# ForkLift > Dual-pane file manager and file transfer client for macOS ForkLift 4 is a dual-pane file manager and file transfer client for macOS from BinaryNights. Alongside local file management it connects to SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and network volumes, compares and synchronizes folders, and browses archives as folders. It is sold as a lifetime license that includes one or two years of updates, and it can be used in a free trial mode before buying. - **Category:** Desktop Utilities - **Made by:** BinaryNights LLC - **Website:** https://binarynights.com - **Runs on:** macOS - **Facts last checked:** Oct 6, 2026 ## Pricing ForkLift is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $19.95 one-time (Single user license with 1 year of updates). - **Pricing model:** Free trial - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** Free trial mode without a license key; the vendor's pages state no time limit. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | 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. | Read from https://binarynights.com/store on Oct 6, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with ForkLift before buying. ## Ways to pay less - **Lifetime license with 1 or 2 years of updates** (Lifetime license): 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. Source: https://binarynights.com/store - **Educational discount on request** (Education): 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. Source: https://binarynights.com/support - **100 bonus days for existing customers** (Other savings): 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. Source: https://binarynights.com/store - **Second year of updates at a lower price** (Other savings): A Single user license with 2 years of updates costs $34.95, against $39.90 for two licenses with 1 year each. Source: https://binarynights.com/store ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - 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 - 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. ## Works with Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud **Tags:** File management, File sync, One-time purchase ## Alternatives - [Path Finder](https://toolgpa.com/tools/path-finder): Dual-pane file manager for Mac, built as a Finder alternative. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/forklift-vs-path-finder) - [Total Commander](https://toolgpa.com/tools/total-commander): Two-pane file manager for Windows with FTP and archive tools. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/forklift-vs-total-commander) - [Directory Opus](https://toolgpa.com/tools/directory-opus): Highly configurable file manager that replaces Windows Explorer. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/directory-opus-vs-forklift) - [Files](https://toolgpa.com/tools/files): Open-source file manager for Windows with tabs and dual pane. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/files-vs-forklift) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 6, 2026: - https://binarynights.com/ - https://binarynights.com/store - https://binarynights.com/support - https://binarynights.com/manual - https://binarynights.com/about Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/forklift Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).