Windows Explorer, the default file manager for Microsoft Windows, hasn’t really changed all that much over the years. Below you’ll find reviews, screenshots and links to download 10 11 12 14 15 different alternatives.
If I haven’t included your favorite file manager (for Windows..) in this list, by all means please leave a comment below or feel free to contact me. I’d be more than happy to include it.
Update: I’ve done another 10 Windows Explorer reviews.
| Name | Cost | Trial? | Rating (x/5) |
| A43 | free | n/a | ***½ |
| Ac Browser Plus | $21.00 | yes | ** |
| CubicExplorer | free | n/a | *** |
| Directory Opus | AUD $85.00 | yes (30 days) | **** |
| ExplorerXP | free | n/a | *** |
| Far Manager | $25.00 | yes (40 days) | ***½ |
| FileMatrix | 24.00 | yes | *** |
| freeCommander | free | n/a | ***½ |
| PowerDesk Pro/Standard | $39.95/free | n/a | **¾ |
| Servant Salamander (2.5) | $30 | yes (30 days) | **** |
| SpeedCommander | 37.95 | yes (60 days) | *** |
| Total Commander | $34 | yes (30 days) | **** |
| XPlorer | free | n/a | ***½ |
| xplorer² | 19.95 | yes (21 days) | *** |
| XYplorer | 29.95 | yes (21 days) | **** |
A43
Requirements: Windows 2000, Windows XP
Download: http://www.primitus.us/a43/
Features:
Thoughts:
A43 took up about 18mb of RAM after using it for 5 minutes. It dropped down to 3mb of RAM after 15 seconds of not using it. Its response time was very quick while renaming, moving and copying files. The drag-and-drop zip/unzip and rar/unrar feature is pretty neat – if I made zip files often I would find this very helpful. Also, you can fit A43 on a floppy and take it with you to use on any PC (doesn’t require an installation). The built-in text editor was easy to use, as was ‘quick launch’ section. The ‘file filter’ feature (use wildcards to sort files) is well located and works exactly as you’d expect. Between the features and the price, this is a file manager that I won’t delete right away.
Screenshots:
 default view |
 easy unzipping |
 Tools list |
 bottom pane – quick launch |
 image preview |
Ac Browser Plus
Requirements: Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP
Download: http://www.konradp.com/products/acbplus/
Features:
Thoughts:
Lots of features, but the interface feels very “Windows 95″ at times. If it was free I would consider leaving it installed and maybe try it out for a while longer. Because some of the other file managers are as feature-rich (or more so) and have a more consistent (and at times much more attractive) interface, I can only give it two stars out of five.
Screenshots:
 easy to view detailed info |
 helpful scripts |
 purchase to change background |
 thumbnail view |
 extra navigation |
 ac browser plus options |
CubicExplorer
Requirements: Windows 95 (untested), 98, ME, NT (untested), 2000, XP, Vista (works, not supported yet)
Download: http://www.cubicreality.com/ce/download
Homepage: http://www.cubicreality.com/
Features:
Thoughts:
Here’s why I gave CubicExplorer 3 stars instead of 2 or 2½ – it has potential, and it’s free. Since it’s not even at version 1.0 yet (0.77a as of 10/13/06), it can only get better (right?). Unfortunately, the 0.77a has been around since March of this year, and the forum indicates that work on .80a started a while ago (but it’s still not out). With all of that said, the Quick View feature is something that I would use, frequently. Showing actual html code when an .html file is selected, rather than a ‘preview’ of the web page, is ideal for me. The built in text editor is excellent for stashing snipits of text, html, web page addresses etc, and allowing that text to be a tab is fantastic. While this version has too few features for me, I will certainly give the next one a try.
Screenshots:
 default view |
 CubicExplorer prefs |
 Text as a tab |
 Quick View files |
Directory Opus
Requirements: Windows 95/98/ME or NT4/2000/XP
Download: http://www.gpsoft.com.au/DScripts/Download.asp
Homepage: http://www.gpsoft.com.au/Index.html
Features:
Thoughts:
Directory Opus is a great File Manager. There are a lot of features and options, and nearly every aspect of this program is customizable. It really is an Explorer replacement, and it offers to do so during the installation – so when you open any folder, Directory Opus will launch. The built-in FTP client works exactly as you’d expect. The many different view options are easy to access and just “make sense”. While in use, Directory Opus took up 28MB of memory on my system. The instant that it’s minimized, its memory use dropped to 1MB. If I used Windows more often, I would gladly pay the $85.00 to purchase this software. In fact, the next time I have a day job that requires Windows use, I will.
