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, Q-Dir and Spacedrive.

filter to find the best alternatives

File Explorer alternatives are mainly File Managers, but if you're looking for File Search Utilities or FTP Clients you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Windows + Open Source, Windows, Free, Windows + Free, File Management and Mac. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to File Explorer.
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Alternatives list

  1. Double Commander icon

    Double Commander

     594 likes
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    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.

    129 Double Commander alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Double Commander screenshot 1
     
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    3
    41
    Comments about Double Commander as an Alternative to File Explorer
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Negative
    -12

    not contain columns for video settings (video length)

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    RemovedUser
    Negative
    -83

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    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
    • Double Commander is Privacy focusedFile Explorer is not according to our users
  2. Total Commander icon

    Total Commander

     906 likes
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    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.

    177 Total Commander alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    Total Commander screenshot 1
     
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    31

    • 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 CustomizableFile Explorer is not according to our users
  4. Files icon

    Files

     156 likes
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    Advanced Windows file manager offers tabbed browsing, dual-pane drag-and-drop, column navigation, built-in archive creation and extraction, file tagging, QuickLook previews, context menu integration, quick search, and customizable appearance for streamlined organization.

    120 Files alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Files screenshot 1
     
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    21
    Comments about Files as an Alternative to File Explorer
    Top Positive Comment
    cardinal4
    3

    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.

    Qwak66
    Negative
    -5

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    drtech
    Positive
    0

    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.

    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 focused and CustomizableFile Explorer is not according to our users
  5. Q-Dir icon

    Q-Dir

     201 likes
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    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!

    95 Q-Dir alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    Q-Dir default view on Windows 10
     
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    42
    Comments about Q-Dir as an Alternative to File Explorer
    Erik J
    Positive
    1

    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.

    Drconfused
    Positive
    0

    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    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 CustomizableFile Explorer is not according to our users
  6. Spacedrive icon

    Spacedrive

     146 likes
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    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.

    76 Spacedrive alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Spacedrive screenshot 1
     
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    1
    6
    Comments about Spacedrive as an Alternative to File Explorer
    Guest
    Negative
    0

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    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 focusedFile Explorer is not according to our users
  7. FreeCommander icon

    FreeCommander

     395 likes
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    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.

    114 FreeCommander alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    FreeCommander screenshot 1
     
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    37
  9. Dolphin File Manager icon

    Dolphin File Manager

     223 likes
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    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.

    79 Dolphin File Manager alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Windows
    Dolphin File Manager screenshot 1
     
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    13
    Comments about Dolphin File Manager as an Alternative to File Explorer
    tibi97427
    Negative
    2

    Dolphin is for linux, not for Windows.

    aronkvh
    Positive
    0

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

    stevem109
    Positive
    0

    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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    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 Privacy focusedFile Explorer is not according to our users
  10. Explorer++ icon

    Explorer++

     113 likes
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    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.

    90 Explorer++ alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    details view
     
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    36
    Comments about Explorer++ as an Alternative to File Explorer
    Guest
    Positive
    1

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

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

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    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
  11. OneCommander icon

    OneCommander

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

    91 OneCommander alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    OneCommander screenshot 1
     
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    2
    14
    Comments about OneCommander as an Alternative to File Explorer
    ichimitch
    Positive
    1

    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.

    Guest
    Negative
    0

    Can't close and uninstall without accepting the license

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    File Explorer Icon
    OneCommander icon

    • Most users think OneCommander is a great File Explorer alternative.

    • OneCommander is Freemium and ProprietaryFile Explorer is Free and Proprietary
  12. Sigma File Manager icon

    Sigma File Manager

     31 likes
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    Sigma File Manager is a free, open-source, quickly evolving, modern file manager (explorer / finder) app for Windows and Linux.

    68 Sigma File Manager alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    Sigma File Manager screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Sigma File Manager as an Alternative to File Explorer
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Amazing alternative to explorer.exe sleek and full featured. Certainly worth trying out!

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    File Explorer Icon
    Sigma File Manager icon
    • Sigma File Manager is Free and Open SourceFile Explorer is Free and Proprietary
    • Sigma File Manager is Privacy focusedFile Explorer is not according to our users
  13. Far Manager icon

    Far Manager

     179 likes
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    Far Manager is a program for managing files and archives in Windows operating systems. Far Manager works in text mode and provides a simple and intuitive interface for performing most of the necessary actions:

    105 Far Manager alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    UI language selection
     
  14. Tablacus Explorer icon

    Tablacus Explorer

     39 likes
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    Tablacus 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 .

    45 Tablacus Explorer alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Tablacus Explorer screenshot 1
     
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    2
    16
    Comments about Tablacus Explorer as an Alternative to File Explorer
    Guest
    Positive
    2

    Very 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.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It has multiple panes to be viewed at the same time. These can be extend to the number desired, by extensions.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    File Explorer Icon
    Tablacus Explorer icon

    • Almost everyone thinks Tablacus Explorer is a great File Explorer alternative.

    • Tablacus Explorer is Free and Open SourceFile Explorer is Free and Proprietary
    • Tablacus Explorer is Privacy focusedFile Explorer is not according to our users
12 of 63 File Explorer alternatives