Free File Explorer Alternatives for Windows
There are many alternatives to File Explorer for Windows if you are looking for a replacement. The best free Windows alternative 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 are free and available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free Windows alternatives to File Explorer are Total Commander, Files, FreeCommander and Q-Dir.
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File Explorer alternatives are mainly File Managers but may also be File Search Utilities or File Renamers. 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.- File Manager
- Free • Proprietary
564 likes135 Double Commander alternativesOpen-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.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
Double Commander VS File Explorer
Is Double Commander a good alternative to File Explorer?
886 likes179 Total Commander alternativesA 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.
License model
- Freemium • Proprietary
Application types
Platforms
- Windows
- Android
- Android Tablet
Total Commander VS File Explorer
Is Total Commander a good alternative to File Explorer?
117 likes120 Files alternativesIntroducing 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...
Files VS File Explorer
Is Files a good alternative to File Explorer?Comments about Files as an Alternative to File Explorer
cardinal4One 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.
2Qwak66It is not free. You have to pay to use it. First "open source" program I found that is not free.
0drtechI 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.
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390 likes114 FreeCommander alternativesFreeCommander 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.
License model
- Freemium • Proprietary
Application types
Platforms
- Windows
- PortableApps.com
Top FreeCommander Features
FreeCommander VS File Explorer
Is FreeCommander a good alternative to File Explorer?
195 likes94 Q-Dir alternativesQ-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!
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 JThe 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.
1DrconfusedHaving 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.
0
127 likes71 Spacedrive alternativesOrganize 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.
Spacedrive VS File Explorer
Is Spacedrive a good alternative to File Explorer?Comments about Spacedrive as an Alternative to File Explorer
Because it lacks a lot of features. For exemple, it doesn't handle network shares.
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108 likes89 Explorer++ alternativesExplorer++ 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.
Explorer++ VS File Explorer
Is Explorer++ a good alternative to File Explorer?Comments about Explorer++ as an Alternative to File Explorer
Explorer++ has better features than Windows built-in file manager. Xplorer2 and XYplorer are both better than Explorer++.
1I enjoy this Explorer. I would say it's the best Explorer who exist.
0
162 likes89 OneCommander alternativesFree dual-pane file manager for Windows featuring tabs, columns, themes, long filename support, image converter, regex renaming and many other unique features.
OneCommander VS File Explorer
Is OneCommander a good alternative to File Explorer?Comments about OneCommander as an Alternative to File Explorer
ichimitchMost 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.
1
27 likes63 Sigma File Manager alternativesSigma File Manager is a free, open-source, quickly evolving, modern file manager (explorer / finder) app for Windows and Linux.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Platforms
- Windows
- Linux
Sigma File Manager VS File Explorer
Is Sigma File Manager a good alternative to File Explorer?Comments about Sigma File Manager as an Alternative to File Explorer
Amazing alternative to explorer.exe sleek and full featured. Certainly worth trying out!
0
37 likes41 Tablacus Explorer alternativesTablacus Explorer is a tabbed file manager with Add-on support.
Tabbed interface Add-on support Customizable association, menus, keys, mouse gestures, alias Completely Portable, No installation required Multiple language and Unicode support Open source .
Tablacus Explorer VS File Explorer
Is Tablacus Explorer a good alternative to File Explorer?Comments about Tablacus Explorer as an Alternative to File Explorer
It has multiple panes to be viewed at the same time. These can be extend to the number desired, by extensions.
0Very customizable and responsive. It has preloaded layouts such as dual pane, four pane, one pane layouts and layouts with tab titles at different places. You can create customized bars, etc. Although not as good as Linux alternatives, it's quite above the average for Windows file managers. However, customization is a bit complicated, it's something for power users.
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Comments about Double Commander as an Alternative to File Explorer
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.
not contain columns for video settings (video length)
Why 2 windows in one? I just want a directory tree with a pane showing the contents of that directory.