Screenshots:
 quick ftp connect |
 contextual (and excellent) auto-help |
 thumbnail view |
 extra (audio) file info |
 nag screen |
 id3 editing |
 huge “file” list |
 replace Windows Explorer |
ExplorerXP
Requirements: Windows 2000, Windows XP
Download: http://www.explorerxp.com/index.html#download (scroll to the bottom)
Homepage: http://www.explorerxp.com/
Features:
Thoughts:
Pretty straight forward Explorer-like File Manager. While it doesn’t have as many features as many of the other reviewed file managers, it is free (for non-commercial use) and makes a great “first” upgrade for beginners. Anyone who has used Windows Explorer for more than 5 minutes will feel right at home using ExplorerXP.
Screenshots
 default view |
 two windows |
 ExplorerXP prefs |
 command list |
Far Manager
Requirements: Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000 or XP
Download: http://www.farmanager.com/download.php?l=en
Homepage: http://www.farmanager.com/index.php?l=en
Features:
Thoughts:
Far Manager is a pretty old-school File Manager. Mouse support is provided, but this is a File Manager for keyboard commandos. Very cool plugins add great extra features (FTP, email, Winamp control etc). I’m not sure that I’ll pay for this File Manager, but I will be using it until the 40 days is up before I decide.
Screenshots:
 Far Manager default view |
 execute a command in Far |
 select multiple files |
 built in text viewer |
 search in Far |
FileMatrix
Requirements: Windows 98, ME, NT4 SP6, 2000, XP or Vista
Homepage: http://www.gardenerofthoughts.org/ideas/filematrix/index.htm
Features:
Thoughts:
FileMatrix is quite unique among all of the other File Managers reviewed in this article. The interface is much different than the typical explorer-style manager. The use of “boards” and “containers” makes viewing and grouping files a snap. If you’re tired of the same-old-file-manager, give this one a try. And be sure to make use of the included Wizards and help files – they will really come in handy.
Screenshots:
 thumbnail view |
 right-click options |
 tools options |
 image converter |
 config and help wizard (very helpful!) |
 nag screen |
freeCommander
Requirements: Windows 95, 98, ME, NT (from version 4.0), 2000, XP, Vista (?)
Download: http://www.freecommander.com/fc_downl_en.htm
Homepage: http://www.freecommander.com/
Features:
Thoughts:
‘Easy access to system folders’ is one of the features that first jumped out at me. My immediate thought was “why isn’t that in all file managers?” I may have overlooked it in some of the others, so I certainly won’t say that this is the only one that has this feature. “Size of folders” (not enabled by default) does slow things down – as freeCommander calculates and displays the folder size. With that said, it’s very handy to try and figure out where your hard drive space has gone, and easy to get to when you need it. The image preview was a bit slow for me compared to most of the others. The screenshot feature allows you to chose between image types (bmp and jpg) and even adjust the quality. I think the biggest drawback to freeCommander is the lack of built in FTP support, and I suppose it’s not that big of a deal. This program, though free, is donation-worthy.
Screenshots:
 quick access to System Folders |
 freeCommander prefs |
 Extras menu |
 Quick access to Programs |
 default freeCommander view |
PowerDesk Pro/Standard
Requirements: Windows 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, or 2003
Download: http://www.shop.avanquest.com/usa/trial_form.php?pid=686
Homepage: http://www.v-com.com/product/PowerDesk_Pro_Home.html
Features:
Thoughts:
OK here’s my beef.. It’s not a bad File Manager at all. It’s very customizable, has all of the features you’d expect, but the ones you really want to try (add notes to files, ftp, sync folders) are only available in the Pro version (which there’s no trial for). The Standard version is free, but has a ‘nag’ bar that takes up too much screen real-estate. I would much rather a 10 day fully-functional demo version before I decide to lay down $40. Also, they added me to a mailing list when I specifically said I did not want to join (you must provide an email address to download the demo).
