Finder has been the default file management system in macOS since the operating system was released in 1985. A few years later, Apple developed the Finder at great speed. However, it falls short in many areas for reasons best known to Apple’s software team. You can try a file management application that comes loaded with a few useful features.
Therefore, we have compiled a list of the 5 best macOS Finder alternatives that you can try on your Mac. Of course you can’t uninstall Finder. So these apps will help you expand the functions. Before we get started, here are three key reasons to look beyond the Finder.
- Customizability: There is no way to toggle Finder menus and glorify the top ribbon with easy shortcut buttons. Even the viewing options are limited to previewing media files only.
- Dual Pane View: One of the most requested feature for file/folder comparison between partitions without opening two or more windows.
- Network Storage Management: Connecting to remote file servers via AFPS, SMB and FTP/SFTP provides a minimal experience that is not without flaws.
The cost of individual file managers can be heavy on your pocket, and free trials may not give you a complete experience. To get around this, you can subscribe to the SetApp Store for $9.99 per month to get access to over 190 macOS apps. And this list includes the different Finder alternatives in this list. So let’s take a look at Finder alternatives for Mac.
Note: All Finder alternatives in this list work on macOS 10.15 Catalina.
1. Pathfinder
Path Finder is the first choice of many power users for features beyond the commendable dual pane navigation. The Stack Drop feature is very useful for selecting multiple files to move or copy in a single step. So, if you tend to backup different files frequently, Drop Stack acts as temporary storage for moving and copying files and folders. For smarter file management, Path Finder does this by automatically merging the contents of two folders so that there are no duplicates. It uses FolderSync to compare such folders before syncing files. You can add the folder path directly in the path explorer section.
This file manager offers Bulk renaming, Smart sorting, File tagging, File List Filters, Advanced Low Level Search, Secure Delete, Keyboard shortcuts etc. It comes with many file management features such as You may also be interested in various types of file archives. directly. The app takes the cake with built-in support for Terminal and command line tools, and a HEX editor. This means you can run commands directly from Path Finder’s GUI and check the results from there. Users can also preview images and edit text directly from the interface without opening another app.
The latest version also adds support for modules to tune and optimize different functions. Path Finder is available as a free trial for 60 days, $36.
2. Commander One
Commander One is one of the best options as a free alternative to Finder. It starts with dual-pane scanning and the buttons on the interface are customizable. You can use Regular Expressions (RegEx) to perform an advanced and detailed search for specific files. This includes even hidden files and folders.
The unique feature of Commander One is the support of Android and iOS devices to open and transfer files between these devices and Mac. Another thing you want is the built-in process viewer and controller. You can add support for many cloud storage services, as well as built-in FTP support for connecting to local and remote servers.
Commander One comes with a 15-day trial by default, after which you have to pay $30 to purchase it.
3. Forklift 3
ForkLift is another dual-pane file manager that supports Spotlight search, Smart Folders for file management, and Quick Search for media files. All three features allow to easily search, view and manage multiple files. At any time, you can customize the way it looks and even the way it works by changing the buttons at the top. ForkLift offers an extremely useful feature called multi-rename to rename files faster compared to Finder.
Even ForkLift offers remote connection support to FTP, SFTP, AFS, SMB and other protocols. You can also add your Google Drive, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2 and other cloud storage services. With it, you can edit remote files and even manage archived files. You can set upload or download limits and even reorder transfers when copying or moving files.
You can try ForkLift 3 for free, but the PRO license will cost you $29.95.
4. Commander
If you’re happy with features like advanced search, editing binary/hex files, or batch renaming, DCommander should serve you well. It will cover basic FTP, SFTP and SCP protocols for remote connection.
Yes, even this app comes with a dual pane interface to view and manage your files. Use keyboard shortcuts to navigate and manage your files. You can even open archive files like ZIP, JAR or ODT files to browse like regular folders.
DCommander comes with a 30-day trial. After that, you need to buy the Premium license for $29 or get it for free with a SetApp subscription.
5. File pane
If you want a little more than Finder, you should try Filepane. You can use the basic drag and drop gesture to navigate between files and even save your favorite locations such as the Downloads or Documents folder. While you can edit images, you can also change various files to different formats.
When you select a file, it quickly detects that the file type shows few quick actions. It’s more like a utility if you don’t want a full blown file manager. If you like the slick and sharpness of Filepane, you can buy it for $6.99 or get it using the SetApp subscription.
Manage Files Intelligently
Apple’s Finder replaces iTunes for backing up iPhone and iPad. Besides that, it has seen very few major feature additions. We can only hope that Apple gets a leaf or two out of this list and many other third-party Finder alternatives. However, Finder alternatives come at the price of an individual app license or use the SetApp subscription.
Next: Want to edit PDF files on your Mac? Check out the next link for a list of the best PDF Editors for Mac.
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