Alternatives to Thunar
The lightweight default file manager of the Xfce desktop environment for Linux. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Thunar
The lightweight default file manager of the Xfce desktop environment for Linux.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Thunar.
GNOME Files
The default GNOME desktop file manager, also called Nautilus, for browsing local and network files.
GNOME Files is the integrated file manager of the GNOME desktop, deliberately simple with no dual-pane mode, and it browses network locations as well as local files.
PCManFM
A lightweight, tabbed GTK file manager from the LXDE desktop project for Linux.
PCManFM is a lightweight tabbed GTK file manager from LXDE with very low resource use, though it has fewer advanced features and slow development.
Nemo
Cinnamon's file manager, a Nautilus fork with more built-in options.
Nemo is the Cinnamon file manager, a Nautilus fork that adds dual panes and a type-ahead path bar, but it pulls in extra dependencies outside Cinnamon.
Caja
The file manager of the MATE desktop, used to browse files and manage the desktop on Linux.
Caja is the MATE desktop file manager with an extension interface, and it fits best on MATE rather than on Xfce.
PCManFM-Qt
A Qt-based file manager and desktop icon manager, the default file manager of the LXQt desktop.
PCManFM-Qt swaps GTK for Qt, is the LXQt default and also manages desktop icons, while advanced features such as dual panes are not documented.
Xfe
A fast, lightweight file manager for X on Linux and Unix with Explorer- and Commander-style layouts.
Xfe keeps a small memory footprint and adds four layouts including dual-pane Commander style, plus a built-in editor, image viewer and archive tool.
Pantheon Files
The file manager designed for elementary OS and its Pantheon desktop.
Pantheon Files offers a simple, uncluttered interface with plugin support and Git status integration, and it fits best on elementary OS.
Krusader
A twin-panel commander-style file manager for KDE Plasma and other Linux and Unix desktops.
Krusader offers a twin-panel commander layout with directory sync, archives and SFTP transfers, but depends on KDE libraries and has a denser interface.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Thunar as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
COSMIC Files
The Rust-based file manager of System76's COSMIC desktop environment for Linux.
Thunar is the lightweight Xfce file manager with a bulk renamer and plugins, but it is single pane and not written in Rust.
Deepin File Manager
The default file manager of the Deepin desktop environment for Linux.
Thunar is the lightweight Xfce file manager with fast startup, a built-in bulk renamer and custom actions, extended through plugins for archives and shares.
Index
A multi-platform file manager from KDE's Maui project for Linux desktops and mobile devices.
Thunar is the lightweight Xfce file manager with a bulk renamer, custom actions and plugins, aimed at desktop rather than phone screens.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Double Commander
A free dual-pane file manager in the Total Commander tradition, running on Linux and macOS too.
Konqueror
KDE's combined web browser and file manager, using Qt WebEngine for pages.
RnR
A command-line tool that batch renames files and directories using regular expressions.
