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Far Manager VS Midnight Commander

Compare Far Manager VS Midnight Commander and see what are their differences

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Contents:
  1. ยป Base Details
  2. ยป Videos
  3. ยป Reviews
  4. ยป Alternatives

Far Manager logo Far Manager

Far Manager is a program for managing files and archives in Windows operating systems.

Midnight Commander logo Midnight Commander

GNU Midnight Commander is a visual file manager, licensed under GNU General Public License and...
  • Far Manager Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-11
  • Midnight Commander Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29

Far Manager features and specs

  • Highly customizable
    Far Manager offers extensive customization options, allowing users to tweak the interface, color schemes, and functionality according to their needs.
  • Extensive plugin support
    It supports a wide range of plugins that can extend its functionality, including support for FTP, SSH, and various file formats.
  • Efficient file management
    Far Manager provides powerful file management capabilities, including batch renaming, advanced file search, and efficient navigation.
  • Keyboard-centric interface
    The software is designed to be used with a keyboard, allowing for quick and efficient operations without relying on a mouse.
  • Active community
    Far Manager has a dedicated user community that contributes plugins, themes, and provides support, making it easier to solve problems and customize the tool.

Possible disadvantages of Far Manager

  • Steep learning curve
    New users may find the interface and plethora of options overwhelming, requiring a significant investment of time to become proficient.
  • Dated user interface
    The text-based UI might appear outdated compared to modern graphical file managers, which might not appeal to all users.
  • Windows-centric
    Far Manager is primarily designed for Windows, limiting its utility for users who need a similar tool on Linux or macOS.
  • Limited default features
    Out of the box, Far Manager might seem to lack certain functionalities that are standard in other file managers, necessitating the use of plugins.
  • Plugin dependency issues
    Relying heavily on third-party plugins can lead to instability or compatibility issues, especially after updates.

Midnight Commander features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Midnight Commander provides a text-based user interface that is relatively easy to navigate, unlike traditional command-line interfaces, which can be intimidating for new users.
  • Two-pane File Manager
    The dual-pane layout allows users to perform file operations such as moving and copying files between two locations effortlessly.
  • Built-in Editor
    Midnight Commander includes a built-in text editor (mcedit) that can be handy for quickly editing configuration files or scripts.
  • Connectivity Options
    It supports various network protocols like FTP, SFTP, and Samba, enabling users to manage files on remote systems as easily as on local drives.
  • Customizability
    Users can customize key bindings, color schemes, and panels to better suit their needs and workflow preferences.
  • Cross-Platform
    Midnight Commander is available on multiple operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows, offering a consistent experience across platforms.
  • Search Capabilities
    Advanced search options make it easy to find files and text within files, which is useful for a variety of tasks, from coding to administration.

Possible disadvantages of Midnight Commander

  • Limited GUI Features
    Being a text-based application, it lacks some of the graphical features and mouse interactions available in graphical file managers.
  • Learning Curve
    While more user-friendly than the command line, it still requires some time to learn and get accustomed to the various key bindings and functionalities.
  • Dependency on Terminal
    As a terminal-based application, it requires a terminal emulator, which might not be as efficient or convenient as using a native graphical application for some users.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    For complex file management tasks, it may not offer the advanced features or plugins available in more robust file managers.
  • No Built-in Preview
    Unlike some graphical file managers, it doesn't provide a built-in preview of files (like images or PDFs), which can be a drawback for certain use cases.
  • Dependency on Configuration Files
    Customization often necessitates editing configuration files manually, which could be a deterrent for users who are not comfortable with text-based configurations.

Analysis of Far Manager

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Far Manager is highly regarded for its functionality, speed, and flexibility. It is particularly valued by programmers, system administrators, and technical users who need a comprehensive tool for file and system management tasks.

Why this product is good

  • Far Manager is considered good by many users because it is a powerful file management tool that provides a text-based user interface, making it lightweight and fast. It offers a wide range of features such as multi-panel file management, extensive customization through plugins, and support for numerous file operations which can be done via batch processing or scripting. Its versatility and efficiency in handling file tasks in Windows environments is appreciated by power users who require more control than graphical file managers typically offer.

