In the process of work, many small tasks for working with files arise, from banal copying/moving to more complex ones, such as group renaming, updating archives, and creating backups on remote servers. Taking into account all the user-friendliness of Finder, doing all these operations quickly and efficiently is quite difficult, nevertheless not impossible, but rather time-consuming.
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The first alternative to Mac Finder is Commander One. Having dual interface the app combines several protocols in one window making it very convenient for further use. If you are tired of many open windows, Commander One is one of the best Mac solutions. Convenient file navigator and client for working with protocols (FTP/SFTP/FTPS, WebDAV), cloud services (Backblaze, Box, Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, etc).
It showed itself excellently when working with files on Mac OS and when transferring data via remote access. Excellent additions to file manager are archiver, task manager, Terminal emulator, and much more.
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For those who lack Finder capabilities, Path Finder will certainly be a very useful program. This file management software follows the Finder ideology, significantly expanding its capabilities.
The program has a built-in FTP client, can replace the built-in Finder, works with tabs and bookmarks, can preview a large number of graphic and text files, manage processes, work with archives, change the appearance and properties of folders, install and uninstall applications, change combinations hotkeys, create and convert CD/DVD/Blueray images, etc. disks and much more.
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ForkLift strictly follows Apple's requirements for interface design and attentive to details to the fullest. ForkLift is designed to be the fastest and most powerful Mac Finder alternative. The app turned out to be very pleasant, unloaded, and, most importantly, intuitive during navigation. Connect to FTP or SFTP servers, manage your Amazon account or mobile devices via Bluetooth.
All of these features are beautifully integrated into a sophisticated yet easy-to-use interface. The dual-panel design will dramatically increase your productivity along with modern features such as live preview, folder loading, etc.
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muCommander turned out to be a worthy representative of two-panel file management software. The app is fast, has good interface ergonomics, is good at processing large amounts of information promising to work smoothly in two windows simultaneously.
muCommander has all the functionality typical of file managers for working with the file system, such as copying, moving, deleting files and directories, renaming, creating directories, viewing the size, access rights, etc. In addition, the bookmark manager option provides a good overview. However, one of the conditions for running the program on your computer is the installation of Java 11 or later.
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One more alternative to Mac Finder is HoudahSpot - an add-on for the Finder that significantly expands its capabilities for working with files. Thanks to HoudahSpot, your frequently used files are always within reach. The app allows you to make detailed queries to find the exact file that the user needs.
HoudahSpot is as fast as Spotlight but much more versatile. Its ability to create complex search filters is remarkable and, more importantly, actually helps you refine your searches and quickly lead you to one specific file you're looking for.
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fman is a two-pane file manager that displays the content of two different directories and just by using the Tab key you can quickly switch between panels. You can use fman to view directory contents, copy and move files/directories, mount external drives, and so on. This Mac Finder alternative works quickly and has an intuitive interface you will get aesthetic pleasure from working with.
The program's functionality can be extended using plugins created by third-party developers. A large number of plugins for fman are available, including those for working with zip and tarball archives, a more informative status bar, getting detailed information about file properties, and so on.
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Liquifile is our next macOS X Finder alternative. It is designed for visual thinkers who want to have a wider picture of their files and not to be lost in deep hierarchical structures of the files. Having a visual interface, Liquifile makes it easy to identify files without reading their filenames. All the information about the file and folder is given in a form of "circle" to the right revealing size, date, etc. Unfortunately, the app hasn’t been updated since 2011.
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Nimble Commander - consumes a minimum amount of resources and provides instant response, working equally quickly with one window and dozens of them. The flexibility of this macOS X Finder alternative plays an important role, as thanks to which you can customize everything according to your wish.
Almost any (if not all) actions with files and additional tools are performed by using hotkeys, which is a great time saver and allows you to work as in the good old days. The developers did not try to please everyone at once but clearly focused on the target audience - advanced users.
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Another best Finder replacement is CRAX Commander. The application greets the user with a classic two-pane interface. The advantages of this structure are obvious - first of all, it is convenient when copying or transferring data from one directory to another (these operations can be done in the background). Besides that, the app supports drag and drop operations.
CRAX Commander has quite extensive settings, which is not so typical for applications released under OS X. It is possible to change fonts, colors, background, adjust the size of elements to panels, and much more.
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In general, DCommander knows its business and perfectly performs the tasks assigned to it. The interface of this Mac Finder replacement is practically no different from that in Total Commander: in the upper part there is a customizable toolbar, then there are two working windows with the ability to quickly select disks and information about the available space, and at the bottom, there is a panel with buttons for working on files.
Among the additional features, it is worth noting competent sorting, quick access to hidden files and folders, FTP support, reading, and working with archives (ZIP, JAR, EAR, WAR, XPI, and ODT) and tabs.
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Another Finder alternative or would be better to say add-on for Finder is XtraFinder designed to expand the capabilities of this application. The user has the opportunity to work with tabs, turn on and off the two-panel mode, create additional hotkey combinations, and much more - the number of additional features is quite large.
XtraFinder's main merit is to make Finder a real working tool without adding any special gluttony to it. This is an amazing utility that can really expand the functionality of the Finder at times while remaining invisible and familiar.
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Top features
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Commander One
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Path Finder
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ForkLift
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muCommander
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HoudahSpot
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fman
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Nimble Commander
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CRAX Commander
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DCommander
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TotalFinder
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XtraFinder
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Double panel mode
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Double panel mode
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File encryption
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File encryption
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Buil-in FTP client
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Buil-in FTP client
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File preview
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File preview
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Search for specific files
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Search for specific files
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RegEx search
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RegEx search
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Customizable hotkeys
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Customizable hotkeys
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Archiving files
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Archiving files
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Support for local and network drives
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Support for local and network drives
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Show hidden files
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Show hidden files
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Multilingual
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Multilingual
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English, German, French
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English, Russian
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Customer support
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Customer support
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Price
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Price
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Free (PRO Pack - $29.99)
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$36
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$29.95
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Free
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$34
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$39
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Free (Paid - $24.99)
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$19.99
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$14.99
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$12
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$4.99
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The Finder app is often one of the main points of mockery when comparing macOS with Windows or Linux. In brief, it doesn't have tab navigation, doesn't provide a painless way to cut files. It is bitterly slow at times, and for even the most hardcore users navigating its eleven billion open windows when searching through complex projects and subfolders can be confusing. In addition to that, it creates .DS_Store files all over the place and in every folder you open so there is no reason to think of it as a good application.
Despite that, Finder is a satisfactory file management software. For an ordinary working routine, it works smoothly and you do not need to pay for its features. However, if you keep a lot of files and need to have proper organizing of the data, here things can be a bit challenging.
So what is missing in Finder and why do people need Mac Finder replacement?
Let’s try to figure out what features should an efficient Finder alternative have? Or what to look for in its alternative.
Having all these criteria in mind, we have gathered the top Mac Finder alternative solutions. Have a look at our solutions below and choose the one that appeals to you.
Here is our list of best Finder replacement solutions, however, you can look for other Finder alternatives. Perhaps someday Apple will think about updating the Finder making it one of the best file managers but for now, we recommend you take a closer look at one from our list and find the most appealing to you.