Files
A file manager for Windows with tabs, columns, tags and dual panes, built the way Explorer should have been.
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2 more ways to get Files
Other download sites
Run by third parties, not by Files Community. Prefer the official page above when it works.
Package managers
- Chocolatey
choco install files
About Files
Files is a modern replacement for Windows Explorer written in WinUI. It has real tabs, a column view, a dual-pane mode, file tags with colours, and a preview pane that renders documents and media. Archives can be created and extracted without another tool.
It integrates with OneDrive, Google Drive and other providers, supports Git repository status in the file list, and follows the current Windows design language closely enough to look like a first-party app. The Microsoft Store listing is a paid way to support development; the same build is free from the project.
Strengths
- Tabs, dual panes and a column view that Explorer still lacks
- Colour file tags and a working preview pane
- Archive creation and extraction without another program
- Cloud provider integration and Git status in the file list
Limitations
- Windows only, and it needs a recent Windows 10 or 11
- Heavier and slower to start than Explorer
- Cannot fully replace Explorer as the shell
- The Store version costs money, which confuses people
Details
- Pricing
- Freemium · Free and open source under the MIT licence. The Microsoft Store listing is paid as a way to support the project; a free build is available from the website.
- License
- MIT
- Developer
- Files Community
- Platforms
- Windows
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Browsing files on Windows with tabs and tags instead of a dozen windows
- Categories
- File managers
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Selected from the TechWalrus downloads catalog (Utilities); facts checked against the developer's own pages, 2 sources on file.
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