4 days ago • 97%

best alternative to windows file explorer?

probably a long shot but are there any lightweight alternatives to windows file explorer for 2024?

i'm stuck on windows for now until the time comes to grab a new laptop. so sick of the default one in windows 11 though.

33 comments

Surprisingly enough KDE's Dolphin

Nightly Installers on the bottom:

Windows

You'll want the bottom x86_64.exe👍
24
- Had a great experience with Dolphin on the Steamdeck. It supports tabs which is a great positive over the Windows File Explorer imo. (I know the Windows 11 File Explorer also has tabs but I'd rather not touch Windows 11 with a ten foot pole.)
  
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- That looks very interesting, gonna try it out in a VM later.
  
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  hope it works and is useful to you!🤗
  
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Everything by voidtools is incredible and makes Windows slightly more bearable. It's a shame Linux doesn't have anything as good as it.

It's free, but not open source though.

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I'll be looking for an open-source option first today, but if not, I can wholeheartedly recommend the xplorer² from Zakbat. I've been using it for more than 10 years and it's fantastic for me. As far as I know, this is the work of a single guy. It is not cheap, but it has worked extremely well and has been reliable for me for so many years that I can't recommend it enough. It has a free trial to test it.

1
https://www.altap.cz/

Files

Double Commander

Dolphin

mucommander

In no particular order.
3
I'm sure there is something better, but currently I use Q-Dir for my work projects.

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Double Commander is also worth mentioning

4
- I've been using Double Commander for a long time. I can recommend.
  
  I've looked for alternatives occasionally, because I'd prefer some things differently, preferably something I'd be able to source inspect or work on as well, but haven't found anything better.
  
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There's a few of them, the open source options include Double Commander, Files, Explorer++, Spacedrive (links files from multiple devices into one explorer), and Sigma File Manager. QTTabBar is an extension for the windows file manager which provides tabbed browsing as well. Here's a list covering these and many others with links to official websites for each one: https://alternativeto.net/software/windows-explorer/?p=2

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- Ah, right, Files! I keep forgetting that it's Open Source as well. (And it is pretty nice. Not really lightweight though, despite its clean looks.)
  
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(replying to everyone instead of each post)

thanks all - i was looking at some awesome windows lists on github but most were for file transfer clients not file explorers so i figured i'd ask. will check all of these out today.

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As we're in the Open Source community here, the massive list of possible answers is suddenly rather short, I'm afraid. Explorer++ might be your best bet.

8
A friend of mine uses Tablacus Explorer (with a Webview2 extension)

https://tablacus.github.io/explorer_en.html

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There's Files, which looks much more modern and uses UWP

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- I've liked the idea of it, but IIRC it launched with noticeable delay. Even if it's only one or two seconds, I want to access my files fast.
  
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  When did you try it out? It got many updates, maybe try it again?
  
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I will be off topic as what I am going to suggest is not open source... But I myself looked for a long time what was the best free windows file manager and I settled up on FreeCommander.
By default UI is not nice but it's possible to make it nice enough.

I use this one mainly because : you can use it for free, dual pan, it remembers tab history between sessions, tabs can be renamed and colored. Hope someone will suggest a good open source one but I don't think there is any :-/

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- Double Commander is free and open source. I've been using it for a long time. I'm not sure which one I used before, but could very well have been FreeCommander.
  
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This is the only program that I wasn't able to find a good open source alternative. Stuck with using XYplorer.

Open source alternatives are either stuck in 1990 or lack basic features.

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FMan is pretty nice, not sure if it's still maintained though

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Are there any that integrate FTP support, such as Nautilus does on Linux?

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- If you're fine with or want a two-pane Commander, Double Commander supports FTP.
  
  I feel like a lot of alternative file explorers do!? Pretty sure I've seen it relatively often/regularly.
  
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- KDE's Dolphin runs on Windows and has that integrated. I don't know for sure, though, that FTP support works on Windows...
  
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- Looks like trolCommander, muCommander, and WinSCP all have FTP support on Windows.
  
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Linux. I know you said that isn't an option, but it's still the best option.

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- Linux isn't even a file explorer. Different distros serve different file explorers by default.
  
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Why are you stuck on windows? What's stopping you from installing a GNU/Linux distro? Much easier to replace/customize anything. I don't mean to suggest y when someone is asking x, rather I don't see any reason to be using Windows (especially Windows 11) these days.

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- Some companies have policies of only using Windows on their laptops. Also this could be a friend's laptop
  
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