Screenshots:
 horizontal view |
 file filter |
 PowerDesk Standard options |
 Tools list |
 customize the toolbar |
Servant Salamander (2.5)
Requirements: Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4, 2000, or XP
Download: http://www.altap.cz/download.html
Homepage: http://www.altap.cz/
Features:
This is a list of the main features for version 2.5 RC1. All details/features for v2.5 can be found here, and v2.0 here.
Thoughts:
At the suggestion of a number of commenters, I downloaded and installed Servant Salamander 2.5 RC1. It’s another Norton Commander-style inspired file manager, and a pretty great one at that. It has every feature you’d expect, and then some. The plug-ins allow for features that go above and beyond a file manager (screenshots, encrypt and decrypt, sftp/scp etc). The ability to set a ’skill level’ is a great idea. Executing commands is not only easy, but the command window doesn’t automatically close once the command has been executed! As it stands right now, I can’t pick a “winner” between Servant Salamander and Total Commander. I’m quite sure that it just comes down to personal preference. If Norton Commander-style file managers are your thing, I would strongly suggest you try both Total Commander and Servant Salamander, and decide for yourself which is best. If you’re on a limited budget, go for freeCommander. When the demo versions expire, I plan on buying either Total or Servant – I’ll update this after I decide.
Screenshots:
 default view |
 Servant Salamander plug-ins |
|
 Servant Salamander prefs |
 set a user level |
|
 map network drives |
 execute commands |
SpeedCommander
Requirements: Windows 95/98/98SE, Windows ME, Windows NT 4, Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Windows XP/2003 x64 Edition
Download: http://www.speedproject.de/enu/download.html
Homepage: http://www.speedproject.de/enu/speedcommander/index.html
Features:
Thoughts:
Lots of features (built in browser is cool) and very snappy response times. Macros are simple to use. Worth checking out, but the price is a bit steep. If I had an x64 version of Windows I would be anxious to try out this app.
Screenshots
 default view |
 View options |
 File options |
 Run a command |
 Preview files |
 Launch apps |
Total Commander
Requirements: Windows 95, 98, ME, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. 16bit version available for Win 3.1. Another for Windows CE and the Pocket PC.
Download: http://www.ghisler.com/download.htm
Homepage: http://www.ghisler.com/
Features:
Thoughts:
Having only used it for about 30 minutes total (so far), take these comments with a grain of salt. Total Commander appears to be the fastest file manager in terms of response times. I asked it to calculate the size of 14 folders (that contained a couple hundred files) and it immediatley gave me the answer. The hard drive didn’t clunk away trying to count files, it just happened. As the screenshots below demonstrate, Total Commander looks very old school (though there are many options to customize the look and feel). As the name implies, it’s styled after Norton Commander, and as you’d expect it can be completely controlled via the keyboard. At $34 USD I’m curious to compare it to Free Commander (see comments at the bottom). I reserve the right to bump this up to 4 stars after I look at Free Commander 
Screenshots:
 Total Commander prefs |
 default view |
 FTP view |
 customize the button bar |
 calculate file/folder sizes |
XPlorer
NOTE: a number of folks have mentioned that XPlorer may include a trojan (AVG catches it as Trojan Horse Generic10.AEGX). I’ve removed the download link, but left the URL available if you want to copy and paste it into your browser and try downloading it/living on the edge.
Requirements: Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, 2003 or Vista
Download: http://guti.webcindario.com/static.php?page=XPlorer (scroll to download section)
Features:
Thoughts:
Arguably the most Windows Explorer-like of all the reviewed File Managers, XPlorer is certainly better than the default Windows Explorer. Here’s my only real complaint – when you delete a file, it remains ‘visible’ in the list of files until you refresh the screen. And you can only refresh by hitting F5 on your keyboard (no right-click, no Edit > Refresh etc). That one annoying ‘feature’ is enough for me not to use it (I replicated this problem on 3 different Windows XP machines). If that kind of thing doesn’t bother you, by all means check this one out because it’s not bad otherwise.
