Vifm
A terminal file manager with a curses interface and Vim-like keybindings.
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3 more ways to get Vifm
Other download sites
Run by third parties, not by The Vifm contributors. Prefer the official page above when it works.
Package managers
- Chocolatey
choco install vifm - Homebrew
brew install vifm
About Vifm
Vifm is a file manager for the terminal that gives a Vim-like environment for managing files, with some ideas borrowed from the mutt mail client. If you already use vi, you can move, copy and organise files entirely from the keyboard without learning a new set of commands.
The current release is 0.14.4, offered as a source tarball, Windows binaries and a Linux AppImage. Colour schemes, a Vim plugin and preview add-ons are maintained in separate repositories.
Strengths
- Vim keybindings and commands for file management
- Full keyboard control
- Windows binaries and a Linux AppImage
- Many community colour schemes
Limitations
- Steep learning curve for people new to Vim
- Terminal interface only
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree to download, with optional sponsorship through GitHub Sponsors.
- License
- Proprietary
- Developer
- The Vifm contributors
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, Command line
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Vim users who want to manage files the same way they edit text
- Categories
- CLI tools, File managers
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to Vifm
Compare allSoftware that can replace Vifm for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
ranger
A console file manager with vi keybindings and a three-column view showing parent, current and preview.
ranger uses vi keybindings with a three-column view and live previews, is GPL-3.0 open source, but is slower in Python and lacks Windows support.
Yazi
A terminal file manager where nothing blocks: every read, preview and copy happens asynchronously.
Yazi is an open-source asynchronous terminal manager with image previews and Lua plugins, running on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Joshuto
A ranger-like terminal file manager written in Rust with Miller-column navigation.
Joshuto is a Rust ranger-style terminal manager with fzf and zoxide integration, available on macOS and Linux rather than Windows.
nnn
A terminal file manager of about 150 KB that starts instantly, uses under 4 MB of memory and needs almost no configuration.
nnn is a tiny BSD-licensed terminal manager with terse non-Vim keybindings and a large plugin repository, with Windows only through Cygwin or WSL.
Midnight Commander
Two-panel file manager for the terminal, with an editor and remote access.
Midnight Commander offers a two-panel terminal layout with function-key bindings instead of Vim keys, plus archive and remote filesystem browsing.
superfile
A terminal file manager with a modern, colourful interface, built in Go with themes and plugin support.
superfile is a Go terminal manager with a themed colourful interface, fuzzy search and previews, though Windows support is not yet complete.
xplr
Explore files with a configurable terminal interface.
xplr is a configurable, scriptable MIT-licensed terminal file explorer for macOS and Linux that requires setting up the surrounding workflow.
clifm
A shell-like terminal file manager that works directly on the command line, without menus or panes.
clifm works directly in the shell prompt by typing commands, with no panes or Vim-style navigation, and runs on Linux.
Vifm as an alternative
Listings that name Vifm as an alternative.
lf
A fast terminal file manager in the ranger style, as a single binary with no runtime dependencies.
Vifm uses Vim keybindings and commands for file management with a curses interface, runs on Windows and Linux, and is listed as not open source.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
