The best alternative to Finder is Dolphin File Manager, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Finder and many of them are so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting alternatives to Finder are FreeCommander, XYplorer, Thunar and Q-Dir.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
The most advanced dual pane file manager and file transfer client for macOS.
I remember when the first version of Forklift came out. It was designed to be a total Finder replacement. In the year 2020, Forklift 3 still does it ??
Multi Commander is a multi-tabbed file manager and is an alternative to the standard Windows Explorer. It uses the very popular and efficient dual-panel layout.
muCommander is a lightweight, cross-platform file manager with a dual-pane interface. It runs on any operating system with Java support (Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, *BSD, Solaris...).
A small and two-pane file manager with open plugin architecture. Has the ability to view content of files (text, html, over 40 picture formats, mp3), support for archives (zip, rar, arj, cab, tar/gzip, etc.), and (S)FTP support.
GNOME Commander is a "two-pane" graphical file manager for the GNOME desktop environment. GNOME Commander aims to fulfill the demands of more advanced users who like to focus on file management, their work through special applications and running smart commands.
DoubleXplorer is a dual-pane file manager for macOS with a range of features, including a Command Palette, rich archive support (7z, Rar, Tar, Zip), file comparison, connection to servers (Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, SFTP, FTP), and more.
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Forklift 4 is a great Finder replacement.. especially for those of us who came to MacOS from Windows. There are a few things about finder that just really are hard to get used to, and the interface that ForkLift provides just feels a lot more friendly.
One big positive is that you can pretty much bind a key combo to any command at all in the app - I've found some other Finder alternatives a bit short in this department.
The down side is that it keys on command which means you get a full list of commands and have to pick ONE shortcut for that command. Other apps key to combo so you can map say command + Backspace AND also have delete both map to delete
The other great thing with ForkLift is that it seamlessly integrates with SFTP, iCloud, DropBox etc. so you can pretty much treat remote services as drives.
It has a 15 day free trial and does nag often to upgrade - but the total cost is quite reasonable - I paid $29 for "Family" plan so all my macs are covered.