Alternatives to Double Commander
A free dual-pane file manager in the Total Commander tradition, running on Linux and macOS too. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Double Commander
A free dual-pane file manager in the Total Commander tradition, running on Linux and macOS too.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Double Commander.
Total Commander
The dual-pane Windows file manager people have been using since 1993, still updated, still shareware.
Total Commander is the Windows original that Double Commander follows, with SFTP and a larger plugin ecosystem, but it is paid, closed source and Windows only.
FreeCommander
Free dual-pane Windows file manager with tabs, search and archive handling.
FreeCommander keeps a free dual-pane layout with tabs and folder synchronisation and runs portable, but it is Windows only, closed source, and extra features need the paid donor edition.
Directory Opus
Professional Windows file manager with tabs, dual pane, scripting and FTP.
Directory Opus adds deeply configurable layouts, scripting and a very strong batch rename, but it is a paid, closed-source Windows program with no free tier.
Multi Commander
Free multi-tab, multi-pane Windows file manager aimed at power users.
Multi Commander is free, including for commercial use, with multi-pane layouts and a scripting engine, but it is closed source and runs only on Windows.
Midnight Commander
Two-panel file manager for the terminal, with an editor and remote access.
Midnight Commander keeps two panels in a terminal interface that works over SSH on macOS and Linux, with a built-in editor and function-key bindings instead of a GUI.
Far Manager
A two-pane text-mode file manager and shell for Windows, extended by plugins for archives, FTP and network browsing.
Far Manager keeps a two-pane keyboard workflow under a BSD licence with archive and FTP plugins, but it has a text-mode interface and runs only on Windows.
ForkLift
Dual-pane macOS file manager with built-in SFTP, S3 and WebDAV.
ForkLift is a paid macOS-only dual-pane manager that mounts SFTP, S3 and WebDAV as panes and adds folder synchronisation, so Windows and Linux use is lost.
Path Finder
Professional Finder replacement for macOS with dual panes and a drop stack.
Path Finder is a paid macOS-only Finder replacement with dual panes, a drop stack and a built-in terminal, replacing Double Commander's free cross-platform setup.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Double Commander as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Altap Salamander
A two-panel file manager for Windows with built-in viewers, archive support and FTP/SFTP clients.
Double Commander is open source under GPL-2.0 and also runs on macOS and Linux, with archives browsed as folders and FTP included, though its interface is dated.
Commander One
A dual-pane file manager for macOS with FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, cloud storage and archive support.
Double Commander is free and open source across Windows, macOS and Linux with FTP and archive browsing, but macOS builds are not notarised.
EF Commander
A two-panel Windows file manager with an archiver, viewer, hex editor and FTP/SFTP client.
Double Commander is free and open source under GPL-2.0, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and includes FTP and a multi-rename tool.
far2l
A port of the Far Manager v2 dual-panel console file manager to Linux and macOS.
Double Commander replaces the console interface with a graphical dual-pane window on Windows, macOS and Linux, including FTP and a multi-rename tool.
Fileside
A multi-pane file manager for Mac and Windows that saves folder layouts as project workspaces.
Double Commander is free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux, using a fixed two-pane commander layout instead of saved project workspaces.
Krusader
A twin-panel commander-style file manager for KDE Plasma and other Linux and Unix desktops.
Double Commander is a GPL-2.0 dual-pane manager that also runs on Windows and macOS, without KDE library dependencies.
Marta
A native, extensible dual-pane file manager for macOS with archive support and a Lua plugin API.
Double Commander is open source under GPL-2.0 and runs on Windows and Linux as well, though its macOS builds are not notarised.
muCommander
An open-source, cross-platform dual-pane file manager with remote filesystem, cloud storage and archive support.
Double Commander also runs on Windows, macOS and Linux as a free open-source dual-pane manager, and it is not Java-based, though macOS builds are not notarised.
Nemo
Cinnamon's file manager, a Nautilus fork with more built-in options.
Double Commander is a GPL dual-pane manager that is not tied to Cinnamon and runs on Windows and macOS too, with multi-rename and FTP, though it looks dated.
Nimble Commander
A free dual-pane file manager for macOS built around speed and keyboard navigation.
Double Commander is open source and also runs on Windows and Linux, adding multi-rename and FTP, but its macOS builds are not notarised.
Q-Dir
Quad-pane Windows file manager that shows up to four folders at once.
Double Commander is free and GPL open source with two panes, multi-rename and FTP, and it runs on macOS and Linux as well as Windows.
QSpace
A multi-pane file manager for macOS that works like Finder and connects to remote storage.
Double Commander is free, open source and cross-platform with FTP and archives as folders, though its interface is dated and macOS builds are not notarised.
Sigma File Manager
Modern file manager with tabs, dual-pane view, global search and media previews.
Double Commander is GPL open source with dual panes, multi-rename and FTP on Windows, macOS and Linux, though its interface is dated with limited theming.
Spacedrive
Cross-device file explorer built on a distributed virtual filesystem.
Double Commander is a GPL open-source file manager on Windows, macOS and Linux with dual panes and FTP, but it has no cross-device library sync.
SpeedCommander
A dual-pane file manager for Windows with a viewer for 80+ formats, archives and FTP/SFTP.
Double Commander is free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux, with archives, FTP, multi-rename and file comparison built in.
Thunar
The lightweight default file manager of the Xfce desktop environment for Linux.
Double Commander brings a dual-pane Total Commander style workflow with multi-rename and FTP, and also runs on Windows and macOS, with a dated interface.
Unreal Commander
A freeware two-panel file manager for Windows with archive support, an FTP client and plugins.
Double Commander is free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux, with partial Total Commander plugin compatibility, FTP and multi-rename.
Xfe
A fast, lightweight file manager for X on Linux and Unix with Explorer- and Commander-style layouts.
Double Commander provides a dual-pane commander workflow with multi-rename, archives and FTP, and also runs on Windows and macOS.
XYplorer
Tabbed Windows file manager with scripting, portable mode and deep search.
Double Commander is free and GPL-2.0 licensed, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and uses a dual-pane layout instead of scripting-centred tabs.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