Screenshots:
 default view |
 right-click options |
 Xplorer options |
 File list |
xplorer²
Requirements: Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003
Download: http://zabkat.com/x2down.htm
Homepage: http://zabkat.com
Features:
Throughts:
The ability to search for files everywhere, with Omni-Finder, is actually very cool/powerful. The built-in Help is very useful, as it explains all of the features (and how to use them) clearly, with illustrations. At first glance xplorer² appears fairly average, digging deeper shows it to be a powerful File Manager.
Screenshots:
 default view |
 preview window |
 Tools list |
 System navigation |
 Commands via a container |
XYplorer
Requirements: Windows 95, 98, NT, ME, 2000, XP or Vista
Download: http://www.xyplorer.com/download.htm
Homepage: http://www.xyplorer.com/index.htm/
Features:
Thoughts:
Wow. It only took a couple of minutes of looking around to see some features that I’d never seen before (drop text to file, ctrl+backspace breadcrumb) – and some that I’ve seen before but never this detailed (see the “Rename Special” screenshot below). If you click and hold the left mouse button on an image (in the Preview area) it enlarges until you release the mouse button. Very cool. XYplorer appears to have a slighly larger memory-footprint than Directory Opus (the only other Explorer-style file manager that I gave 4 stars), but it is less expensive.
Screenshots:
 default view |
 Rename special |
 hover info |
 Tools menu |
 XYplorer prefs |
 customize the Toolbar |
Whichever Windows Explorer alternative you opt for, RegistryBooster 2009 will ensure your PC runs as fast as possible and significantly improve overall system stability.
If you’re looking for even more, I’ve done another 10 Windows Explorer reviews/overviews.
Sorry about the typos! Also I wanted to add that the version of Total Commander for Pocket PC is free! It is not as good as commercial alternatives such as Resco Explorer, but it is the best free explorer for Pocket PC I came across. It is also small, portable (one file to copy) and much better than the built in explorer (but then the latter is pathetic anyway).
Also Freeware and probably a rebuild / clone / rip / whatever of Total Commander: Unreal Commander
http://x-diesel.com/
(has also FTP support!)
Best,
Well, I just can’t believe you left out Ztree. It has the deepest roots (goes back to Xtree under DOS). I use it a lot to generate batch files. One of its best features is its ability to present a “flattened” view of any subtree.
Drag And File
ftp://ftp.canyonsw.com/pub/canyonsw/df95.exe
Ver. 4.54g (1.4 Mb)
The BEST damn file manager around. Kicks File Manager’s and Windows Explorer’s butts! Among its many features is that it’s also an FTP program. What it can do that most other explorer replacements can’t do is give a “dual pane horizontal” (technically a quad-pane horizontal) interface ala the old Windows 3.1 File Manager. The only negative is that it is not freeware. I really wish that I could find a freeware replacement for it, preferably one that is still being updated. The program works wonderfully on Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP. It even worked great in XP x64, but it couldn’t see some system folders that Windows Explorer could. Since it wasn’t the only program that couldn’t see them, I think this is a conflict between a 32-bit app and the 64-bit OS than a fault of the program.
NOTE: The program is now called PowerFile (http://www.canyonsw.com/pnf.htm) and has gotten a bit bloated. Plus they removed one of the most useful features: Quick FTP Upload. So I still use Drag And File, and it looks like I will for quite some time.
Another negative to PowerFile is that it hasn’t been updated since 2005.
XYplorer 6.40 is out.
http://www.xyplorer.com/whatsnew.htm
Price for Standard License went down to US$ 24.95!
Great review.Thnx.It will be useful to me.
Anyone know if there is a Windows Explorer type application that will:
When you select files (with similar name), it will create a directory based on the similar names (or you can change it to what you want) and move them files into that newly created directory?
Thanks!
Can i preview my own porn picture with every tool? nice!!!!
I’d like to respond to this comment:
“I’d also like to give a word about Directory Opus. Yes, in terms of functionality, it is excellent. But it is very expensive, and most importantly, it is embedding itself all over my system without leaving me enough chances to control it. The scattering of files and registry files that it provokes makes it unacceptable in my opinion.”
