Many Windows users stay with the standard applications included in the operating system for their most common tasks, like managing files with the integrated File Explorer. However, there are alternative file managers that can also help you to do the job – and sometimes even better than Windows Explorer! Total Commander is one of them.

First of all, be warned that Total Commander is intended for medium to advanced users, and especially for those who like working mainly via keyboard shortcuts. It's not that Total Commander can't be used with your mouse; it's just that it's optimized to be keyboard-controlled.

Total Commander doesn't have what we could describe as an eye-catching design. In fact, it looks pretty dull. It does, however, support three possible views (Full, Brief and Tree) and also uses a double-pane interface, which seem to be quite a common characteristic among other alternative file managers.

This double pane allows you to perform file management tasks like moving and copying in a much more comfortable way. But Total Commander has other aces up its sleeve. It includes extra integrated applications like an FTP client, a ZIP viewer, a renaming tool, a disk space analyzer and a file synchronizer. Another great tool I found to be especially interesting is one that allows you to control, manage and edit file associations so they're not suddenly messed up by a program that you just installed.

Like we said before, Total Commander is intended to be used mainly with your keyboard. This is why it offers handy shortcuts for common tasks like viewing, editing, copying, moving or deleting files. But if you find it hard to abandon your mouse, don't worry: you can use the icons on the program's toolbar as shortcuts for Notepad, Wordpad and the Control Panel, and also add your own shortcuts to your favorite applications via the Configuration > Button bar menu. In fact, Total Commander has such an exhaustive configuration menu that you'll be able to tweak every single detail of the program.

In all, Total Commander is an excellent application that could almost be described as a professional file manager for the advanced user. If you prefer more simple apps then you’d better stick to Windows Explorer.

Download Total Commander 7.04a in Softonic

Power users often find the standard Windows File Explorer too limited and need a more complete file manager to suit their needs. If you're among them look no further because we've got the right app for you.

Q-Dir is a multi-pane file manager for Windows that makes file management more convenient and above all, far more comfortable for you. Having several windows pointing to different locations on your hard drive makes it much easier to move or copy data from one folder to another, and also makes browsing faster. Q-Dir supports different layouts with 2, 3 o 4 panes and each one of them can be configured separately.

The program doesn't really add any extra function to the ones already featured in Windows Explorer, but there's one special feature I did like: the possibility to show files in different colors according to the file type, such as blue for images, red for music and so on. Plus, this color code is totally customizable.

Q-Dir doesn't require installation and can even been run from a USB stick.

Though it doesn't feature any special tool, Q-Dir is still a more complete file manager with multiple panes and customizable color codes for file types.

Download Q-Dir 3.27 in Softonic

freeCommander is an easy-to-use alternative to the standard windows file manager. The program helps you with daily work in Windows. Here you can find all the necessary functions to manage your data stock.

You can take freeCommander anywhere - just copy the installation directory on a CD, USB-Stick or even a floppy disk - and you can even work with this program on a foreign computer.

This is what freeCommander has to offer:

• Dual-panel technology - horizontal and vertical
• Optional tree view for each panel
• Built in file viewer to view files in hex, binary, text or image format
• File viewer inside archives too
• Built in archive handling: ZIP (read, write), CAB (read, write), RAR (read)
• Nested archive handling
• Easy access to system folders, control panel, desktop and start menu
• Copy, move, delete, rename files and folders
• Wipe files
• Create and verify MD5 checksums
• File splitting
• File properties and context menu
• Calculation of folder size
• Folder comparison / synchronization
• Modification of file date and attributes
• Folder / program favorites
• File searching (inside archive too)
• File filters for display
• User defined columns for detailed view

Download freeCommander 2008.06a in Softonic

Xplorer2 is a file and information manager that adheres to the philosophy "efficiency through simplicity". Without reinventing the wheel, it integrates the best features of Windows' shell architecture in a small, resource efficient package that's instantly familiar to work with. But look a little closer and you'll discover a whole new world under the surface that offers power, precision and flexibility, and will boost your everyday productivity no end!

