Midnight Commander AlternativesTop File Managers & FTP Clients like Midnight Commander

Midnight Commander is described as 'GNU Midnight Commander is a visual file manager, licensed under GNU General Public License and therefore qualifies as Free Software. Its a feature rich full-screen text mode application that allows you to copy, move and delete files and whole directory trees, search for files' and is a very popular File Manager in the file management category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Midnight Commander for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, BSD and Android apps. The best Midnight Commander alternative is FileZilla, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Midnight Commander are Double Commander, Total Commander, Spacedrive and Dolphin File Manager.

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Midnight Commander alternatives are mainly File Managers, but if you're looking for FTP Clients or File Search Utilities you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Windows and Mac. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Midnight Commander.
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Alternatives list

  1. FileZilla icon

    FileZilla

     1919 likes
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    Open-source FTP solution offering FTP, FTPS, and SFTP support. FileZilla Pro expands protocol options to WebDAV, Amazon S3, and more with FileZilla Server for comprehensive file management.

    68 FileZilla alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Bundleware

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • PortableApps.com
    • ReactOS
    • Haiku
    FileZilla screenshot 1
     
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    9
    Comments about FileZilla as an Alternative to Midnight Commander
    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    13

    Main priority is managing files on ftp server instead of local. Not File Manager like MC!

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    FileZilla is for FTP, not local file managing.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    FileZilla is not a file manager

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Show more comments
    3 of 9 comments
    Midnight Commander Icon
    FileZilla icon

    • This alternative is disputed. FileZilla is a legitimate Midnight Commander alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.

    • FileZilla is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Midnight Commander.

    • FileZilla is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Midnight Commander.

    • FileZilla is Freemium and Open SourceMidnight Commander is Free and Open Source
  2. Double Commander icon

    Double Commander

     594 likes
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    Open-source file manager with dual-panel interface, inspired by Total Commander. Supports plugin use, advanced search, tabbed browsing, and runs smoothly with background operations. Unicode and multi-platform compatibility enhance its versatility.

    129 Double Commander alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Double Commander screenshot 1
     
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    1
    18
    Comments about Double Commander as an Alternative to Midnight Commander
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    just try it, great application

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Midnight Commander Icon
    Double Commander icon

    • Most users think Double Commander is a great Midnight Commander alternative.

    • Double Commander is Free and Open SourceMidnight Commander is also Free and Open Source
    • Double Commander is Privacy focusedMidnight Commander is not according to our users
  4. Total Commander icon

    Total Commander

     905 likes
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    A versatile file manager offering side-by-side dual-pane for intuitive navigation, powerful built-in FTP client, extensive archive format support, robust file comparison tool with editor, advanced multi-rename using regular expressions, and scalable customization options.

    177 Total Commander alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    Total Commander screenshot 1
     
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    8

    • Most users think Total Commander is a great Midnight Commander alternative.

    • Total Commander is the most popular Android & Android Tablet alternative to Midnight Commander.

    • Total Commander is Freemium and ProprietaryMidnight Commander is Free and Open Source
    • Total Commander is CustomizableMidnight Commander is not according to our users
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    FileZilla icon
    FileZilla

    Open-source FTP solution offering FTP, FTPS, and SFTP support. FileZilla Pro expands protocol options to WebDAV, Amazon S3, and more with FileZilla Server for comprehensive file management.

    https://filezilla-project.org
    Learn More
  6. Spacedrive icon

    Spacedrive

     144 likes
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    Organize files across many devices in one place. From cloud services to offline hard drives, Spacedrive combines the storage capacity and processing power of your devices into one personal distributed cloud, that is both secure and intuitive to use.

    76 Spacedrive alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Spacedrive screenshot 1
     
  7. Dolphin File Manager icon

    Dolphin File Manager

     223 likes
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    Dolphin is a file manager for KDE focusing on usability. Has three view modes: Icon, Detail and it used to have Column View like in Finder (it is not available in current version due to problems with maintaibility). Supports FTP, SCP and other protocols. Highly configurable.

