Midnight Commander
Free dual-pane file manager for the terminal
- #6 of 10 in best file managers
- Free and open source
- Free to use
- Open source
- LinuxmacOSCommand line
Ranked 6 of 10 in best file managers
A free dual-pane file manager that runs in a terminal on Linux, macOS and BSD under the GNU GPL. It is the only text-mode dual-pane tool in this list, and it has no native desktop window.
Best for Terminal users who want two panes for copying files
About Midnight Commander
Midnight Commander is a full-screen, text-mode file manager with two panes, which the project describes as a visual dual-pane file manager. It is released under the GNU General Public License and qualifies as free software, according to the project's site.
The site lists installation through the system package manager on Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Red Hat, FreeBSD and OpenBSD, and through Homebrew or MacPorts on macOS. It suits people who work in a terminal and want two panels for copying and comparing files.
Key features
- Dual-pane layout
- Text-mode interface
- GNU GPL
- Linux, macOS and BSD
- Installs from package managers
Strengths
- Free GNU GPL software, per the project site
- Two panes for copying and comparing files
Limits
- Text-mode interface with a learning curve
- No native desktop window
Where Midnight Commander ranks
How Midnight Commander compares
| Product | Score | Price | Platforms | Layout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
#4 Dolphin | 88.0 | Free and open source | LinuxWindows | Tabs and split view |
#5 XYplorer | 87.0 | Paid | Windows | Dual panels, tabs |
| #6Midnight Commander | 86.0 | Free and open source | LinuxmacOSCommand line | Dual-pane, text mode |
#7 Files | 84.5 | Free and open source | Windows | Single pane with tabs |
#8 Nautilus | 82.0 | Free and open source | Linux | Single pane |
The full comparison table for best file managers has all 10 products.
Questions about Midnight Commander
- Is Midnight Commander free?
- Midnight Commander can be used without paying: Free GNU GPL software installed from package managers. Check the vendor’s pricing page for current limits.
- Is Midnight Commander open source?
- Yes. Midnight Commander publishes its source code under the GPL license.
- Which platforms does Midnight Commander support?
- Midnight Commander is available on: Linux, macOS, Command line.
- What is Midnight Commander best for?
- Terminal users who want two panes for copying files. In our ranking of file managers it is number 6 of 10 with a score of 86.0.
- What are the best alternatives to Midnight Commander?
- The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are Total Commander, Directory Opus, Double Commander, Dolphin.
Show this ranking on your site
If you make or maintain Midnight Commander, this badge links back to this page and shows its current rank. It updates when the ranking does.
<a href="https://listme.name/software/midnight-commander"><img src="https://listme.name/badge/midnight-commander.svg" height="28" alt="Ranked #6 of 10 file managers on listme.name"></a>