All the shell goodies from windows explorer — none of the hassle! Plus all the features you would expect from a powerful tabbed dual-pane file manager, including Omni-Finder, a find files module that simply outclasses all known search tools. Don't take our word for it, seeing is believing!

Shell namespace explorer

Xplorer2 will browse and manage all your folders including virtual ones folders like zipfolders, webfolders, even FTP, as long as these services are available in your system. If you extend your shell namespace with new folder types, Xplorer2 will read them too, in a familiar tree/view window format.

Tabbed dual-pane interface

Can't decide between dual pane and tabbed browsing? No worries, Xplorer2 does them all. The traditional dual-pane format, handy for comparisons and file transfers, is augmented so that each pane can hold more than one folder. Hopping from one folder to another is just a tab click away.

Instant preview of files

Xplorer2 can preview most text, graphics, audio/video, and html & office documents — and does so in nearly all folder types including zipfolders etc. Wherever it finds file-like content it offers file-like access!

Browsing flexibility

You can browse your content in most useful view modes supported by explorer, including thumbnails. Within large folders you will appreciate the organization capabilities offered by arranging in groups and multi-way sort. Xplorer2 will remember your favorite mode for each folder.

Download Xplorer2 1.7.1.4 Beta in Softonic

Are you forever losing files or have you just simply grown tired and weary of Windows Explorer?

Well you might find File Organiser provides a more up to date and convenient solution. For example, with File Organiser you no longer have to open multiple windows to drag and drop files from one folder to another. The program has two main windows and several view types to facilitate the viewing of your documents and images. It's also very light on resources since it requires no installation. The key benefit with File Organiser however is that if you lose files or folders, it's usually because they've gone to the root folder. Normally in Windows Explorer, this is not immediately obvious but with File Organiser you can see at a glance what's happened. One other very useful feature is that you can stop deletions in mid process - so if you realise you've made a mistake, you can recover from it with this program. In addition, this program can also be configured to work over a network to limit access to certain files and prevent deletions.

A nice idea as an alternative to Windows Explorer but it's a little complicated for most average users despite the improvements.

Download File Organiser 1.125 in Softonic

Sniff out wasted space with one of the best duplicate file finders available. Space Hound eliminates duplicate and unused files that are cluttering up your hard drive and causing problems.

This will make your operations faster because your system doesn't have to look through thousands of unnecessary files to find the ones you need. Now, much more than a duplicate File finder... Space Hound 32 is an education about the files on your computer. Uncludes File & Directory Management, Zip & Unzip, file Viewers, Hex viewer, icon Viewer, more. Several primary displays guide you in identifying files which are duplicated, obsolete, and even help find files which may have been forgotten. Space Hound 32 provides the tools to assist you in determining which files fall into these categories.

Download Space Hound 4.0.1977 in Softonic

When it comes to managing and organizing the files on your computer, most of us are perfectly content to use the Windows Explorer. In fact, many people don’t even realise there are alternatives to the built-in file manager, which is starting to get a little long in the tooth now (unless you’ve got Vista, which adds some interesting new tools). Once you’ve tried a different file manager, however, it’s often difficult to go back, especially if that file manager is Directory Opus.

From the outset it’s clear to see that Opus is like Windows Explorer on steroids. The default directory layout is very similar to Explorer but with one key difference – it shows two folders in separate tree-view panes (although you can switch to the more conventional single-folder Flat View). This makes moving files around much easier because you can instantly drag and drop files into other folders without having to open and close new windows.

However, the main difference you’ll notice between Directory Opus and its Windows rival lies at the top of the screen, within the programs toolbar and menu options. Upon closer inspection you start to realise this is much more than just a utility for organizing your files into folders.

