We list the best tệp tin managers, to lớn make it simple and easy to lớn better manage your files and folders in Windows.
Although Windows comes with File Explorer built in for surfing through your files and folders, it's not necessarily the most efficient way to lớn manage them. Aside from a name change from Windows Explorer, it has remained pretty much the same basic feature since the early days of the Windows operating system.
And, for most intents and purposes, File Explorer does exactly what it needs to lớn vì thế most of the time, hence why there's been no big push to lớn change it.
However, these days you can vì thế better, with alternatives offering advanced management options that can make a whole load of tasks a quicker to lớn vì thế.
For example, when it comes to lớn copying files between different locations you usually need to lớn have two File Explorer windows open and dragging between them - and if there are a lot of files you don't have any real control over the transfer except to lớn sit it out.
Advanced tệp tin managers can offer a whole range of controls over this, from simply asking for a location and doing it for you, with the ability to lớn pause/unpause transfer, and phối up other functions and options to lớn simplify the whole process, such as batch renaming files.
We've therefore looked at alternatives which can give you additional useful tệp tin options, which can be especially helpful when it comes to lớn document management and online storage, to lớn make handling multiple files across multiple accounts much more user-friendly.
Below we list what we think are the best tệp tin managers currently available.
We've also featured the best miễn phí PC optimization tools.
The best tệp tin manager of 2024 in full:
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Best tệp tin manager overall
1. Total Commander
The best tệp tin manager
Reasons to lớn buy
+ Works on Windows 3.1 and up Classic design Supports cloud storage Archiving tool
Total Commander (formerly File Commander) has been around for 25 years, and its developer lives by the maxim 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. It's not flashy and uses a classic design with two vertical panels, but each update introduces modern additions lượt thích tư vấn for cloud storage services and native Windows 10 features.
Total Commander is a great choice for transferring large volumes of files thanks to lớn its background process manager, which lets you kiểm tra progress, pause and resume transfers, and phối a tốc độ limit.
Its interface is uncluttered for fast navigation, it offers customizable keyboard shortcuts, and there's a built-in tệp tin archiving tool for creating and extracting archives in all the most common formats.
Total Commander is also expandable via plugins. Optional features include the ability to lớn sort images by size, tìm kiếm for text strings within PDFs, and edit music metadata without opening any other applications.
Total Commander is distributed as shareware; you can try it miễn phí and share the EXE tệp tin with others, but after 30 days you're prompted to lớn buy a license. The payment process is a little unusual, and it might take a couple of days to lớn receive your key, but the wait is worthwhile.
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Best premium tệp tin manager
2. Xplorer²
Another premium tệp tin manager, but with horizontal panels
Reasons to lớn buy
+ Slick interface Sticky selecting Identify duplicate
Reasons to lớn avoid
- Horizontal panes
Another premium tệp tin manager, Xplorer² is available in two versions, a general use Professional edition and a more powerful Ultimate edition, and you can try either option miễn phí for 21 days.
Of all the tệp tin managers we've tested, Xplorer² is the most modern looking. Take your pick from either a ribbon-style interface or a more traditional thực đơn bar.
It's packed with unusual features that you didn't realize you needed, including the ability to lớn select several files at once without the risk of accidentally de-selecting them by clicking elsewhere (Sticky Selecting), an option to lớn quickly identify duplicate files, and color-coding ví you can identify files and directories at a glance.
Xplorer²'s mặc định layout is a pair of horizontal panes with a traditional Explorer-style tree along the left. This is open to lớn some customization, and there are tabs to lớn keep things organized, but vertical panels seem lượt thích a more logical choice when you want to lớn transfer files.
The Ultimate version of Xplorer² is a more business-oriented tool, with portable/network deployment and priority tư vấn. For trang chủ users, the Professional edition will be fine.
