Midnight Commander Alternatives

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 50 alternatives to Midnight Commander for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, BSD and PortableApps.com. The best alternative is Double Commander, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Midnight Commander are FileZilla, Total Commander, QTTabBar and Dolphin File Manager.

Midnight Commander alternatives are mainly File Managers but may also be FTP Clients or File Sync Tools. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Midnight Commander.

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Midnight Commander

223

Free • Open Source
File Manager

Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Cygwin
MacPorts

GNU Midnight Commander is a visual file manager, licensed under GNU General Public License and therefore qualifies as Free...

Learn more about Midnight Commander

Double Commander
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
File Manager
File Sync Tool
Windows
Linux
BSD
123 alternatives to Double Commander
Double Commander is a cross-platform open source file manager with two panels side by side. It is inspired by Total Commander and features some new ideas.
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Double Commander Features
1. Batch Rename FilesDouble Commander supports renaming of different types of files or data in large batches.
2. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsDouble Commander can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
3. PortableDouble Commander can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
4. Ad-freeDouble Commander doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
5. Dark ModeDouble Commander supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
Dual Pane Support
Configurable
Two-panel file manager
Folder Sync
TC plug-in's support
Multiplatform
Multiple Files Renaming
Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
Multi-tabs
Plug-ins
Double Commander vs Midnight Commander
Most users think Double Commander is a great alternative to Midnight Commander.
FileZilla
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Open Source
FTP Client
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
PortableApps.com
ReactOS
70 alternatives to FileZilla
FileZilla is a powerful FTP-client. It has been designed for ease of use and with support for as many features as possible, while still being fast and reliable.
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FileZilla Features
1. Ad-freeFileZilla doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
2. PortableFileZilla can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
3. LightweightFileZilla consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
Support for SFTP
Dedicated Server Hosting
Mounting drives
Bundleware
Be aware that installing FileZilla on your computer might install some bundleware/malware on your machine. See this thread on the FileZilla forum: https://forum.filezilla-project.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=48441

FileZilla vs Midnight Commander
This alternative is disputed. FileZilla is still a legitimate alternative to Midnight Commander, but it might have issues that some users think are important.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
Guest
Main priority is managing files on ftp server instead of local. Not File Manager like MC!
Top negative comment• ago

11

Guest
FileZilla is not a file manager
Negative comment• ago

0

Guest
FileZilla is NOT a File Manager.
Negative comment• ago

0

glalejos2
FileZilla is a FTP/SFTP client, without bound to a command line.
Negative comment• ago

0

Guest
FileZilla is a dedicated ftp-client, and Midnight Commander is a local filesystem manager with FTP being an additional capability.
Negative comment• ago

0

Guest
While Midnight Commander is a file manager, FileZilla is mainly a FTP client
Negative comment• ago

1

Guest
Midnight Commander is a much more powerful File Manager
Negative comment• ago