When you first install the application it seems to want to take over your whole system, bombarding you with requests to make it your default image viewer, FTP client and the like. We were first dubious about surrendering all these tasks to one application, but after using Opus for a while we went back and checked all of these default radio buttons. It has enough might to handle a huge range of common tasks including viewing pictures, converting files, playing audio, opening Zip files, batch renaming and searching. All of these tools run quickly and can be accessed from one interface without a great deal of fuss. Another boon is the fact that Opus is infinitely customisable, giving you complete control over the layout and structure of your file manager and its supplementary tools.

In terms of sheer power, this is a real brute of a program and makes Explorer look positively weedy. The sheer scale of options and advanced settings means that Directory Opus can be a little overwhelming at first, but once you’ve learned how to tame the beast by customizing the program to your needs, you’ll be astonished at how much it offers. Since discovering the app, we haven't gone back to Explorer and have subsequently ditched many of the apps we used to use on a regular basis such as WinZip and SmartFTP.

Download Directory Opus 9.1 in Softonic

Windows Explorer is often accused of being too simple. This is why using an alternative file manager is not a bad idea.

Flexkit Express is one of those alternative file managers that enable you to control all folders and files in your hard drive. Besides this basic functionality, the program hides some really nice aces up its sleeve such as a duplicate file finder, a file hash checker and a file analyzer and classifier. This means that apart from browsing the contents of your system, you'll be able to locate duplicate files, see the most frequent file types in your hard drive and check the size of your folders –which I personally found really useful. I also loved the button system to move around the folder hierarchy.

On the downside, the duplicate file tool is not as intuitive as I expected it to be. It does locate duplicate files, bit I'm not that sure about the criteria used by the program, not did I like the way you delete them, which is far from being easy.

Flexkit Express is an great file explorer with some nice extra tools, some of which could be improved.

Download FlexTk Express 1.7.10 in Softonic

UltraExplorer is the ultimate File Manager for Microsoft Windows. It's packed with powerful features and handy integrated tools.

The user interface is completely customizable. You can hide or show as many of the featured windows, dock them in other places or let them float as free standing windows. The same is true for the tool bars as well. You can even move buttons from toolbars to other toolbars and assign your own short cuts keys.

Drop Stack Window

Drop blocks of files into the drop stack for quick access later.

Favorites Window

Build a favorites tree with any object you like from the shell. The tree is fully aware of drag and drop and the clipboard.

Command Line Window

Can't give up DOS and a command line? UltraExplorer has a built in command line window that stays synced with the current view of the application.

Filter Window

Too many files to find what you want? Use UltraExplorers Filter window. Create new filter arguments by dragging and dropping objects to the window or using the selected objects in the active listview.

Folders Window

Ultra fast Folder treeview that is positionable anywhere in the application.

History Window

User defined level of previously browsed folder. Objects in this window can be used just as in the treeview or listviews, drag drop and clipboard aware.

Listview Window

A secondary listview window that can be used identical to the fixed listview. Allows for a dual listview display if desired.

Tabbed Folders

Open several folders simultaneously and have them on separate tabs

Task Window

The Task window accepts plug in DLLs to extend UltraExplorer beyond its powerful built in capablilites.

Download UltraExplorer 1.4.4 in Softonic

Lets face it, managing files on a computer is pretty boring. If you want to collate all of your data in a meaningful way, you have to use the cumbersome Windows Explorer to search for files and folders, then manually edit and organise them. If you're using them online you then have to open a separate FTP client and go through another process. God, I'm bored just writing about it. Anyway, all of that is irrelevant now because Alt Commander provides a way of banishing this scenario forever.

The program has a neat double-pane interface with a file explorer and an FTP client, along with a tool for bulk renaming files. Keyboard addicts will love Alt Commander because, like programs such as Total Commander, it allows you to navigate the whole thing using shortcut keys. Goodbye mouse. The program is remarkably lightweight, and with just 1Mb you get all the functions necessary to copy, move, delete and even compare files.