Opus gives full control about what (if anything) it embeds itself into, which is basically context menus and double-clicks on folders (plus a couple of other things, all optional).
All of Opus’s settings are stored in XML files (with one or two exceptions) in the two locations that all Windows applications are supposed to use: Your personal settings are in your user profile while machine-specific settings are in ProgramData (on Vista; the dir is called something else on XP but I forget; it’s a standard location for settings, either way). I’m not sure what the commenter meant by suggesting that Opus makes a mess of your system without asking but it’s simply not true.
(I don’t write Opus but I am a big fan of it.)
If anyone wants to learn more about Opus a good place to start is the two guides I have written here:
http://www.pretentiousname.com/opus/index.html
(covers Opus
and here:
http://nudel.dopus.com/opus9 (covers some of what’s new in Opus 9)
Since writing a lot of new features have been added, too. A native 64-bit version is also about to be released.
FAR Manager is now free and open-source.
http://farmanager.com/opensource.php
The version of XYplorer reviewed on this page is now available as freeware!
explorer2 also has a free “lite” version
If you want ROCK SOLID stability and SPEED, go with Altap/Servant Salamander.
If you use Vista/Server08, Salamander is a MUST for file transfer.
Compare the transfer of a large file over your network between Vista and Salamander and your jaw will drop at the difference in Transfer Speed, Update speed, and Time Left accuracy.
Lets not forget the blazing… slow speed of ExplorerXP. Apparently I’m not the only one suffering from this problem with ExplorerXP.
Many more have reported that ExplorerXP takes anywhere from 6-25 seconds to start, hogs memory (50MB) and responds to mouse clicks like molasses in winter.
Has anyone tried Baxbex’s Folderbox? Google it. I now use it and its a wonderful, free plug-in into Windows Explorer.
ExplorerXP is freeware???
Here’s my problem. My hard drive has issues. Sometimes when I want to transfer a large folder, I get an error message during the transfer “Cyclic redundancy check”. The problem is that it cancels the whole scan, so I have to start all over again. This is the only thing I really hate about Windows Explorer. Is there a way to stop the transfer from getting canceled each time? I know there is a program that will transfer the files and notify you afterwards if there were any errors. Anyone know the name?
best replacement?
just use xplorer2 ,. you wont regret, i mean it..!!
try the free version one, u’ll be amazed how quick response it has.
the tools for the pro , is absolutely amazing,
no file manager can beat it, even total commander…!!!
100% best file manager.
read the help file for the pro version, damn..!! great file manager ever..!!
second one is cubic explorer,tough it slow in progress to final version, its free one, best number 2..!!
XPlorer comes packed with a Trojan. I tried both the Setup file and the Zip and both have virus.
Intéressant ce billet !
en passsant je tenais à te dure que le design du blog est tout articulièrement réusssi 
A43 doesn’t have a Undo function. And considering that, like Windows Explorer, it allows you to drag & drop without any confirmation, Undo is an absolute necessity unless you want to spend hours trying to figure out what you accidentally dragged somewhere it doesn’t belong. Other than that, I love it.
[] Powerdesk (Free) Does it all BEST I HAVE USED:
http://www.snapfiles.com/reviews/powerdesk/powerdeskfree.html
Must Have!!
The ultimate choice: Q-Dir:
!” Til now, I agree!
http://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/Q-Dir&language=english
It does what it should: It’s just a multiple-frame (1-4 horizontable or vertical, multi-tree) , file-type-colored (configurable) and very lean filer.
Upx-compressed it’s less than 200k and fully portable (If you like, I can send this version to you). There’s also a version for 9x (non-unicode) available. It’s definitely the best filemanager I’ve seen ’til now.
O.K.: There are no extra features like notepad or things integrated, but that’s what I understand under lean: I’d like to choose my notepad free and my filer free and there’s no need of bundling cats and dogs to a multi-mega-egg-laying-and-milk-giving-wool-swine. Try it and judge yourself: The author writes: “Once Q-Dir, always Q-Dir
If you haven’t seen XYplorer’s “MiniTree” you haven’t seen clever file management. WOW! Do yourself a favour…
Anything that is not 64-bit is becoming outdated very fast. In particular, there are some files/directories on 64-bit Windows which are inaccessible to 32-bit applications. This leaves only SpeedCommander and xplorer2 – it seems that only those two have a native 64-bit support. I tried xplorer2 and I found that interface aside, when I need to copy files, using stock explorer is slightly faster.
