Terminal GuideFile Managers
Terminal file managers provide visual file browsing with keyboard-driven navigation, preview capabilities, and integration with command-line tools. Most support Vim-style keybindings and extensive customization.
Available Tools
ranger
Vim-inspired TUI file manager with preview.
lf
Lightweight and fast terminal file manager.
nnn
Ultra-lightweight and blazing fast file manager.
Midnight Commander
Classic dual-pane file manager with built-in editor.
broot
Tree view file manager with fuzzy search.
yazi
Blazing fast Rust terminal file manager with async I/O.
vifm
Vim-like file manager with dual panes.
xplr
Hackable, minimal, and fast TUI file explorer.
joshuto
Ranger-like terminal file manager written in Rust.
How to Choose a File Manager?
For Vim users: ranger offers familiar keybindings with extensive Python-based customization and plugins.
For performance: yazi and nnn are blazing fast - yazi with async Rust, nnn with minimal C implementation.
For simplicity: lf provides a lightweight Go-based experience inspired by ranger.
For classic dual-pane: Midnight Commander (mc) offers a traditional Norton Commander-style interface.
For tree navigation: broot combines tree view with fuzzy search for unique directory exploration.