Double Commander

Active

doublecmd.sourceforge.io

Founded: 2012
Developer: Alexx2000 (individual developer)
Pricing: Free (open-source)
Open source: Yes
Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

Indexes

File Managers

Overview

Double Commander is a cross-platform open-source dual-pane file manager inspired by Total Commander, displaying two file panels side by side for efficient file operations. It supports keyboard and mouse input, tabs, bookmarks, and advanced features like archive handling and directory synchronization, targeting users familiar with traditional commanders who prefer a graphical interface over terminal-based tools like Midnight Commander.¹³⁵

Key Features

Dual-pane interface - Two panels side by side for simultaneous file browsing and operations.
Archive support - Handles ZIP, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, LZMA, RAR as subdirectories for copying/extracting.
Internal file viewer - Views files in text, hex, binary, or decimal format (F3).
Internal text editor - Editor with syntax highlighting (F4).
Customizable shortcuts - Configurable keyboard shortcuts with multiple assignments per action.
Directory hotlist - Bookmarks for quick access to frequent directories.
Extended search - Full-text search across files.
Directory compare - Compares and synchronizes directories symmetrically or one-way.
Multi-rename tool - Tool for batch renaming files.
Plugin support - Supports Total Commander WCX, WDX, WFX, WLX plugins.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Community Edition	Free	All features, open-source under GPL.

Platforms & Requirements

Runs on Windows (32/64-bit), Linux, and macOS, supporting 32-bit and 64-bit processors. Configuration stored in XML files; no specific minimum requirements detailed beyond standard desktop environments. Limitations may include Wine compatibility issues for some plugins on non-native platforms.²³⁷

Integrations & Ecosystem

FTP/FTPS/FTPEs
SSH+SCP
SFTP
Total Commander WCX/WDX/WFX/WLX plugins
Archive formats (ZIP,7Z,TAR,GZ,BZ2,XZ,LZMA,RAR)
External viewer/editor/diff programs

Alternatives

App	Difference
Total Commander	Commercial Windows-focused with similar dual-pane but lacks native cross-platform support.
Midnight Commander	Terminal-based, less graphical, runs only in console.
Krusader	KDE-integrated with dual-pane but heavier dependency on Qt framework.
MuCommander	Java-based cross-platform but single-pane by default.

Reputation

Double Commander is regarded as a reliable free alternative to Total Commander, praised for its cross-platform support, plugin compatibility, and feature-rich dual-pane design suitable for power users.¹³⁵ Users appreciate the customizable interface, background operations, and archive handling, though some note configuration challenges with external tools or Wine on Linux.⁹ It maintains an active development presence on GitHub and SourceForge.

Sources (9)