The Best Free File Explorer AlternativesTop File Managers and other similar apps like File Explorer

The best free alternative to File Explorer is Double Commander, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to File Explorer and loads of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to File Explorer are Total Commander, Files, Q-Dir and FreeCommander.

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File Explorer alternatives are mainly File Managers but may also be File Search Utilities or FTP Clients.  Other popular filters includes Windows + Open Source and Windows + Free. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of File Explorer.
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File Explorer is a file manager application that is included with releases of the Microsoft Windows operating system from Windows 95 onwards. It is sometimes referred to as the Windows shell, explorer.exe, or simply...

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File Explorer alternatives page was last updated Dec 27, 2024
  1. Double Commander icon
     559 likes

    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.

    135 Double Commander alternatives
    Double Commander screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD

    Properties

    1.  Configurable

    Features

    1.  Dual Pane Support
    2.  Two-panel file manager
    3.  Folder Sync
    4.  TC plug-in's support
    5.  Batch Rename Files
    6.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    7.  File Comparison
    8.  Multiplatform
    9.  Portable
    10.  File Sync
    11.  Ad-free
    12.  Multiple Files Renaming
    Double Commander iconFile Explorer Icon

    Double Commander VS File Explorer

    Is Double Commander a good alternative to File Explorer?
     
    Comments about Double Commander as an Alternative to File Explorer
     
    Guest

    It tries too hard to be just a Total Commander replacement. Ultimately it feels like a console interface file manager rather than a GUI file manager with a lot of simple mechanisms in modern GUI-based file managers (not just Windows Explorer!) incredibly hard to replicate.

    Negative commentJul 15, 2022
    1
    Guest

    not contain columns for video settings (video length)

    Negative commentAug 5, 2018
    -12
    RemovedUser

    Why 2 windows in one? I just want a directory tree with a pane showing the contents of that directory.

    Negative commentApr 14, 2018
    -83
    File Explorer Icon
    Double Commander icon
    • Most users think Double Commander is a great File Explorer alternative.

    • Double Commander is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to File Explorer.

    • Double Commander is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to File Explorer.

    • Double Commander is Free and Open SourceFile Explorer is Free and Proprietary
  2. Total Commander icon
     883 likes

    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.

    178 Total Commander alternatives
    Total Commander screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • Android Tablet

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Dual Pane Support
    2.  Batch Rename Files
    3.  Tabbed interface
    4.  Support for FTP
    5.  File Comparison
    6.  File Search
    7.  Quick search
    8.  Directory sync
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Works Offline
    11.  Full-Text Search
    12.  Built-in viewer
    Total Commander iconFile Explorer Icon

    Total Commander VS File Explorer

    Is Total Commander a good alternative to File Explorer?
     
    • Most users think Total Commander is a great File Explorer alternative.

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

    • Total Commander is Freemium and ProprietaryFile Explorer is Free and Proprietary
    • Total Commander is Customizable and LightweightFile Explorer is not according to our users
  3. Files icon
     111 likes

    Introducing Files, the ultimate file manager app for Windows. With its sleek and intuitive design, navigating through your files has never been easier. Files features tabs for easy switching between different folders, a column view for quick file browsing, and dual pane support...

    119 Files alternatives
    Files screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Dark Mode
    2.  Column View
    3.  Built-in themes
    4.  Image Preview
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Dual Pane Support
    7.  File Archiving
    8. Git icon  Git integration
    9.  Cloud Sync
    10.  File Tagging
    11.  No registration required
    12.  Tabbed interface
    Files iconFile Explorer Icon

    Files VS File Explorer

    Is Files a good alternative to File Explorer?
     
    Comments about Files as an Alternative to File Explorer
     
       
    cardinal4

    One of the slowest file managers, taking seconds to navigate between directories.

    On the plus side, its UI is the closest to Windows Explorer, making it easy to get used to Context Menu navigation, Dropbox on-demand sync, navigational side bar etc.

    Top positive commentNov 29, 2023
    2
    Qwak66

    It is not free. You have to pay to use it. First "open source" program I found that is not free.

    Top negative commentDec 27, 2024
    0
    drtech

    I like the clean look and feel of the application. In addition, there is a lot of work being done on it (open source community) which is improving performance and adding features regularly.

