# fman review (2026): is it worth €39? > Dual-pane file manager for Mac, Windows and Linux with plugins Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. fman is a dual-pane file manager for Mac, Windows and Linux built around a keyboard shortcut for jumping to folders and a plugin system. It can be tried for free, and a one-time license is needed for regular use. - **Category:** Desktop Utilities - **Made by:** Michael Herrmann - **Website:** https://fman.io/ - **Runs on:** macOS, Windows, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you want a free tool, as regular use needs a licence and there is no free tier. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, fman is a paid product with a free trial, starting at €39 one-time, perpetual license. - **Pricing model:** Free trial - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** Free to try; a license is required to use it regularly. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | fman license | €39 one-time, perpetual | Use on as many of your computers as you like; includes all future versions. | Read from https://fman.io/buy on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with fman before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - People who want the same file manager on all three desktop systems - Keyboard users who jump between folders often ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 2.2 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. fman is a two-pane file manager for Mac, Windows and Linux with a go-to-directory box and plugins, at €39 one-time. The buy pages don't say what the trial limits are, and there is no free tier. - **Value for money: 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: C.** Free 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: C.** Go 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: C.** No rating on record. A keyboard-first two-pane layout takes learning. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Mac, Windows and Linux, desktops only. Mac, Windows and Linux desktops only; no phone or web version, no integrations. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Michael Herrmann's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among desktop utilities - fman's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 13 of the 186 other desktop utilities we grade, and level with 21. - It stands best on value for money (B, above 28 of 186) and worst on features (C, above 2). The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/utilities ## Keep it, or make your own? **Your call.** It depends on the utility: a converter or a calculator is an afternoon. fman sits between: not beyond making, and not a weekend's work either. What you would give up is listed below. Whether that is worth the price is your call. At $43.57, paid once, it costs less than the weekend it would take to replace, which is the argument for keeping it. - You could not: A file manager working directly on your disk. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** File management, One-time purchase ## Alternatives - [Marta](https://toolgpa.com/tools/marta): Native macOS file manager with keyboard control and Lua plugins. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fman-vs-marta) - [Nimble Commander](https://toolgpa.com/tools/nimble-commander): Free dual-pane file manager for macOS, no longer actively maintained. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fman-vs-nimble-commander) - [Total Commander](https://toolgpa.com/tools/total-commander): Two-pane file manager for Windows with FTP and archive tools. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/fman-vs-total-commander) - [Commander One](https://toolgpa.com/tools/commander-one): Dual-panel file manager and FTP client for Mac. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/commander-one-vs-fman) - [Double Commander](https://toolgpa.com/tools/double-commander): Free open-source dual-pane file manager inspired by Total Commander. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/double-commander-vs-fman) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://fman.io/ - https://fman.io/buy - https://fman.io/docs Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/fman Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).