    78 Dolphin File Manager alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Windows
    Dolphin File Manager screenshot 1
     
  8. GNOME Files icon

    GNOME Files

     220 likes
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    GNOME Files, formerly known as Nautilus, is the official file manager for the GNOME desktop, giving the user a simple way to navigate and manage its files.

    64 GNOME Files alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • GNOME
    • MacPorts
    • XQuartz
    GNOME Files screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about GNOME Files as an Alternative to Midnight Commander
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    not two-panelled, not console

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Midnight Commander Icon
    GNOME Files icon
    • GNOME Files is Free and Open SourceMidnight Commander is also Free and Open Source
    • GNOME Files is Privacy focusedMidnight Commander is not according to our users
  10. FreeCommander icon

    FreeCommander

     394 likes
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    FreeCommander is an easy-to-use alternative to the standard windows file manager. The program helps you with daily work in Windows. Here you can find all the necessary functions to manage your data stock.

    114 FreeCommander alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    FreeCommander screenshot 1
     
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    6
  11. Directory Opus icon

    Directory Opus

     224 likes
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    Directory Opus is a complete replacement for Explorer, with far more power and functionality than any other file manager available today.

    85 Directory Opus alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Dual display (vertical layout) without trees (this is the Commander style). Both file displays are in list mode, showing popup tooltip for an image file.
     

    • Directory Opus is the most popular commercial alternative to Midnight Commander.

    • Directory Opus is Paid and ProprietaryMidnight Commander is Free and Open Source
  12. XYplorer icon

    XYplorer

     209 likes
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    XYplorer is a file manager for Windows. It features tabbed browsing, a powerful file search, a versatile preview, a highly customizable interface, optional dual pane, scripting engine, and a large array of unique ways to efficiently automate frequently recurring tasks.

    93 XYplorer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    XYplorer screenshot 1
     
  13. Q-Dir icon

    Q-Dir

     202 likes
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    Q-Dir makes your files and folder easy to manage. Fast and easy access, with an amazing Quadro-View (4 panes) technique. You dont have to renounce the usual, Drag and Drop, all Views, and other functions of your system. No!

    95 Q-Dir alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    Q-Dir default view on Windows 10
     
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    1
    Comments about Q-Dir as an Alternative to Midnight Commander
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    MC is a text based file manager, Q-Dir is mostly graphical and is based on Windows Explorer whereas MC is self-contained.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Midnight Commander Icon
    Q-Dir icon
    • Q-Dir is Free and ProprietaryMidnight Commander is Free and Open Source
    • Q-Dir is CustomizableMidnight Commander is not according to our users
  14. Thunar icon

    Thunar

     148 likes
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    Thunar is a modern file manager for the Xfce Desktop Environment. Thunar has been designed from the ground up to be fast and easy-to-use. Its user interface is clean, intuitive, and customizable. Thunar is fast and responsive with a good start up time and directory load time.

    87 Thunar alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Xfce
    • MacPorts
    • XQuartz
    Thunar screenshot 1
     
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    2
    Comments about Thunar as an Alternative to Midnight Commander
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Thunar is NOT a file manager with two panels side by side, it has only one.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    1

    Because it is for X, I need a clear console alternative. Like Norton Commander VS Far VS Dos Navigator.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Midnight Commander Icon
    Thunar icon
    • Thunar is Free and Open SourceMidnight Commander is also Free and Open Source
  15. Far Manager icon

    Far Manager

     179 likes
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    Far Manager is a program for managing files and archives in Windows operating systems. Far Manager works in text mode and provides a simple and intuitive interface for performing most of the necessary actions:

    104 Far Manager alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    UI language selection
     
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    1
    12
    Comments about Far Manager as an Alternative to Midnight Commander
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    At first glance the interface looks identical.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Midnight Commander Icon
    Far Manager icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Far Manager is a great Midnight Commander alternative.

    • Far Manager is Free and Open SourceMidnight Commander is also Free and Open Source
12 of 103 Midnight Commander alternatives