What are the best file managers for Mac devices?

What are the limitations of macOS Finder?

Finder is the default file manager in macOS, and it provides many users with everything they need to interact with the files and folders on their Apple computers. But for more advanced users, Finder can lack many of the options available to other file managers, including Windows File Explorer and those in Linux. Finder also receives relatively few updates compared to other macOS apps or file managers, so the interface has changed little in recent years. Still, Finder has received various small, incremental improvements, such as Quick Look, tags and iCloud Drive integration.

While Finder has some useful features, carrying out certain tasks can be unnecessarily difficult and time-consuming. For example, renaming multiple files or syncing folders can be daunting tasks if there are many files and folders involved. Even navigating the folder structure can be inefficient under certain conditions. Finder also offers limited capabilities for working with remote servers and cloud storage, as it lacks the built-in connectivity features available in many other file managers.

One of the biggest limitations of Finder is its lack of advanced search capabilities. For example, the search function doesn't support case-sensitive searches or the use of regular expressions. It can also be a difficult or lengthy process to find files and folders when working with lots of data.

Finder also offers limited management options, which can cause problems when reviewing large numbers of photos or videos. While the Quick Look and Gallery View features help with previewing the files, Finder doesn't make it easy to tag, sort or edit the metadata associated with large numbers of files.

Some users also don't like how Finder adds .DS_Store files to all the folders it touches, including those on remote systems. In addition, it lacks a dual-pane mode, forcing users to navigate multiple tabs or windows to carry out simple operations. The lack of dual panes is one of the key reasons why working with files is sometimes so time-consuming.

Some users have also complained that the file manager does not remember the last open folders or tabs when the Finder window is closed. To adjust this setting, users must navigate to Finder > Settings > General and select the Recents option from the drop-down menu under New Finder windows show.

Because of the various issues with Finder, an organization might look for an alternative file manager, especially for users who are hoping to boost their productivity. Users that might benefit most include application developers, web admins, graphic artists or data stewards who work with large numbers of files. However, this puts an organization's decision-makers in the position of needing to find the best file manager to accommodate the specific needs of their Mac users.

5 best third-party file managers for Mac

Third-party file managers can address many of the shortcomings of the macOS Finder, making it easier to search for files, manage files in bulk, and work with remote servers and services. Most include a wide assortment of features that can help increase productivity and improve UX.

There are many third-party file managers available for Mac, and it can be difficult to choose one over the other. Five top file managers that IT admins might want to consider are Commander One, Crax Commander, Fman, ForkLift and Path Finder. These provide a good cross-section of the type of features to look for when researching the best file manager for an organization.

Commander One

Commander One from Electronic Team is a dual-pane file manager written in the Swift programming language. It runs natively on macOS systems, including Mac computers with the Apple Silicon M1 or M2 chips. Commander One supports configurable hot keys for most actions and includes numerous options to customize the interface's appearance. It also provides a toggling option to view hidden files; includes a built-in process viewer and terminal app; and supports a large assortment of archive formats, including .zip, .RAR, .7z and .TAR.

One of the strongest features of Commander One is its search capabilities. Users can specify case sensitivity, folder depth, file text or whole words. It's also possible to search within archive files or limit the search to text in a specific character format, such as Unicode, hex, UTF-8 or ANSI, and use regular expressions in searches for pattern-matching file content or file names. Commander One supports root user access to all system files and includes a built-in viewer to quickly access a file's content, even if it's in hex or binary format.

Commander One also provides native connectivity to a wide range of remote servers and services, with support for FTP, WebDAV, OpenStack Swift, Amazon S3, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox and several other protocols and cloud storage services. The file manager lets users encrypt any of their online connections using 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard, as well as mount iOS, Android or Media Transfer Protocol devices to transfer files.

This file manager is well-suited to users who work with numerous files that are distributed across multiple network file servers or cloud storage services. These connectivity features can also make Commander One useful to admins maintaining websites and online tools.

Commander One costs $29.99 for a personal license or $99.99 for a team license.

Commander One's key benefits include the following:

• Dual-pane interface.
• Multiple options for connecting to cloud storage services.
• Advanced search features.
• Perpetual license.
• Integrated terminal.

Commander One's key drawbacks include the following:

• No option to compare folders.
• No option to synchronize folders.
• The UI has a bit of a learning curve.

Crax Commander

Like the other file managers on this list, Crax Commander functions as a dual-pane browser. The tool's interface is fully customizable, and users can even change the color of files and folders based on their attributes.

Crax Commander can connect to various cloud storage services by way of several different protocols. The supported protocols include FTP, SFTP, SMB and AFP. Although there are other tools that support a wider variety of protocols, Crax Commander does include several helpful features for power users. Among these features are advanced search capabilities, advanced file archive handling and even table data filtering.

Crax Commander also includes a background file transfer service with a configurable queue, and it has a built-in file editor with syntax highlighting capabilities. Additionally, the tool can split and merge files, merge folders and create file checksums.

Crax Commander costs $25.99 for a perpetual license. A free demo version is also available, but it offers limited functionality.

Crax Commander's key benefits include the following:

• Dual-pane interface.
• Merging features.
• Perpetual license.
• Ability to compare files and folders by content.
• The editor's syntax highlighting capabilities are helpful for power users.

Crax Commander's key drawbacks include the following:

• The demo version, which can only be used for 10 days, isn't a true free trial. Some features are hidden or blocked.
• Decision-makers might find that the online documentation isn't comprehensive enough.

Fman

Fman is unique in that, in addition to macOS, it can run on a variety of other operating systems. The supported OSes currently include Mac, Windows, Ubuntu, Arch Linux, Fedora and CentOS.