I’m looking for a program that can recolor file names. I do know that the only way for colored names is to compress files via file clean up or encrypt files. Since I’m not going to do either (and thus make my files unusable), does any of these do this? I didn’t see any features expressed on this page saying so.
I use the free edition of Xplorer² for quite a while now.
Tried about 10 different Explorers myself. It has the most convenient way to manage the files. Dual Pane and easy to use. I love it! Never found another one which is that clean and useful! Thinking about getting the pro version…
Thanks for the effort you’ve out in making this review, a lot of people like me have to struggle by trial and error, lest somebody tries first
power desk pro is rubbish
i want to ad some info, xplorer doesn’t show deleted files if you enable “automatic refresh” in preferences.
thanks for the review
Hey,
Excellent excellent post.
To me it was important to find a portable one that has some accessibility features – such as font size and background color.
A43 is the one – thanks for mentioning the “no installation” bit.
Thanks a lot.
XYplorer 8.00, the Dual Pane Edition, will be officially released on Monday, 15-June-2009.
Some very handy info. Explorer is so unbelievably slow for me, I’m game to try some alternatives.
Nice info. I’m interested in browsing through network files, from computers half word away – the company I work for has offices in Brazil, UK and US, and is very common to dig through files in the UK from Brazil, for example. So the huge lag of windows explorer, if it doesn’t blocks the whole OS, is almost unfeasible. I tested total commander, ultraexplorer for network file browser and they are quite disapointing. Total Commander is even slower than windows explorer when accessing big directory structures – I guess it tries to read each folder details. UltraExplorer also presents a similar behaviour and halts as much as windows explorer. I found good results using Salamander and even better results using FAR. Salamander still presents delays but for sure is less than explorer, whilst this delay is minimum using FAR. Of course a delay will aways occur since the files are remote, but I’m comparing with the results I get when using a command prompt in mapped drives. For now, when I need to browse remote folders, for sure I’m using FAR Manager..
Very useful presentation and nice discussion too! Thanks to all of you.
One of my basic needs that Windows Explorer doesn’t meet, is to print file lists, some of them very long. Besides that scrappy Alt+PrtScn, any method I have found on the web did not work right for me (for various reasons). There are some commercial utilities for the job but they usually cost the price of a good alternative to the Windows Explorer, so I looked if I could have an “all in one” package. But I found no mention about this possibility (or the lack of it) here and I ‘m really surprised since I thought it would be a very common need. If anyone knows about it, please tell me (us).
For me the best is EF Commander. Try it at http://www.efsoftware.com
Basically, the major con of DOpus is the price. I really loved it during the trial period, but it’s just that it is expensive AND it doesn’t even have a lifetime license then…
For now, I’ll switch between CubicExplorer and xplorer² (made them default for folders for a time)… both are great. The first is easier to use, the second is faster than Total Commander regarding any operation. Worth its price.
You can add Ultra Explorer to your list.
It is free.
HELP !!!
I’ve read and tried several programs, but just can’t find one that replaces “powerdesk”, which I have used for years. The problem is, that powerdesk can be slower than molasses, especially on folders containing more than 1,000 files.
One of the BIG things I like about powerdesk, is their launch bar, where you can easily put an icon for any executable file.
So my question is, I am looking for a filemanagement program that does some of the following things.
1. display 1,000’s of files in a folder INSTANTLY.
2. has a launch bar for executable files.
3. doesn’t have 15 million different settings to go through if I want to set the program up… a very good example being Directory Opus 9. I have installed that program, and it does #1 and #2 very good…. BUT, every damn time i go from one folder to another, the tabs change around, and show tabs i don’t want. I have changed settings in that program until I am now starting to HATE IT!
Agreed, Powerdesk was the best of all file managers I’ve tried. Wish they’d make it Windows 7 compatible.