Top Alternatives to File Explorer

Total Commander is a powerful and versatile file manager for Windows. Featuring a dual-pane interface, built-in tools for archiving, FTP, and file comparison, it provides advanced control over file system operations, catering to users who require more than the standard file explorer.

FreeCommander is a powerful and user-friendly freeware file manager designed as an alternative to standard Windows Explorer. It features a dual-pane interface for efficient side-by-side file operations, built-in tools like an FTP client, archive handling, file comparison, and a batch renamer. Highly customizable and portable, it enhances file management productivity.

Double Commander is a free and open-source cross-platform file manager with a classic dual-panel interface. It provides essential file management operations alongside advanced features like batch renaming, folder synchronization, and built-in viewers and editors, making it a comprehensive tool for efficiently organizing and manipulating files across various operating systems.

Nautilus, also known as GNOME Files, is the official file manager for the GNOME desktop environment. It provides a user-friendly interface for managing files and folders, offering features like file preview, search, and network drive support.

Q-Dir, also known as the Quad Explorer, is a powerful and versatile file management tool for Windows. It offers a unique four-pane interface, significantly enhancing file organization, navigation, and manipulation. Available as both an installable and portable application, Q-Dir streamlines everyday file tasks for efficiency and ease of use.

Directory Opus is a highly customizable, powerful file manager for Windows, offering a modern alternative to File Explorer with extensive features for efficient file organization and management.

Far Manager is a console-based file manager for Windows, offering a powerful dual-pane interface and extensive customization options. It supports keyboard shortcuts for efficient navigation and file operations, while its plugin architecture allows for significant expandability.

XYplorer is a portable file manager for Windows that offers a powerful blend of speed, features, and customization. It's designed for users who demand more control and efficiency than the standard Windows Explorer provides, featuring a dual-pane interface, tabbed browsing, and an extensive array of tools for file management.

Commander One is a powerful and versatile dual-pane file manager for macOS, engineered entirely in Swift. It offers a comprehensive suite of features for efficient file management, including FTP/SFTP/FTPS client, cloud service integration, a built-in terminal, and robust search capabilities, enhancing productivity for both novice and advanced users.

muCommander is a versatile, open-source file manager designed for productivity across various operating systems. It offers a dual-pane interface for efficient file operations, built-in support for network protocols like FTP and SSH, and extensive customization options, making it a powerful tool for both casual users and power users who need advanced file management capabilities.

Thunar is a modern, lightweight, and fast file manager for the Xfce desktop environment and other Unix-like systems. Designed for simplicity and speed, it focuses on delivering a highly responsive file browsing experience directly out of the box, while remaining easily customizable through plugins.

Dolphin File Manager is a free and open-source file manager for Linux, developed by KDE. It prioritizes ease of use and simplicity while offering a variety of powerful features for efficient file management, including network protocol support and a configurable interface.

One Commander is a modern, feature-rich file manager for Windows, designed to offer a superior alternative to the standard Windows Explorer. It provides advanced tools like dual-pane browsing, tabbed interface, batch renaming, and file preview, enhancing productivity and file management workflows for both novice and power users.

QTTabBar enhances Windows Explorer with essential features like multi-pane views, extensive tabbed browsing, and advanced customization options, transforming the default file manager into a powerful, user-friendly tool. It offers improved navigation, organization, and file handling capabilities, making daily file operations significantly more efficient.

xplorer² is a highly customizable dual-pane file manager for Windows. It offers advanced features like tabbed browsing, batch operations, and extensive search capabilities, providing a powerful alternative to the standard Windows Explorer for efficient file management and organization.

Explorer++ is a free, open-source file manager designed for Microsoft Windows. It offers a multi-tabbed interface, a bookmarks menu, and significant customization options. It can function portably and integrates seamlessly with or can replace Windows Explorer.

ForkLift is a powerful and versatile file manager and transfer client for macOS. It seamlessly handles a wide range of connections including FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, and even Bluetooth. With its dual-pane interface and robust feature set, ForkLift simplifies file management, synchronization, and batch operations.