It also kicks Windows' ass in terms of launching searches, exploring the structure of files and directories in your computer and setting up new shortcuts. The software is great for photo sharing too, as it gives you the power to quickly rename your images before uploading them directly to the Web.

Once you've learned how to access and use all the features within Alt Commander you'll find that sifting through files on your PC is no longer a hardship.

Download Alt Commander 1.3 in Softonic

SpeedCommander is a comfortable file manager. It builds on the proven two window technology and offers a multitude of exclusive features. Sort, copy, move or delete your files either using the keyboard or the mouse.

SpeedCommander reads and creates ZIP archives, Microsoft CAB files and fully supports ten additional compression formats. The newly expanded search feature will find files within all ten supported Archive formats. The internal file viewer displays over 100 graphics and text formats.

In addition, SpeedCommander contains a powerful text editor with numerous extras including syntax highlighting. With the integrated FTP client, you can both download files from the net and upload your own web pages. SpeedCommander even integrates a web browser for you to surf the web!

Download SpeedCommander 12.0 Beta 3 in Softonic

UFS Explorer is easy-to-use tool that allows you to browse your alternative filesystems and extract files from there. Now it supports user-mode read-only support for Ext2/Ext3 Linux filesystems as well as FAT fs support. It gives you a really efficient way to access your files, located on your disk partitions and disk images (VMWare, RAW) that are not accessible normally.

Key features of the program:

• Read-only access to Linux Reiser/Ext2/Ext3 filesystems
• Read-only access to BSD UFS/UFS2 filesystems
• Read-only basic access to MacOS X HFS+/HFSX and byte-swapped UFS/UFS2
• Read-only access to FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 with LFN
• Explorer-like filesystem browsing
• File search support
• Files recovery/extraction (for files larger then 16k - available after registration)
• Preserve file modification dates
• 3 file views: 'Large icons', 'Small icons' and 'Details'
• Folder/object group extraction
• Hard-disk auto-detection
• Partitions auto-detection basing on DOS/BSD/MacOS partitioning
• Supports Apple Mac OS-style hard disk partitioning
• Partitions probing: detect correct filesystem if partition label is invalid
• Smart filesystem caching
• Symlinks browsing, object properties and other utility features
• Hardware changes re-scan; opened devices management
• Files extraction from disk images! Supports VMWare 3,4,5 hard disk image files, RAW disk image files, both RAW and 'chunked' Apple MacOS disk image files (.DMG) with ZLIB compression support

Download UFS Explorer 3.7 in Softonic

Ac Browser Plus is a Multi Window File Manager for Windows. It enables you to work with as many open folders as you want, in one application, which is in contrast to dual panel file managers.

However, Ac Browser Plus goes beyond standard file management, offering you a rich set of tools for navigating your computer, image handling (viewing and conversion) and finding files in a much better and more effective way than using standard Windows Explorer.

All of this in the convenient multi-panel user interface, with standard keyboard shortcuts (from Windows Explorer and Norton Commander), and with a lot of unique solutions, giving you the ability to manage your disk resources faster and easier than ever. This is really much more than just Windows Explorer Replacement - give it a try!

Download AC Browser Plus 4.1.3 in Softonic

DualXplorer is a file manager with two lists for file operations, preview & editing of files, network operations, FTP client & server, compression tools, hex editor, and file & directory syncronization.

Download DualXplorer 0.866 in Softonic

Nico's Commander is a Windows file manager that resembles the old Norton Commander. It offers dual-folder display and a host of useful options. In addition to performing all the various file-management tasks, it offers functions that can be accessed using your mouse or the function keys.

A series of application buttons across the top of the main windows provides immediate access to your favorite programs. Other features of Nico's Commander include a built-in text editor, a text search facility, a file and directory comparison function, a command prompt with command history, and FTP support.

Download Nico's Commander 5.61 in Softonic

A43 File Management Utility is an interesting alternative to Windows Explorer. It has an integrated text editor with unlimited size and also features dynamic highlighting for the web.

