Marta vs Nimble Commander (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Marta and Nimble Commander share a 2.6 GPA, both are free, so the choice depends on which features you need.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Nimble Commander
Free dual-pane file manager for macOS, no longer actively maintained
Which one is for you
Pick Marta if
- Fits if you want a keyboard-first file manager on a Mac
- Works for people who like scripting their tools in Lua
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a finished release, since the download page says it is in beta
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as it is Mac only
- Watch out: it needs macOS 11 or later
- Watch out: the site's copyright ends at 2024 and lists no paid support
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- Skip it if you want fixes and new macOS support, because the readme says it is no longer actively maintained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
| 2.6GPAMartaGood | 2.6GPANimble CommanderGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | ANo price on the download page; it asks for Patreon support. | AFree and open source under GPL-3.0. Nothing to pay, below any category price. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree with no cap and no trial. No cap, no trial and no paid tier. | AFree outright with no cap. No cap, no trial and no paid tier. |
| Features | CArchives as folders, Lua plugin API, built-in terminal and disk usage, but the release is labelled beta. | 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 | CNo rating on record. Keyboard-driven use and Lua scripting mean a learning curve. | CNo rating on record. A keyboard-first two-pane layout takes some learning. |
| Platforms and integrations | DMac only, macOS 11 or later. Mac only, with no Windows, Linux, phone or web version. | DMac only. Mac only, with no Windows, Linux, phone or web version listed. |
| Best for | a keyboard-driven file manager on a Mac | 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: Marta and Nimble Commander. How we grade
Price against what you get
Marta has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Nimble Commander has no paid plan and scores 1.7.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other desktop utilities on the chart, none scores higher than Marta for less, and none scores higher than Nimble Commander for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Nimble Commander is open source, according to its own site.
- Marta also covers file compression.
At a glance
| Marta | Nimble Commander | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The download page lists no price and invites support on Patreon; the release is labeled beta. | Free and open source; the source is released under the GPL-3.0 license. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Made by | Yan Zhulanow | Michael Kazakov |
| Price read from | marta.sh | magnumbytes.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Marta
- The download page says Marta is in beta; the latest version listed is 0.8.2.
- Requires macOS 11.0 or later.
- The site shows a 2016 to 2024 copyright and lists no paid support.
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
Marta
- Native macOS app
- Written entirely in Swift, according to the vendor.
- Keyboard and mouse
- Works by keyboard or mouse, with an Actions Panel opened by Command-Shift-P.
- Archives as folders
- Opens and writes ZIP and opens RAR, 7Z, XAR, TAR, ISO, CAB, LZH and more, including nested archives.
- Lua plugin API
- Plugins written in Lua can adapt the app, and configuration uses a dedicated DSL.
- Built-in terminal and disk usage
- A terminal syncs its directory with a file pane, and Analyze Disk Usage shows what takes space.
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
Marta
Free$0
Download listed without a price; optional Patreon support.
Nimble Commander
Free$0
Free to download from the site or the Mac App Store.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Marta or Nimble Commander?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Marta and Nimble Commander are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Marta or Nimble Commander?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Marta and Nimble Commander have a free plan.
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.