# Alternatives to Double Commander Open source Total Commander twin. Double Commander ranks #2 of 9 in File managers, with an Alt Score of 91. It is licensed under GPL-2.0, free and available on Windows, macOS and Linux. 10 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/double-commander/ Category: File managers ## Where Double Commander stands out - **Open source** — 4 of 9 apps with a verified answer have this ## Overview - **Who it's for**: Power users and Total Commander fans on Windows, Linux, macOS, and BSD who want a free, open-source dual-pane file manager for fast keyboard-driven file management. - **What you get**: A two-panel interface for side-by-side browsing and file operations, with archives (ZIP, 7Z, RAR, TAR, GZ, and more) treated as browsable folders. Includes a built-in text editor, hex viewer, multi-rename tool, tabbed browsing, background file operations, and FTP/SFTP/SCP network access. Supports Total Commander-compatible plugins for extending functionality. - **How it works**: You navigate two folder panels side by side (local or remote), then copy, move, rename, or archive files between them using keyboard shortcuts or menus, with tabs keeping multiple locations open and long operations running in the background. ## Profile - **License**: GPL-2.0 (verified 2026-07-10) - **Pricing model**: Free (verified 2026-07-10) - **Starts at**: ? - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux - **Status**: active (verified 2026-07-10) ## Ranked alternatives | # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms | |---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------| | 1 | [Directory Opus](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/directory-opus.md) | 91 | Proprietary | Windows | | 2 | [Files](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/files.md) | 91 | MIT | Windows | | 3 | [ForkLift](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/forklift.md) | 91 | Proprietary | macOS | | 4 | [Path Finder](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/path-finder.md) | 91 | Proprietary | macOS | | 5 | [Total Commander](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/total-commander.md) | 86 | Proprietary | Windows, Android | | 6 | [Midnight Commander](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/midnight-commander.md) | 82 | GPL-3.0 | Linux, macOS | | 7 | [Marta](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/marta.md) | 73 | Proprietary | macOS | | 8 | [ranger](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/ranger.md) | 73 | GPL-3.0 | Linux, macOS | Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/ ## Feature comparison Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified). | File managers checklist | Double Commander | Directory Opus | Files | ForkLift | Path Finder | Total Commander | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | Free | One-time | Free | One-time | Subscription | One-time | | Starts at | ? | ? | $9.99 | $19.95 | $32.95 (1 Year License) | 42.- Euro (plus VAT in Europe and some other countries*) | | License | GPL-2.0 | Proprietary | MIT | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | | Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows | Windows | macOS | macOS | Windows, Android | | Dual-pane view | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Tabs | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Batch rename | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Archive handling | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Cloud connections | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Keyboard-driven | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Open source | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | | One-time purchase option | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Search quality | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Scripting | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Partial | ## Sources Sources for Double Commander. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **License**: GPL-2.0 — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Version 2, June 1991” - **Pricing model**: Free — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Double Commander is a free cross platform open source file manager with two panels side by side (or one above the other).” - **Platforms**: Windows, macOS, Linux — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Works on Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10/11.” - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “ADD: wlxMplayer - check the underlying platform plugin under Qt” - **Dual-pane view**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Double Commander is a free cross platform open source file manager with two panels side by side (or one above the other).” - **Tabs**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Tabbed interface for organizing multiple directories” - **Batch rename**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Multi-rename capability for batch file operations” - **Archive handling**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Archives are handled like subdirectories. You can easily copy files to and from archives. Supported archive types: ZIP, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, ZST, LZMA, 7Z and also RPM, CPIO, DEB, RAR, ZIPX” - **Cloud connections**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “FTP, FTPS, FTPES, SSH+SCP and SFTP protocols support” - **Keyboard-driven**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Hotkeys can be assigned to work only in some controls and with different parameters. They can also be configured for other windows; new commands have been added to Viewer and Copy/Move windows. It is ” - **Open source**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Double Commander is a free cross platform open source file manager with two panels side by side (or one above the other).” - **One-time purchase option**: No — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Double Commander is a free cross platform open source file manager with two panels side by side (or one above the other).” - **Search quality**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Extended search function with full text search in any files” - **Scripting**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Advanced Lua scripting. Double Commander can execute Lua scripts via cm_ExecuteScript command. Lua scripts can execute internal Double Commander commands.” --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/