    Positive commentJan 9, 2024
    0
    Show more comments
    3 of 5 comments
    File Explorer Icon
    Files icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Files is a great File Explorer alternative.

    • Files is Free and Open SourceFile Explorer is Free and Proprietary
    • Files is Privacy focusedFile Explorer is not according to our users
  4. Q-Dir icon
     195 likes

    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!

    93 Q-Dir alternatives
    Q-Dir default view on Windows 10

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Split-screen view
    2.  Portable
    3.  Drag and Drop
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Search Bar
    6.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Built-in themes
    Q-Dir iconFile Explorer Icon

    Q-Dir VS File Explorer

    Is Q-Dir a good alternative to File Explorer?
     
    Comments about Q-Dir as an Alternative to File Explorer
     
    Erik J

    The only file manager I know that let you lay out or tile more than two columns side-by-side. Unfortunately it keeps getting caught as malware by Windows Defender.

    Positive commentFeb 24, 2018
    1
    Drconfused

    Having up to 4 windows for file exploration and multitab instances in each is a huge benefit to productivity when dealing with many files over a system of folders.

    Positive commentSep 11, 2021
    0
    File Explorer Icon
    Q-Dir icon
    • Most users think Q-Dir is a great File Explorer alternative.

    • Q-Dir is Free and ProprietaryFile Explorer is also Free and Proprietary
    • Q-Dir is Customizable and LightweightFile Explorer is not according to our users
  5. FreeCommander icon
     388 likes

    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.

    115 FreeCommander alternatives
    FreeCommander screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com

    Top FreeCommander Features

    1.  Tabbed interface
    2.  Folder Size
    3.  Dual Pane Support
    4.  Explorer-like
    5.  Batch Rename Files
    6.  Portable
    7.  Built-in viewer
    8. TeraCopy icon  Teracopy integration
    9.  Directory sync
    10.  Support for Unicode
    11.  Comparing folders
    12.  Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
    FreeCommander iconFile Explorer Icon

    FreeCommander VS File Explorer

    Is FreeCommander a good alternative to File Explorer?
     
  6. Spacedrive icon
     121 likes

    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.

    70 Spacedrive alternatives
    Spacedrive screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Filesystem
    2.  Dark Mode
    3.  Rust
    4.  File Tagging
    5.  Image Preview
    6.  Cross-Platform
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  No registration required
    10. Git icon  Git Support
    11.  No Tracking
    12.  Live Preview
    Spacedrive iconFile Explorer Icon

    Spacedrive VS File Explorer

    Is Spacedrive a good alternative to File Explorer?
     
    Comments about Spacedrive as an Alternative to File Explorer
     
    Guest

    Because it lacks a lot of features. For exemple, it doesn't handle network shares.

    Negative commentJun 23, 2024
    0
    File Explorer Icon
    Spacedrive icon
    • Most users think Spacedrive is a great File Explorer alternative.

    • Spacedrive is Free and Open SourceFile Explorer is Free and Proprietary
    • Spacedrive is Privacy focused and LightweightFile Explorer is not according to our users
  7. Explorer++ icon
     108 likes

    Explorer++ is a free file manager for Windows. Available on Windows XP and above, it features the same familiar interface as Windows Explorer, while introducing several enhancements and improvements for a much richer file browsing experience.

    88 Explorer++ alternatives
    details view

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Tabbed interface
    2.  Portable
    3.  Works Offline
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Built-in viewer
    Explorer++ iconFile Explorer Icon

    Explorer++ VS File Explorer

    Is Explorer++ a good alternative to File Explorer?
     
    Comments about Explorer++ as an Alternative to File Explorer
     
    Guest

    Explorer++ has better features than Windows built-in file manager. Xplorer2 and XYplorer are both better than Explorer++.

    Positive commentSep 24, 2019
    1
    Guest

    I enjoy this Explorer. I would say it's the best Explorer who exist.

    Positive commentMay 1, 2022
    0
    File Explorer Icon
    Explorer++ icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Explorer++ is a great File Explorer alternative.