The product offers a clean and uncluttered interface. Rather than offering countless features, Fman focuses on giving users the basics. It might be best thought of as a dual-pane alternative to Finder.

Despite Fman's simplicity, it might still be a good fit for some power users. Unlike the other file managers, Fman is extensible. There are numerous Fman plugins available for download on GitHub, and users can even develop their own plugins. As such, Fman is perhaps the most customizable file manager on the list.

Fman is available as a perpetual license and costs 39 euros ($46).

Fman's key benefits include the following:

• Simple and clean UI.
• Easy-to-use design.
• Perpetual license.
• Community-developed plugins make it highly customizable.

Fman's key drawbacks include the following:

• The lack of native features might disappoint power users.
• Because the plugins are community-developed, they lack support, and some could be buggy.

ForkLift

ForkLift from BinaryNights offers many of the same features as Commander One, but it also includes other advanced capabilities. Like Commander One, ForkLift supports configurable hot keys, displays hidden files and provides a Quick View feature. It also offers multiple options for archiving files, including the ability to encrypt those archives. Additionally, ForkLift provides a preview pane to quickly review file content, supports single-pane or dual-pane mode and includes a Quick Select feature to easily choose files from a directory.

Another valuable component of ForkLift is the Sync feature, which makes it possible to synchronize new, updated or deleted files across local or remote folders, with support for both one-way and two-way syncing. The file manager also provides native integration with Git source control. This makes it easy to add, commit, push or pull files with the Git repository. In addition, ForkLift simplifies remote connectivity through its support for multiple protocols -- such as FTP, SFTP and WebDAV -- and cloud storage services, such as Amazon S3, Google Drive and Rackspace Cloud Files.

These features can be particularly helpful to users who need to access and sync numerous files across remote locations, such as web developers or admins, but power users can also benefit. For example, ForkLift makes it possible to control file transfers at a granular level, so users can limit download and upload bandwidth. Users can also open the terminal app to a specific directory, compare text or image files, set a preferred app to edit remote files and mount remote servers so they appear as local drives. There's an App Deletion feature to uninstall apps directly from the file manager interface as well.

ForkLift is available as a perpetual license, with the price being based on the length of time for which upgrades are provided. A ForkLift license with one year of updates costs $19.95 for a single user, $29.95 for a family license and $69.95 for a small business license. If customers opt for a license that includes two years of upgrades, then the prices increase to $34.95, $49.95 and $119.95, respectively.

ForkLift's key benefits include the following:

• Dual-pane interface.
• Perpetual license.
• Synchronization between local and remote sources.
• Ability to monitor tasks in real time.

ForkLift's key drawbacks include the following:

• The sheer number of features might be overwhelming for less experienced users. The product is likely overkill for casual users.

Path Finder

Path Finder from Cocoatech is full of features to help increase user productivity, including configurable hot keys, file compression capabilities and a quick view option. It supports multiple connection protocols and cloud storage services, although not nearly as many as Commander One or ForkLift. On the other hand, Path Finder offers an interface and UX that more closely aligns with Finder than the other products. This might make it easier for some users to transition to.

The product includes an easy-to-access favorites pane, provides native support for Apple silicon, integrates with Apple's AirDrop, supports file operations on iOS devices and includes one-click dual-pane file copying. It also offers a Secure Delete feature to control the number of file-deletion passes, and it provides an advanced access control list editor to configure file and folder permissions.

Path Finder is well-suited to power users who regularly work with many files throughout the day. The Drop Stack feature, which lets users freeze drag and drop operations by placing files into a temporary stack, might be especially helpful for these cases.

Developers and admins might also benefit from the product's many other capabilities. For example, Path Finder includes both a single-pane and dual-pane mode, supports bulk renaming, calculates file checksums, synchronizes folders, compares files, and integrates with Git and Subversion. Other useful features include file transfer controls, file tagging and filtering, an integrated terminal window and folder merging.

Modules is another noteworthy feature, which gives users a way to display additional information about files and folders, or to perform additional actions without leaving Path Finder. Some of the available modules include Permissions, Processes, Size and Preview, though there are many others.

Path Finder is available for purchase either as a perpetual license or as a subscription. A one-time purchase license costs $32.95. Subscriptions are available for $2.95 per month or $29.95 per year.

Path Finder's key benefits include the following:

• Dual-pane interface.
• Availability as a subscription or as a perpetual license.
• Modules enable a highly customizable experience.
• The Drop Stack feature can help to simplify some bulk operations.

Path Finder's key drawbacks include the following:

• The interface is complex and somewhat cluttered.
• There can be a steep learning curve, particularly for using the modules.

As macOS continues to expand its footprint in corporate ecosystems, CIOs and IT leaders need tools that streamline workflows and integrate cleanly with existing platforms. The best Mac file manager for an organization is whichever one supports its users' productivity most. That varies depending on the user base and the organization's specific goals. To know if a tool is the right fit, evaluate how it affects support ticket volume, governance and employee experience.

Editor's note: This article was originally written by Robert Sheldon in March 2023. Brien Posey updated this article in February 2026 to reflect changes in the file manager market.

Brien Posey is a former 22-time Microsoft MVP and a commercial astronaut candidate. In his more than 30 years in IT, he has served as a lead network engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense and a network administrator for some of the largest insurance companies in America.

Robert Sheldon is a freelance technology writer. He has written numerous books, articles and training materials on a wide range of topics, including big data, generative AI, 5D memory crystals, the dark web and the 11th dimension.