QTTabBar

Discontinued, yes - but still the best with the most options by far!

In 2018 it is still the best way to get tabs on Windows Explorer. Fully customizable, clean, integrates nicely with Windows 10.

QTTabBar is unlimited... they're some much features and settings, that it would be not for newbies. But if you know a little with files and servers, it's really crazy: create your own menu with icons and link to SMB servers or folders or even, programs (launcher).

A really good software, with dark mode, tabs, preview (do you know if you put your mouse over a MP3 file, it start to play in it internal player, and numpad help to forward, accelerate, etc)

For real geeks

Been using since Clover became malicious. What i need is bookmark bar and tabs, but this adds much more than just that.

Nothing else does what this application does, integrating into Explorer itself and not being some external attachment to the window.

Missing 1 star because it might do "too much", with some things interferring, and complicated to know how to disable.
I wish it consisted of modules, so i could disable all but what i want from it.

I can't live without it, should be added to Win 10 & 11 but Microsoft just won't do it lol

Ok first of all, the 5 stars are purely for QTTB adding the one feature I wanted, which is tabs on Windows Explorer.

It does have some extra features, but the main one I wanted and I use from this, is the tabs (also hiding the toolbar if that counts). I found this as an alternative to ExplorerMax, which I used the trial for a couple days. It added way more features to explorer, but honestly I did not like them. I would say I would have liked ExplorerMax's ability for dual pane view on the same window, but since I use Dark Theme on my Windows, I actually hated that feature, as it turned the background to white.

If you do not want anything but having tabs, I find QTTB the best program to use and unlike ExplorerMax's 40$ pricetag, this one is free.

I sadly did not use Clover at all, seeing it might have Chinese adaware. It might be a great alternative, but sadly, ever since I gave up on Haozip which even now I consider the best multi-compression utility, I avoid Chinese apps, no matter how good they are.

Tabs, yes, of course. But that's just a small part. You can change text color and background color of files and folders (useful so that you'll never delete something by mistake) open cmd, have groups and favorites in explorer, launch programs, close tabs to the right, to the left, all, create shortcuts for doing almost everything you can think of, capture windows, split the screen in two or three "views", change Explorer appearance, customize it to your heart's content, while, at the same time, it still being the Explorer you know and feel comfortable with.
I installed it quite a few years ago and have never felt the need to try anything else. I wouldn't know what to do without it now. First thing I install when reinstalling windows. Sure, to get the most of it you'll have to invest some time, it has so many options, but you probably don't need everything it's able to do. With just a handful of it's options, your experience with explorer will be so much better that, in a short time you won't even remember what Explorer looked like without QTTabBar.