Multi Commander is a feature-rich, multi-tabbed file manager designed as a powerful alternative to standard Windows Explorer. It provides enhanced file management capabilities, extensive customization options, and supports a wide range of plugins and extensions.

Unreal Commander is a feature-rich, freeware file manager for Windows, offering a dual-pane interface for efficient file operations. It supports a wide range of functionalities including FTP, batch renaming, folder synchronization, and plugin compatibility.

trolCommander is a powerful and lightweight cross-platform file manager. It is a fork of the popular muCommander, offering a dual-pane interface, rich feature set including built-in viewers, terminal, FTP/SFTP support, and extensive customization options. Designed for efficiency and speed, it's an excellent alternative for users seeking advanced file management capabilities across various operating systems.

Altap Salamander is a robust file manager for Windows users, offering a dual-pane interface for efficient file operations. It supports various protocols like FTP and SFTP, includes powerful file manipulation tools, and is highly customizable through plugins, making it a versatile tool for managing your digital assets.

PCMan File Manager is a highly regarded, lightweight file manager designed for speed and efficiency. It is the default file manager for the LXDE desktop environment and offers a clean interface and essential file management functionalities with low resource consumption.

Amaze File Manager is a free, open-source, and ad-free file manager for Android devices. It provides a clean Material Design interface and offers essential file management operations like copying, moving, deleting, and renaming files and folders. It also includes advanced features such as root exploration, FTP support, and cloud storage integration.

NexusFile is a discontinued, portable dual-pane file manager for Windows, offering advanced features like multi-tabs, built-in viewers and players, batch operations, and support for FTP and TC plug-ins, aiming to provide a more efficient alternative to the standard Windows Explorer.

My Commander is a robust, free, and portable multi-tab file manager for Windows designed to streamline file management tasks through a tabbed interface, integrated search, and a suite of built-in utilities like file shredding and ISO creation.

Nomad.NET is a freeware orthodox file manager for Windows, offering a dual-pane interface and extensive features like FTP support, batch processing, and plugin compatibility, drawing inspiration from classic file managers like Total Commander.

Xfe is a lightweight and fast graphical file manager for the X Window System, providing essential file management operations with a focus on efficiency and customization.

Tux Commander is an open-source dual-pane file manager designed for Linux systems, primarily utilizing the GTK2 toolkit. It provides a robust set of tools for managing files and directories efficiently, including support for network protocols like FTP and SFTP. While the project is discontinued, it remains a functional option for users seeking a classic dual-pane interface and core file management capabilities.

fman is a powerful, dual-pane file manager designed for speed and efficiency across Windows, macOS, and Linux. It offers a clean interface, robust search capabilities, extensive keyboard shortcut support, and a flexible plugin system for enhanced functionality.

SpaceFM is a highly configurable desktop-independent file and desktop manager for Linux and other Unix-like systems. It offers a multi-panel, tabbed interface with extensive keyboard control and built-in tools, providing a powerful alternative to traditional file explorers.

Cairo Shell offers a lightweight and modular alternative desktop environment for Windows, aiming to replace the standard taskbar and Start Menu with a more customizable and efficient interface.

Vifm is a ncurses-based file manager with Vim-like keybindings, designed for efficiency in terminal environments. It offers a dual-pane interface, tab support, and extensive customization options, making it a powerful tool for users comfortable with command-line workflows and seeking a highly keyboard-driven file management experience.

Marlin is a modern, fast, and feature-rich file manager built with GTK3. It offers a sleek user interface with tabbed browsing, dual pane support, and extensibility through plugins, making file management efficient and customizable.

Just Manager is a highly configurable and multi-functional dual-pane file manager for Windows designed to replace the standard Windows Explorer. It offers advanced features like a tabbed interface, FTP support, batch operations, and extensive customization options to streamline file management tasks for power users.