    • Explorer++ is Free and Open SourceFile Explorer is Free and Proprietary
    • Explorer++ is LightweightFile Explorer is not according to our users
  8. Dolphin File Manager icon
     196 likes

    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.

    80 Dolphin File Manager alternatives
    Dolphin File Manager screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • KDE
    • Flathub

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Split-screen view
    2.  Tree view
    3.  File preview
    4. KDE Plasma icon  KDE Plasma integration
    5.  File Renaming
    6.  Network protocols
    7.  Built-in terminal emulation
    8.  Thumbnails
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  Remote File Access
    11.  Works Offline
    12.  No Tracking
    Dolphin File Manager iconFile Explorer Icon

    Dolphin File Manager VS File Explorer

    Is Dolphin File Manager a good alternative to File Explorer?
     
    Comments about Dolphin File Manager as an Alternative to File Explorer
     
    tibi97427

    Dolphin is for linux, not for Windows.

    Negative commentJun 7, 2020
    1
    aronkvh

    It's amazing on Linux and pretty good on Windows. It's pretty, fast, customizable and has a lot of features.

    Positive commentAug 30, 2022
    0
    stevem109

    Dolphin is one of my favorite file managers. The negative comment above is incorrect. "Dolphin is for Linux.............", there is also a Windows version, just not as full featured.

    Positive commentOct 27, 2023
    0
    File Explorer Icon
    Dolphin File Manager icon
    • Most users think Dolphin File Manager is a great File Explorer alternative.

    • Dolphin File Manager is Free and Open SourceFile Explorer is Free and Proprietary
    • Dolphin File Manager is Lightweight and Privacy focusedFile Explorer is not according to our users
  9. OneCommander icon
     162 likes

    Free dual-pane file manager for Windows featuring tabs, columns, themes, long filename support, image converter, regex renaming and many other unique features.

    88 OneCommander alternatives
    OneCommander screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Tabbed interface
    2.  Dark Mode
    3.  File Search
    4.  Multi Column View
    5.  Portable
    6.  Miller columns
    7.  File Tagging
    8.  File preview
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  Works Offline
    11.  MP3 / ID3 Renaming
    12.  Batch Rename Files
    OneCommander iconFile Explorer Icon

    OneCommander VS File Explorer

    Is OneCommander a good alternative to File Explorer?
     
    Comments about OneCommander as an Alternative to File Explorer
     
    ichimitch

    Most other 'alternatives' to File Explorer are an eye-sore and needlessly convoluted. Onecommander is intuitive and aesthetically pleasing: which is more important than you may think when you're having to spend hours looking at it.

    Positive commentOct 29, 2023
    1
    File Explorer Icon
    OneCommander icon
    • Almost everyone thinks OneCommander is a great File Explorer alternative.

    • OneCommander is Freemium and ProprietaryFile Explorer is Free and Proprietary
  10. GNOME Files icon
     210 likes

    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.

    60 GNOME Files alternatives
    GNOME Files screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • GNOME
    • MacPorts
    • XQuartz

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Support for Themes
    3.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Tabbed interface
    2.  Favorites
    3.  Bookmarks
    4.  Thumbnails
    5.  Dark Mode
    6.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  No registration required
    9.  Built-in viewer
    10.  Batch Rename Files
    11.  No Tracking
    12.  Works Offline
    GNOME Files iconFile Explorer Icon

    GNOME Files VS File Explorer

    Is GNOME Files a good alternative to File Explorer?
     
    Comments about GNOME Files as an Alternative to File Explorer
     
       
    ichimitch

    Imagine being a Linux user

    Positive commentOct 29, 2023
    0
    ab1

    Many missing features like open as admin.

    Negative commentJun 15, 2021
    0
    Guest

    nautilus is for linux. file explorer is for windows

    Negative commentMay 16, 2020
    1
    Show more comments
    3 of 4 comments
    File Explorer Icon
    GNOME Files icon
    • Some users think GNOME Files is a great File Explorer alternative, some don't.

    • GNOME Files is Free and Open SourceFile Explorer is Free and Proprietary
    • GNOME Files is Lightweight and Privacy focusedFile Explorer is not according to our users
10 of 95 File Explorer alternatives