# Alternatives to ForkLift Mac file manager with remote connections. ForkLift ranks #3 of 9 in File managers, with an Alt Score of 91. It is proprietary, sold as a one-time purchase from $19.95 and available on macOS. 10 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/forklift/ Category: File managers ## Overview - **Who it's for**: macOS users who regularly move, organize, or sync files across local drives, remote servers, and cloud storage — developers, sysadmins, and other power users who need more than Finder's basic file operations. - **What you get**: A dual-pane file manager with tab support for browsing two locations side by side, connecting to SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, SMB, AFP, and NFS. It includes one- and two-way folder synchronization, batch renaming, archive browsing, remote file editing with automatic re-upload, a built-in terminal, and Git status display for version-controlled folders. - **How it works**: You open local and/or remote locations in the two panes (or tabs), then drag, copy, sync, or transfer files between them, with ForkLift handling protocol connections, conflict resolution, and bandwidth-limited transfers in the background. ## Profile - **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-07-10) - **Pricing model**: One-time (verified 2026-07-10) - **Starts at**: $19.95 (verified 2026-07-10) - **Platforms**: macOS - **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 | [Double Commander](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/double-commander.md) | 91 | GPL-2.0 | Windows, macOS, Linux | | 3 | [Files](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/files.md) | 91 | MIT | Windows | | 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 | ForkLift | Directory Opus | Double Commander | Files | Path Finder | Total Commander | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | One-time | One-time | Free | Free | Subscription | One-time | | Starts at | $19.95 | ? | ? | $9.99 | $32.95 (1 Year License) | 42.- Euro (plus VAT in Europe and some other countries*) | | License | Proprietary | Proprietary | GPL-2.0 | MIT | Proprietary | Proprietary | | Platforms | macOS | Windows | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows | 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 | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | | One-time purchase option | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Search quality | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Scripting | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Partial | ## Sources Sources for ForkLift. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **License**: Proprietary — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Lifetime license, includes 1 year of free updates.” - **Pricing model**: One-time — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Lifetime license, includes 1 year of free updates.” - **Starts at**: $19.95 — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Single user $19.95” - **Platforms**: macOS — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “ForkLift now requires macOS Sonoma (macOS 14.6)” - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “ForkLift 4.7.2 (July 7, 2026)” - **Dual-pane view**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “ForkLift is a dual pane file manager and file transfer client.” - **Tabs**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Situated above the path bar, you can access the tab bar, which houses open tabs for efficient navigation and organization.” - **Batch rename**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “you can use ForkLift as a batch rename utility.” - **Archive handling**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Updated Compress with Options window, the Zip with Password option can be selected from the drop-down menu” - **Cloud connections**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “ForkLift can now open folders over SFTP and FTP connections even if they or their subitems contain text encoding errors” - **Keyboard-driven**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Starting with version 4.3.3, Quick Open now displays the keyboard shortcuts next to each result, making it easier to learn and remember them as you work.” - **Open source**: No — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Lifetime license, includes 1 year of free updates.” - **One-time purchase option**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “Lifetime license, includes 1 year of free updates.” - **Search quality**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “ForkLift offers two search engines: its own search engine and macOS's Spotlight search.” - **Scripting**: Yes — (verified 2026-07-10) - Quote: “It allows you to create your own tools in the settings using zsh scripts, so you can execute complex actions and workflows more easily.” --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/