0

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7 of 8 comments
Total Commander
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
File Manager
FTP Client
File Search Utility
Windows
Windows Mobile
Android
Android Tablet
163 alternatives to Total Commander
Total Commander is a Shareware file manager for Windows.
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Total Commander Features
1. Batch Rename FilesTotal Commander supports renaming of different types of files or data in large batches.
2. LightweightTotal Commander consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
3. Dark ModeTotal Commander supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
4. PortableTotal Commander can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Dual Pane Support
Customizable
Support for FTP
Tabbed interface
Quick search
Directory sync
Split-screen view
ZIP File Mounting
Multiple languages
Built-in player
Total Commander vs Midnight Commander
Most users think Total Commander is a great alternative to Midnight Commander.
QTTabBar
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Windows
Windows Explorer
48 alternatives to QTTabBar
QTTabBar is an extension for Windows Explorer that brings tabbed browsing to Microsoft's file browser. It comes with a number of nifty features including a favorites function for launching folders and applications, groupings of folders that can be opened together, tooltip...
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QTTabBar Features
1. Windows Explorer ExtensionQTTabBar can extend Windows Explorer in various ways, for example add context menu options, etc..
Tabbed browsing
File preview
Subfolder menu
Extensive customisability
Dolphin File Manager
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
File Manager
FTP Client
File Renamer
Linux
KDE
Flathub
Windows
70 alternatives to Dolphin File Manager
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.
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Dolphin File Manager Features
1. LightweightDolphin File Manager consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. PortableDolphin File Manager can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
3. Works OfflineDolphin File Manager can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
4. Batch Rename FilesDolphin File Manager supports renaming of different types of files or data in large batches.
5. Ad-freeDolphin File Manager doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
6. Built-in viewerDolphin File Manager shows you a quick preview of an image, page or file in supported formats.
7. Cloud SyncSync your data (notes, documents, bookmarks, etc.) across your different devices and to the cloud.
8. File TaggingDolphin File Manager can organize and highlight your files with tags and labels.
9. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsDolphin File Manager can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
Split-screen view
File preview
Built-in terminal emulation
Tree view
Network protocols
KDE Plasma integration
Thumbnails
Image Preview
SSH
Remote File Access
Directory Opus
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Paid • Proprietary
File Manager
FTP Client
File Sync Tool
Windows
82 alternatives to Directory Opus
Directory Opus provides a complete replacement for Explorer with far more power and functionality than any other file manager available today.
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Directory Opus Features
1. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsDirectory Opus can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
2. Batch Rename FilesDirectory Opus supports renaming of different types of files or data in large batches.
Dual Pane Support
File preview
Integrated Search
Folder Size
Assignement of comments to files
Flat view
Edit metadata
Tagging
File conversion
FreeCommander
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
File Manager
File Search Utility
File Renamer
Windows
PortableApps.com
106 alternatives to FreeCommander
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.
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FreeCommander Features
1. Batch Rename FilesFreeCommander supports renaming of different types of files or data in large batches.
2. Built-in viewerFreeCommander shows you a quick preview of an image, page or file in supported formats.
3. PortableFreeCommander can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Configurable
Tabbed interface
Folder Size
Dual Pane Support
Directory sync
Teracopy integration
Explorer-like
Flat view
Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
Drag and Drop
Q-Dir
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
File Manager
Windows
PortableApps.com
89 alternatives to Q-Dir
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!
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Q-Dir Features
1. PortableQ-Dir can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Split-screen view
Customizable
Drag and Drop
Search Bar
Built-in themes
Q-Dir vs Midnight Commander
pros, cons and recent comments
Guest
MC is a text based file manager, Q-Dir is mostly graphical and is based on Windows Explorer whereas MC is self-contained.
Negative comment• ago

1
XYplorer
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Paid • Proprietary
File Manager
Windows
88 alternatives to XYplorer
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.
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XYplorer Features
1. PortableXYplorer can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
2. Support for scriptingXYplorer supports scripts and macros to automate or customize tasks.
3. Batch Rename FilesXYplorer supports renaming of different types of files or data in large batches.
4. File TaggingXYplorer can organize and highlight your files with tags and labels.
Tabbing
Dual Pane Support
Folder Size
Customizable
Tagging
Custom Menus
Prevents accidental move to folder tree
Batch processing
Flat view
One Commander
Is this a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
File Manager
File Search Utility
Windows
84 alternatives to One Commander
Free dual-pane file manager for Windows featuring tabs, columns, themes, long filename support, image converter, regex renaming and many other unique features.
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One Commander Features
1. Dark ModeOne Commander supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
2. PortableOne Commander can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
3. File TaggingOne Commander can organize and highlight your files with tags and labels.
4. Batch Rename FilesOne Commander supports renaming of different types of files or data in large batches.
5. MP3 / ID3 RenamingOne Commander allows you to batch rename MP3 files through the use of ID3 metadata.
Tabbed interface
Miller columns
Multi Column View
File preview
Dual Pane Support
Monitor File Changes
Thumbnails
Color coding
Support for regular expressions
Image Preview