ForkLift vs Nimble Commander (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ForkLift and Nimble Commander share a 2.6 GPA, and only Nimble Commander has a free plan.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
ForkLift grades higher on features and ease of use. Nimble Commander grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ForkLift
Dual-pane file manager and file transfer client for macOS
Nimble Commander
Free dual-pane file manager for macOS, no longer actively maintained
Which one is for you
Pick ForkLift if
- Fits if your files live on servers and cloud drives as much as on your Mac
- Works for web builders who want SFTP and S3 inside the file manager
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's macOS only, and 4.4 or later needs macOS 14.6
- Not for you if you expect updates for life, since a license covers 1 or 2 years and later versions run in trial mode
- Pricey if it's for the office, because the Single user license is personal use only and Small Business starts at $69.95
- Watch out: Dropbox Smart Sync isn't supported, and the vendor says no API is available for it
Pick Nimble Commander if
- Fits if you want a free dual-pane manager on a Mac
- Works for people who like a terminal built into the file manager
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want fixes and new macOS support, because the readme says it is no longer actively maintained
- Not for you if you use Windows or Linux, as it is Mac only
- Watch out: the Mac App Store listing is named Files Lite, which may confuse buyers
- Too light for support needs, as there is no help desk on record
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAForkLiftGood | 2.6GPANimble CommanderGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AA lifetime licence is $19.95 once with a year of updates, or $34.95 with two, both under a year of this category's middle subscription. Family is $29.95 for every Mac at home, and an office of up to 5 Macs starts at $69.95. | AFree and open source under GPL-3.0. Nothing to pay, below any category price. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | AFree outright with no cap. No cap, no trial and no paid tier. |
| Features | BThis is a file manager and a transfer client in one, and both halves are complete: two panes with tabs and Workspaces, SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox open at once, one-way or two-way folder sync, archives browsed as folders, remote editing and git status. | CDual panels, built-in terminal, archives and remote servers, viewer and batch rename. The listing's biggest gap is that it is not actively maintained. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: 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. | CNo rating on record. A keyboard-first two-pane layout takes some learning. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, one operating system. 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. | DMac only. Mac only, with no Windows, Linux, phone or web version listed. |
| Best for | local and remote files in one Mac window | a free two-pane file manager on a Mac |
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: ForkLift and Nimble Commander. How we grade
Where they differ
- ForkLift can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Nimble Commander is open source, according to its own site.
- ForkLift also covers file sync.
At a glance
| ForkLift | Nimble Commander | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free |
| Starts at | $19.95 one-time (Single user license with 1 year of updates) | Free |
| Free plan | None | Free and open source; the source is released under the GPL-3.0 license. |
| Free trial | Free trial mode without a license key; the vendor's pages state no time limit | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | BinaryNights LLC | Michael Kazakov |
| Price read from | binarynights.com | magnumbytes.com |
| Checked | Oct 6, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Nimble Commander
- The project's GitHub readme says it is no longer actively maintained.
- Runs on macOS only; no Windows or Linux version is listed.
- The Mac App Store listing is named Files Lite, which may confuse buyers.
Key features
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.
Nimble Commander
- Dual panels with keyboard access
- Shortcuts are listed for more than a hundred actions.
- Built-in terminal
- A terminal emulator stays in sync with the panels as you navigate.
- Archives and remote servers
- Browse archives like folders, and connect to FTP, SFTP and WebDAV servers.
- Viewer and batch rename
- A viewer shows text or hex, including very large files, and Batch Rename supports patterns and counters.
- Search and attributes
- Search by attributes or content, and edit UNIX and BSD flags, file times and ownership.
Plans
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.
Nimble Commander
Free$0
Free to download from the site or the Mac App Store.
Ways to pay less
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.
Nimble Commander
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ForkLift or Nimble Commander?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ForkLift starts at $19.95 one-time (Single user license with 1 year of updates), and Nimble Commander is free.
Which has a free plan, ForkLift or Nimble Commander?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Nimble Commander has a free plan. ForkLift 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.