Double Commander vs fman (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Double Commander grades higher than fman: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Double Commander grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Double Commander
Free open-source dual-pane file manager inspired by Total Commander
Free
fman
Dual-pane file manager for Mac, Windows and Linux with plugins
Free trial · from €39 one-time
Which one is for you
Pick Double Commander if
- Fits if you move files between folders all day
- Works for people who already know Total Commander keys
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want something that looks like Finder or Explorer, since the layout is different
- Watch out: Linux builds come in GTK2, Qt5 and Qt6, and you pick one
- Skip it if you want paid support, as the site lists none
- Too light for cloud-drive browsing, as only remote connections are listed
Pick fman if
- Fits if you like to move around folders by typing
- Works for people who want plugins in a file manager
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free tool, as regular use needs a licence and there is no free tier
- Pricey if you buy for a team, as businesses need one licence per person
- Watch out: the buy page doesn't say what the trial limits are
- Watch out: the price is in euros and there is a 60-day refund policy
How we grade them
| 3.0GPADouble CommanderVery good | 2.2GPAfmanFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under GPL-2.0. It costs nothing, under the $1.45 mark the category's cheapest quarter is 60% of. | B€39 one-time and perpetual, which is a bit under a year of a typical utility subscription (about $40) and under two. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright with no cap and no paid edition. | CFree to try, but a licence is needed for regular use, and the pages don't describe the trial limits or say a card is needed. |
| Features | BTwo panels, archives as folders, built-in viewer and editor, plug-ins and remote connections. No gap shown in a file manager's job. | CGo to directory, plugins, dual pane and keyboard shortcuts, but the listing doesn't show what the trial or the app leaves out. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. The two-pane interface needs some learning, and Linux users must pick a GTK2, Qt5 or Qt6 build. | CNo rating on record. A keyboard-first two-pane layout takes learning. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Linux and Mac, desktops only. No phone or web version. | CMac, Windows and Linux, desktops only. Mac, Windows and Linux desktops only; no phone or web version, no integrations. |
| Best for | a free two-pane file manager on any desktop | a plugin-based two-pane file manager on any desktop |
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: Double Commander and fman. How we grade
Where they differ
- Double Commander is open source, according to its own site.
- fman can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Double Commander also covers file compression.
In commonWindowsLinuxmacOSFile management
At a glance
| Double Commander | fman | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | €39 one-time, perpetual license |
| Free plan | Free; the source is released under the GPL-2.0 license. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free to try; a license is required to use it regularly |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Double Commander author | Michael Herrmann |
| Price read from | doublecmd.sourceforge.io | fman.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Double Commander
- The two-panel interface differs from Finder or Explorer and takes some learning.
- Linux builds come in GTK2, Qt5 and Qt6 variants, so users must pick one.
- The vendor site lists no paid support or paid edition.
fman
- Businesses need one license per person using it.
- The site states a 60-day refund policy; the trial limits are not described on the pages read.
- Price is in euros, and the buy page does not say what the trial limits are.
Key features
Double Commander
- Two-panel layout
- Panels sit side by side or one above the other, with a tabbed interface and custom columns.
- Archives as folders
- Archives are handled like subdirectories. The site lists ZIP, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, LZMA, 7Z, RPM, CPIO, DEB, RAR and ZIPX.
- Built-in viewer and editor
- F3 opens a viewer for text, binary or hex, and F4 opens an internal text editor with syntax highlighting.
- Plug-in support
- Total Commander WCX, WDX, WFX and WLX plug-ins are supported.
- Remote connections
- FTP, FTPS, FTPES, SSH+SCP and SFTP are supported, with a multi-rename tool and full-text file search.
fman
- Go to directory
- Press Ctrl+P (Command-P on Mac) to jump to a folder; fman remembers frequently used folders and suggests them first.
- Plugins
- Install plugins written by others or write your own with the plugin system.
- Dual-pane layout
- A two-panel file manager for Mac, Windows and Linux.
- Keyboard shortcuts
- The docs credit keyboard shortcuts for its speed; a shortcut copies or moves files between the two panels.
- Perpetual license
- One license covers all your computers and all future versions, per the buy page, with a 60-day refund policy.
Plans
Double Commander
Free$0
Free to download and use.
fman
fman license€39
one-time, perpetual
Use on as many of your computers as you like; includes all future versions.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Double Commander or fman?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Double Commander is free, and fman starts at €39 one-time, perpetual license.
Which has a free plan, Double Commander or fman?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Double Commander has a free plan. fman does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.