It also features:

Integrated zip/unzip features. Simply drag-n-drop files or click a button. You can also turn your zip archives into self-extracting archives the same way.

Integrated file search to quickly locate and jump to those lost files.

Integrated quick launch area for fast access to the programs you use the most.

Favorite buttons to quickly open those often used folders.

Dual-pane view for those that demand speed in file management.

It also requires no installation, no data is written to the system registry. A43's configuration information is saved in a local .ini file. so you can keep it on your pen/jump drive and take it wherever you go.

Download A43 File Management Utility 2.51 in Softonic

This All-in-one Windows Photo and Office Utility Suite lets you: batch convert, optimize, and print photos and images, manage documents from Acrobat PDF to Office Documents, create DVD/CD album and catalog, group rename, change properties, upload, download, and publish Web sites, plus integrated HTML, script, HEX, RTF, and text editors.

Its easy to use image tools let you work with groups of photos and give you professional results, like exact resizing, image quality adjustment, file size reduction, format conversion. Its quality is second to none!

It lets you create an album or catalog of your DVD or CD collections on your hard drive for easy management. You can enter comments for each file or for a group of files. It is fast, powerful, and easy to use.

Download Turbo Browser 9.3 in Softonic

Universal Explorer is a powerful Windows Explorer type file manager designed to replace the rather restricted features of the standard Windows Explorer File Manager.

With Universal Explorer, you can manage your files (move/copy/paste/delete) quickly and effectively. Plus, you can also view and edit almost any file directly in UE with built-in File Viewer Windows. View and edit text documents, HTML, a wide range of graphic files, programming source code and more. You can even view Microsoft Word and Excel documents without launching Word or Excel.

Universal Explorer offers a full Archive Manager (Archive Extractor) that allows you to create, view, edit, file and text search, convert and extract compressed files using multiple formats (ace, arc, arj, bh, cab, qz, jar, lha, lzh, rar, tar, zip, zoo). A 'make .EXE' option is included to turn a compressed file into a self-extracting Windows executable (.exe) file.

UE also comes fully loaded with a wide range of great utility tools: Find Files, Replace Text, Split File, Encrypt/Decrypt, Disk Copy, Directory Size, Directory Printer, Directory Compare, Set Properties, Batch Rename, Slide Show, Thumbview, Screen Ruler, Screen Capture, Calendar, Calculator, Ascii List, Color List, System Information and Hex Window.

Download Universal Explorer 4.2 in Softonic

Probably one of the parts of Windows most in need of a overhaul is Windows Explorer. OK, it's simple, easy to use and functional but it could surely be made far more intuitive and useful.

That's what the developers of Explorer++ have attempted to achieve and, for the most part, they've done a really good job. Explorer++ is a free multi-tab clone of Windows Explorer, featuring several enhancements and additions that make it a more useful tool.

Probably one of the most interesting features of the application is the ability to use tabbed browsing to manage multiple folders. Instead of multiple Windows, just use one and each tab represents an open folder. It's exactly the same principle as tabbed browsing that's now common in internet browsers.

It also features some handy shortcuts for simple file transfer operations and also allows you to split and merge files, which is something notably absent from Windows Explorer.

Explorer++ brings new functionality to Windows Explorer although it could have gone a lot further in revolutionizing this archaic part of Windows.

Download Explorer++ Alpha 2 in Softonic

muCommander is a lightweight, cross-platform file manager featuring a Norton Commander style interface and running on any operating system with Java support (Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, *BSD, Solaris...).

Here's a non-exhaustive list of what you'll find:

• Virtual file system with local volumes, FTP, SFTP, SMB, NFS, HTTP and Bonjour support
• Quickly copy, move, rename files, create directories, email files...
• Browse, create and uncompress ZIP, TAR, GZip, BZip2, ISO/NRG, AR/Deb and LST archives
• Universal bookmarks and credentials manager
• Multiple windows support
• Full keyboard access
• Highly configurable

Download muCommander 0.8.2 in Softonic