerce.

Others

• Panic Inc. Panic is an independent Mac software studio (Transmit, Nova, Coda) with a similar direct-to-consumer, premium indie brand model — structurally comparable rather than a direct automation competitor.
• Cockos (Reaper / miscellaneous tools): Cockos is a small, founder-operated software company selling niche Mac/Windows utilities on a perpetual-license basis — a close structural analogue to NoodleSoft's bootstrapped indie model rather than a product competitor.
• Rogue Amoeba: Rogue Amoeba is a long-running independent Mac audio utility developer — same indie Mac software publisher archetype as NoodleSoft, with deep macOS expertise, direct sales, and a power-user customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Apple (Shortcuts): Apple ships Shortcuts as a free, built-in macOS and iOS automation platform that directly overlaps Hazel's folder-watching, file-organizing use cases — the primary free incumbent against which Hazel competes on premium features.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/noodle_hazel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NoodleSoft