Midnight Commander
GNU Midnight Commander (mc) is a visual, dual-pane file manager released under the GNU GPL
GNU Midnight Commander (mc) is a visual, dual-pane file manager released under the GNU General Public License. It provides a full-screen, text-mode interface for copying, moving, and deleting files and directory trees, searching for files, and executing commands in a subshell. It uses text interface libraries such as ncurses or S-Lang, allowing it to run on a regular console, inside an X Window terminal, over ssh connections, and in remote shells.
The application includes an internal viewer, editor, and diff viewer, with corresponding manual pages for mc, mcedit, mcview, and mcdiff. Context-sensitive help is available through F1, and the distribution includes color schemes that can be customized. Installation is available through system package managers on Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora/Red Hat, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, macOS via Homebrew, and macOS via MacPorts. Source releases are mirrored by OSU OSL, with the canonical repository hosted on GitHub.
9 alternatives to Midnight Commander
Ranked by how well each tool replaces Midnight Commander: shared features, audience, price and popularity.
Free cross platform open source file manager with two panels side by side
Covers 0 of 12 key features and has a free plan.
Free planOpen source65 out of 100 matchFreeA Windows file manager for people who want more control over everyday file work.
Covers 1 of 12 key features and has a free plan.
Free plan64 out of 100 matchContact salesAn alternative file manager for Windows with dual-panel layout and built-in file tools.
Covers 1 of 12 key features and has a free plan.
Free plan61 out of 100 matchFree- 59 out of 100 match—
A modern file manager for Windows 11 and 10, positioned as an alternative to Windows File.
Covers 0 of 12 key features and has a free plan.
Free plan57 out of 100 match$30/moOpen source client for the Direct Connect / Advanced Direct Connect file sharing network.
Covers 1 of 12 key features and has a free plan.
Free planOpen source56 out of 100 matchContact salesA program for managing files and archives in Windows operating systems.
Covers 0 of 12 key features.
Open source55 out of 100 match—Powerful software that helps IT professionals do their jobs.
Covers 1 of 12 key features and has a free plan.
Free plan51 out of 100 matchContact salesBetter, stronger, prettier file manager for Android with cloud and root support.
Covers 1 of 12 key features.
42 out of 100 match—