Directory Opus vs ForkLift
We give Directory Opus a 2.6 GPA and ForkLift a 2.8, out of 4.0. ForkLift grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Directory Opus
Highly configurable file manager that replaces Windows Explorer
ForkLift
Dual-pane file manager and file transfer client for macOS
How we grade them
| 2.6GPADirectory OpusGood | 2.8GPAForkLiftGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BA Single licence is $89 AUD once, in Australian dollars, with one year of free updates. That's dear for a pay-once utility, though you keep your version forever and home users get a free personal laptop licence. Later updates are an optional $25 AUD a year. | AA lifetime licence is $19.95 once with a year of updates, or $34.95 with two. That's less than a year of a typical paid utility here. Family is $29.95 for every Mac at home, and an office of up to 5 Macs starts at $69.95. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free version. You get 30 days free, or 60 if you register by email, and the listing doesn't mention a card. Take the full 60, because the vendor's licensing FAQ says there are no refunds after purchase. | CThere's no free version, but it runs in a free trial mode without a licence key, and BinaryNights' pages state no time limit on it. So you can find out if you like it before paying anything. |
| Features | ASingle or dual file displays with trees and tabs, a copy queue, batch renaming, FTP, Zip, 7Zip and RAR archives, a duplicate finder, folder synchronization, and tags, labels and star ratings. A scripting interface adds your own commands. For managing files, nothing's missing. | ATwo panes with tabs, and connections to SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox, several at once. Add one-way or two-way folder sync, archives you browse like folders, remote editing and git status. Dropbox Smart Sync isn't supported. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating is on record to go by, so a B. It can step in for Explorer, so the basics sit where you'd expect. The depth is the hard part: toolbars, menus, hotkeys and more than 600 colors and fonts can all be changed, and that's a lot to find your way around. | BNo store rating on record, so a B is as high as we go. It's a file manager you install and use, with drag and drop between servers. Workspaces save a layout of tabs and locations so you can load it again later. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only, on x64 versions of Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11. ARM isn't currently supported. Its searches can use Everything and Windows Search, and that's all it's listed as connecting to. | DMac only. ForkLift 4.4 and later need macOS 14.6, and earlier ForkLift 4 versions need 12.4 or later. It connects to a long list of servers and cloud drives, but the app itself lives on one system. |
| Best for | replacing Windows Explorer with something you can rework | local and remote files in one Mac window |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Directory Opus and ForkLift. How we grade
Where they differ
- Directory Opus starts at $89 AUD one-time for a Single licence (Australian dollars). ForkLift starts at $19.95 one-time (Single user license with 1 year of updates).
- Only Directory Opus lists a Windows app.
- Only ForkLift lists a macOS app.
- Directory Opus also covers file compression.
- ForkLift also covers file sync.
At a glance
| Directory Opus | ForkLift | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $89 AUD one-time for a Single licence (Australian dollars) | $19.95 one-time (Single user license with 1 year of updates) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free for 30 days, or 60 days after registering by email; the 60-day trial also enables Advanced FTP | Free trial mode without a license key; the vendor's pages state no time limit |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | GP Software | BinaryNights LLC |
| Price read from | gpsoft.com.au | binarynights.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Directory Opus
- Windows users who want a more configurable replacement for Explorer
- People who organize large file collections with tags, labels and ratings
- Users who customize and script their tools heavily
ForkLift
- Mac users who manage files on servers and cloud storage as well as local disks
- Web developers who want an SFTP and S3 client inside their file manager
- Keeping two folders, local or remote, in sync
Worth knowing
Directory Opus
- Windows only: it is supported on x64 versions of Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11, and ARM is not currently supported.
- Prices are in Australian dollars. Updates are free for one year; after that they need a renewal from $25 AUD a year, though the installed version keeps working.
- Advanced FTP and USB Export are optional add-ons, and the default 30-day evaluation does not enable Advanced FTP.
- The vendor's licensing FAQ says there are no refunds after purchase and suggests evaluating for up to 60 days first.
ForkLift
- macOS only. ForkLift 4.4 and later require macOS 14.6; earlier ForkLift 4 versions need macOS 12.4 or later.
- A license includes updates for 1 or 2 years. Later versions run in trial mode until a new license is bought, though covered versions keep working.
- The Single user license is for personal use; office use on up to 5 Macs needs the Small Business license, from $69.95.
- Dropbox Smart Sync is not supported; the vendor says no API is available for it.
