Alternatives to xplorer²
A paid tabbed dual-pane file manager for Windows that replaces File Explorer. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
xplorer²
A paid tabbed dual-pane file manager for Windows that replaces File Explorer.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as xplorer².
Directory Opus
Professional Windows file manager with tabs, dual pane, scripting and FTP.
Directory Opus is another paid Windows manager with tabs, dual panes, scripting, built-in FTP and strong batch rename, and deep configuration.
XYplorer
Tabbed Windows file manager with scripting, portable mode and deep search.
XYplorer is a paid tabbed Windows manager with a built-in scripting language and fully portable mode, though closed source like xplorer².
Total Commander
The dual-pane Windows file manager people have been using since 1993, still updated, still shareware.
Total Commander is paid shareware with a keyboard-focused dual-pane workflow, built-in FTP and SFTP, and a large plugin ecosystem.
OneCommander
Modern Windows file manager with Miller columns, dual pane and previews.
OneCommander is freemium with Miller columns, dual pane and modern theming, but requires Windows 10 or 11 and reserves features for Pro.
Files
A file manager for Windows with tabs, columns, tags and dual panes, built the way Explorer should have been.
Files is an MIT-licensed Windows manager with tabs, dual panes, columns and colour tags, needing recent Windows 10 or 11.
Multi Commander
Free multi-tab, multi-pane Windows file manager aimed at power users.
Multi Commander is a free multi-tab, multi-pane Windows manager with scripting, free for commercial use but with a dense interface.
FreeCommander
Free dual-pane Windows file manager with tabs, search and archive handling.
FreeCommander is a free dual-pane Windows manager with folder comparison, sync and portable use, while its donor edition is paid.
Explorer++
A tabbed replacement for Windows Explorer that can run completely portable and save its settings to a file.
Explorer++ is free GPL-3.0 software with tabs and full portability, but single-pane with its last tagged release in January 2024.
Also worth comparing
These listings name xplorer² as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Q-Dir
Quad-pane Windows file manager that shows up to four folders at once.
xplorer² is paid, with dual panes, tabs, Miller columns, a duplicate finder and folder sync, replacing Q-Dir's four panes.
Tablacus Explorer
A portable, tabbed file manager for Windows that can be extended with add-ons.
xplorer² is a paid tabbed dual-pane Explorer replacement with Miller columns, folder sync and macros, also supporting Windows XP to 11.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
File Pilot
A small, fast file explorer for Windows with panels, tabs, fuzzy search and batch renaming.
WinSetView
Apply consistent folder views across Windows Explorer.
Double Commander
A free dual-pane file manager in the Total Commander tradition, running on Linux and macOS too.
Fileside
A multi-pane file manager for Mac and Windows that saves folder layouts as project workspaces.