Recommended for

  • System administrators
  • Programmers
  • IT professionals
  • Users comfortable with command line interfaces
  • Those who require advanced file management capabilities

Analysis of Midnight Commander

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Midnight Commander is considered a good tool by many users, especially those who frequently work in command-line environments. Its efficiency and robustness make it a favorite among system administrators and developers.

Why this product is good

  • Midnight Commander is a popular and powerful file manager for Unix-like systems. It features a text user interface, making it suitable for command-line environments. It provides all essential file management functionalities, including copying, moving, renaming, and even supports accessing and browsing through FTP or SSH, making it versatile for various tasks.

Recommended for

    Midnight Commander is highly recommended for users who are comfortable working in command-line environments. It is particularly suitable for system administrators, developers, and power users who need a reliable and efficient file management tool with advanced features like remote file system browsing.

Far Manager videos

+ Add

FAR Manager Software Video Review by SoftwareSlant.com

More videos:

  • Review - ะžะฑะทะพั€ Far Manager

Midnight Commander videos

+ Add

EzeeLinux Show 18.15 | GNU Midnight Commander

More videos:

  • Review - 16 - Midnight Commander, Part 1 of 3
  • Review - Midnight Commander || Installation and short review || Ubuntu || Fedora

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Far Manager and Midnight Commander)

Far Manager

Midnight Commander

File Manager
29 29%
File Manager
71% 71
FTP Client
24 24%
FTP Client
76% 76
File Explorer
34 34%
File Explorer
66% 66
File Management
30 30%
File Management
70% 70

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Far Manager and Midnight Commander

Far Manager Reviews

  1. gaurav dube
    ยท student at FCRIT ยท

    i started using this when i was in school. this was cool file manager+text editor it was all nice apart from the fact that if you don't understand any language apart from english then It will be difficult for you to understand it's advanced features like plugin's and all. i mainly used this for writing code.

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: there is no one who can compete with this vintage beast.
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    This is very light weight file manager+code editor so even if you have old pc you can run this with full speed.|If you do competitive programming then this is for you this editor is so accurate that even sublime text fails in front of this vintage beast.|As name suggests file manger you can manage your files better than any other code editor's like clion,sublime text,visual studio code etc...|If you understand all features of far manager you will litrally get addicted to it.
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    As most of the instructions are in russian or ukranian you might find it difficulty in start.|As most of the istructions for advanced features are in russian or ukranian you might find difficulty to install some plugins.

Midnight Commander Reviews

We have no reviews of Midnight Commander yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Midnight Commander should be more popular than Far Manager. It has been mentiond 28 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Far Manager mentions (4)

Midnight Commander mentions (28)

  • Emacs 2024 Changes
    Dired as a cross-platform file manager. I used to use Midnight Commander but I found it buggy in the end (on MacOS). Since investing time in learning dired it's good enough. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • OpenBSD Desktop
    Midnight Commander is a good TUI file manager. https://midnight-commander.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Antonmedv/walk: Terminal file manager
    Was there something before https://midnight-commander.org/ or was that the OG? - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • How to move a directory to ../ if there is a directory with same name?
    Just use mc (midnight commander) it not only is a terminal based file manager but it will give you the command lines used to do so GNU MIDNIGHT COMMANDER. Source: over 2 years ago
  • What's that email client doing here?
    Given that you can run shells in Emacs since those are text too, Emacs ends up becoming almost like a Lisp-powered tmux or mc. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Far Manager and Midnight Commander, you can also consider the following products

XYplorer - File Manager for Windows

Double Commander - Double Commander is a cross-platform open source file manager with two panels side by side.

FreeCommander - FreeCommander is an easy-to-use alternative to the standard windows file manager. The program helps you with daily work in Windows. Here you can find all the necessary functions to manage your data stock.

Total Commander - A Shareware file manager for Windowsยฎ 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista/7, and Windowsยฎ 3.1.

Thunar - Thunar is a modern file manager for the Xfce Desktop Environment.

Directory Opus - Directory Opus for Windows - the Ultimate Windows File manager and Explorer Replacement. DownloadOpus 12: To update to the latest version, simply download and . BuyThank you for your interest in Directory Opus!

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