File Explorer Alternatives for Windows
There are many alternatives to File Explorer for Windows if you are looking for a replacement. The best Windows alternative is Double Commander, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to File Explorer and loads of them are available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Windows alternatives to File Explorer are Files, Total Commander, FreeCommander and Q-Dir.
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 Windows + Open Source and Windows + Free. 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.- File Manager
- Free • Proprietary
130 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
Country of Origin
Russia
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
Double Commander VS File Explorer
Comments about Double Commander as an Alternative to File Explorer
Most Recent Commentnot contain columns for video settings (video length)
RemovedUserWhy 2 windows in one? I just want a directory tree with a pane showing the contents of that directory.
118 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
Comments about Files as an Alternative to File Explorer
Top Positive Commentcardinal4One 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 Negative CommentQwak66It is not free. You have to pay to use it. First "open source" program I found that is not free.
Most Recent CommentdrtechI 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.
174 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
Country of Origin
Switzerland
Platforms
- Windows
- Android
- Android Tablet
Total Commander VS File Explorer
115 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
Country of Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
- Windows
- PortableApps.com
FreeCommander VS File Explorer
95 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!
License model
- Free • Proprietary
Application type
Country of Origin
- Germany
- EU
Platforms
- Windows
- PortableApps.com
Q-Dir VS 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.
DrconfusedHaving 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.
72 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.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
Country of Origin
United States
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Spacedrive VS 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.
90 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.
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
Country of Origin
Australia
Platforms
- Windows
- PortableApps.com
Explorer++ VS 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++.
I enjoy this Explorer. I would say it's the best Explorer who exist.
89 XYplorer alternativesXYplorer 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.
License model
- Paid • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
- Germany
- EU
Platforms
- Windows
XYplorer VS File Explorer
Comments about XYplorer as an Alternative to File Explorer
I've used only the free version, and its filled of a lot useful functions and tools.
Color-coding is a can't-do-without feature once you see it in action.
90 OneCommander alternativesFree dual-pane file manager for Windows featuring tabs, columns, themes, long filename support, image converter, regex renaming and many other unique features.
License model
- Freemium • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
Serbia
Platforms
- Windows
OneCommander VS 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.
Can't close and uninstall without accepting the license
82 Directory Opus alternativesDirectory Opus is a complete replacement for Explorer, with far more power and functionality than any other file manager available today.
License model
- Paid • Proprietary
Application types
Country of Origin
- Australia
Platforms
- Windows
Directory Opus Features
Directory Opus VS File Explorer
Comments about Directory Opus as an Alternative to File Explorer
All the FE is and much, much more
It has all the features that File Explorer refuses to add.
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.