Dolphin File Manager Alternatives for Linux

There are many alternatives to Dolphin File Manager for Linux if you are looking for a replacement. The best Linux alternative is Double Commander, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 50 alternatives to Dolphin File Manager and many of them are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to Dolphin File Manager are Spacedrive, GNOME Files, Midnight Commander and Thunar.

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Dolphin File Manager alternatives are mainly File Managers, but if you're looking for File Search Utilities or FTP Clients you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Windows and Mac. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Dolphin File Manager.
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Alternatives list

  1. Double Commander icon

    Double Commander

     597 likes

    Open-source file manager with dual-panel interface, inspired by Total Commander. Supports plugin use, advanced search, tabbed browsing, and runs smoothly with background operations. Unicode and multi-platform compatibility enhance its versatility.

    130 Double Commander alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    Double Commander screenshot 1
     
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    6

    • Almost everyone thinks Double Commander is a great Dolphin File Manager alternative.

    • Double Commander is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Dolphin File Manager.

    • Double Commander is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Dolphin File Manager.

    • Double Commander is Free and Open SourceDolphin File Manager is also Free and Open Source
  2. Spacedrive icon

    Spacedrive

     149 likes

    Open-source file explorer integrates cloud, local, and offline storage across devices using a secure virtual distributed filesystem in Rust, enabling unified management, file syncing, privacy control, intuitive interface, and ownership without centralized servers.

    76 Spacedrive alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Spacedrive screenshot 1
     
  4. GNOME Files icon

    GNOME Files

     221 likes

    GNOME Files, formerly known as Nautilus, is the official file manager for the GNOME desktop, giving the user a simple way to navigate and manage its files.

    64 GNOME Files alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • GNOME
    • MacPorts
    • XQuartz
    GNOME Files screenshot 1
     
  5. Midnight Commander icon

    Midnight Commander

     243 likes

    GNU Midnight Commander is a visual file manager, licensed under GNU General Public License and therefore qualifies as Free Software. Its a feature rich full-screen text mode application that allows you to copy, move and delete files and whole directory trees, search for files...

    104 Midnight Commander alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Cygwin
    • MacPorts
    Midnight Commander screenshot 1
     
  6. Thunar icon

    Thunar

     148 likes

    Thunar is a modern file manager for the Xfce Desktop Environment. Thunar has been designed from the ground up to be fast and easy-to-use. Its user interface is clean, intuitive, and customizable. Thunar is fast and responsive with a good start up time and directory load time.

    87 Thunar alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Xfce
    • MacPorts
    • XQuartz
    Thunar screenshot 1
     
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    Comments about Thunar as an Alternative to Dolphin File Manager
    Guest
    Positive
    -1

    shift-clicking and ctrl-clicking act like most people expect, unlike dolphin, which has some akward +/- system that I never learned, and drove me nuts.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Dolphin File Manager Icon
    Thunar icon
    • Thunar is Free and Open SourceDolphin File Manager is also Free and Open Source
  7. Superfile icon

    Superfile

     33 likes

    Terminal-based file manager offering a modern, customizable interface with split-screen panels, full keyboard shortcut support, fast file operations, offline access, privacy features, no ads, plugin extensibility, night mode, cross-platform compatibility, and open source code.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Superfile screenshot 1
     
  10. Krusader icon

    Krusader

     86 likes

    Krusader is an advanced twin panel (commander style) file manager for KDE Plasma and other desktops in the *nix world.

    56 Krusader alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • XQuartz
    • KDE Plasma
    Krusader screenshot 1
     
  11. Nemo icon

    Nemo

     77 likes

    Nemo is the official file manager for the Linux Mint operating system running the Cinnamon desktop. It re-introduced several features removed from the file manager Nautilus, from which it originated.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Nemo screenshot 1
     
  12. muCommander icon

    muCommander

     124 likes

    muCommander is a lightweight, cross-platform file manager with a dual-pane interface. It runs on any operating system with Java support (Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, *BSD, Solaris...).

    107 muCommander alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • BSD
    • Java
    muCommander screenshot 1
     

    • muCommander is the most popular Web-based alternative to Dolphin File Manager.

    • muCommander is Free and Open SourceDolphin File Manager is also Free and Open Source
  13. ranger icon

    ranger

     58 likes

    Terminal file manager with VI key bindings. It provides a minimalistic and nice curses interface with a view on the directory hierarchy. The secondary task of ranger is to psychically guess which program you want to use for opening particular files.

    33 ranger alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Cygwin
    ranger screenshot 1
     
  14. PCMan File Manager icon

    PCMan File Manager

     58 likes

    PCMan File Manager (PCManFM) is a file manager application, developed by Hong Jen Yee from Taiwan, which is meant to be a replacement for GNOME Files, Dolphin and Thunar. PCManFM is the standard file manager in LXDE, also developed by the same author in conjunction with other...

    47 PCMan File Manager alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • LXDE
    • GTK
    PCMan File Manager screenshot 1
     
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