Key features
Directory Opus
- Explorer replacement with dual panes
- An Explorer Replacement mode takes over from Windows Explorer, with single or dual file displays, folder trees and tabs for keeping several folders open.
- Copy queue and batch rename
- Queues multiple file copies and renames files in batches, including keyboard macros for building rename operations.
- FTP and archive support
- Works with FTP sites and archive formats such as Zip, 7Zip and RAR. Advanced FTP is an optional add-on to the licence.
- Search, duplicates and synchronize
- Built-in tools find files, locate duplicates and synchronize folders, and searches can use indexed engines such as Windows Search and Everything.
- Labels, tags and metadata
- Color-codes files and assigns status icons, star ratings, tags and descriptions, with an integrated viewer and a metadata editor.
- Customization and scripting
- Toolbars, menus, hotkeys, themes and more than 600 colors and fonts can be changed, and a scripting interface adds custom commands and dialogs.
ForkLift
- Two panes, tabs and workspaces
- Shows two file panes side by side with tabs in each, and Workspaces save a layout of open tabs and locations to load again later.
- Remote connections
- Connects to SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, SMB, AFP and NFS, with several servers open at once and drag and drop between them.
- Folder sync
- Compares a local or remote source and target folder to find matching, modified, new and deleted files, then synchronizes them one-way or two-way. A sync can be saved as a favorite.
- Preview and remote editing
- A preview panel plays audio and video and shows images and PDFs. Text files can be edited in place, and remote files open in your preferred editor and upload on save.
- Archive management
- Browses local and remote archives as if they were ordinary folders, including Quick Look, search and filter.
- Git, Terminal and command line tools
- Shows the git status of files with add, commit, push and pull, opens a Terminal, iTerm, Warp or Ghostty window at the current path, and runs command line tools by shortcut.
Plans
Directory Opus
Single$89 AUD
one-time purchase; later updates $25 AUD / year (optional)
Install on one computer, plus a free personal laptop licence for home users. Includes one year of free updates and forum support.
Dual$129 AUD
one-time purchase; later updates $40 AUD / year (optional)
Install on two computers at one location, plus the free personal laptop licence. Includes one year of free updates.
Five$249 AUD
one-time purchase; later updates $75 AUD / year (optional)
Install on five computers at one location, plus the free personal laptop licence. Includes one year of free updates.
GOLP volume licenceCustom
Volume licences for businesses starting at 11 seats, with discounts that increase with quantity. Arranged by email with sales.
ForkLift
Single user (1 year of updates)$19.95
one-time purchase, lifetime license
For personal use on your Mac. Versions released during the year of updates can be used indefinitely.
Family (1 year of updates)$29.95
one-time purchase, lifetime license
Install on all Macs in your household, with one year of free updates.
Single user (2 years of updates)$34.95
one-time purchase, lifetime license
The personal license with two years of free updates in place of one.
Family (2 years of updates)$49.95
one-time purchase, lifetime license
Install on all Macs in your household, with two years of free updates.
Small Business (1 year of updates)$69.95
one-time purchase, lifetime license
Install on up to 5 Macs in the office, with one year of free updates.
Small Business (2 years of updates)$119.95
one-time purchase, lifetime license
Install on up to 5 Macs in the office, with two years of free updates.
Ways to pay less
Directory Opus
- Lifetime license
Perpetual licence
A licence lets you keep using the version you have forever. Only installing later releases depends on the annual upgrade subscription, which never renews automatically.
- Other savings
Free personal laptop licence
Standard licences bought for home use include one free personal laptop licence on top of the installs purchased. It does not apply to business licences.
- Other savings
Discounts for multi-year renewals
Upgrade subscriptions can be renewed up to three years ahead, and the vendor says discounts are offered for renewing for more than one year.
- Other savings
Volume pricing from 11 seats
The GP Software Open Licence Plan gives small businesses and corporations cascading discounts on 11 or more seats, arranged by email.
ForkLift
- Lifetime license
Lifetime license with 1 or 2 years of updates
Every license is a lifetime license: the versions released during its 1- or 2-year update period can be used indefinitely, for as long as they stay compatible with your macOS.
- Education
Educational discount on request
Students, teachers and lecturers can ask for an educational discount by emailing support from an educational address or with proof of eligibility. The amount is not published.
- Other savings
100 bonus days for existing customers
Owners of an earlier ForkLift license get 100 extra days of free updates on a new license when they enter their old key in the store.
- Other savings
Second year of updates at a lower price
A Single user license with 2 years of updates costs $34.95, against $39.90 for two licenses with 1 year each.