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Best tệp tin manager for multiple panes
3. Q-Dir
Four panes are better than vãn one for this tệp tin manager
Reasons to lớn buy
+ Four panes Tabbed browsing Bookmark function
Reasons to lớn avoid
- Small text
Q-Dir (aka the Quad Explorer) is a lean little tệp tin manager that – as its name suggests – gives you up to lớn four tệp tin panes to lớn play with at once. It's also miễn phí.
It's a simple premise executed without any extraneous clutter, though Q-Dir's navigation icons are absolutely tiny on a high-resolution screen. It sounds lượt thích a minor quibble, but it's a major drawback and one the developer seems to lớn be aware of; there's a links to lớn a screen magnifier at the top right.
There's tư vấn for tabbed browsing, plus a bookmark function for frequently used files and folders. Unfortunately, although there are keyboard shortcuts for common tasks, there's no way to lớn customize them or add new ones to lớn tốc độ up your workflow.
Q-Dir is very handy if you simply want a more convenient alternative to lớn File Explorer and don't often need to lớn transfer huge amounts of data, but anyone else will be better served by the premium tools listed above.
Best tệp tin manager for power users
4. Directory Opus
The best tệp tin manager for power users
Reasons to lớn buy
+ Multi-threading FTP features Tabbed browsing Filter and sort
Like Total Commander, Directory Opus is as premium tệp tin manager – and it shows, and comes a very close second in this list. It has an attractive icon-led interface that's busier than vãn Total Commander's, but can be pared down using the various customization options. This is where Directory Opus really shines – pretty much every aspect of its operation can be tweaked and tuned to lớn suit your needs.
It's extremely fast too, using multi-threading for faster processing and enabling you to lớn queue and manage operations. There are various useful features, such as multi-pane opening and tabbed browsing, as well as quickly filter or sort your files and folders.
There are two versions of Directory Opus, Light and Pro. Both make managing your files far easier, but Pro is worth the extra outlay thanks the the ability to lớn replace File Explorer – for everything, or just specific folders.
Directory Opus Pro isn't just a tệp tin manager, it also serves as an FTP client and tệp tin compression tool. Its interface is customizable interface than vãn that of its lower-priced counterpart, it offers integrated metadata editing, and it can save complex tìm kiếm terms as macros for future use. You can try both versions miễn phí for 30 days, then you'll need to lớn purchase a Pro license.
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Best tệp tin manager addon
5. Clover
The best alternative to lớn a tệp tin manager addon
Reasons to lớn buy
+ Adds tabs to lớn tệp tin explorer Bookmark bar
Reasons to lớn avoid
- Not a tệp tin manager Japanese-only instructions
If you're happy with the fundamentals of Windows Explorer but are sick of having multiple instances open at once, kiểm tra out Clover.
Unlike the other tools here, which are full standalone tệp tin managers, Clover is a neat little phầm mềm that simply adds trang web browser-style tabs to lớn File Explorer. It's a small change, but makes a real difference.
Clover also adds a handy bookmark bar for your most frequently accessed files and folders. It's more convenient than vãn Windows' own Quick Access links because it doesn't require any scrolling, or mix your favorites up with other directories. To bookmark a thư mục, just drag it into the space underneath the tab titles.
Although Clover's site and the software itself are available in English, the installer is in Japanese. It's simple enough for English-speakers to lớn follow, though; just click through on the green buttons.
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Best tệp tin manager FAQs
Which tệp tin manager is best for you?
When deciding which tệp tin manager to lớn tải về and use, first consider what your actual needs are, as sometimes miễn phí platforms may only provide basic options, ví if you need to lớn use advanced tools you may find a paid platform is much more worthwhile. Additionally, miễn phí and budget software options can sometimes prove limited when it comes to lớn the variety of tools available, while higher-end software can really cater for every need, ví vì thế ensure you have a good idea of which features you think you may require.
How we tested the best tệp tin manager
To test for the best tệp tin manager we first phối up an trương mục with the relevant software platform, whether as a tải về or as an online service. We then tested the service to lớn see how the software could be used for different purposes and in different situations. The aim was to lớn push each software platform to lớn see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to lớn get to lớn grips with any more advanced tools.
Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar.
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