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It started out very basic and the filtering options genuinely helped me clean out the Downloads folder, then as I thought of more features I would like to see in a file manager I started to add them. Some of the features are:
- Fuzzy go to folder/file where you only need to write a few letters of a full path, get suggestions and can jump to the correct path instantly - Hover over a file to preview an image or PDF without opening it - Dual-pane view and tabs that remember selected filters - Command palette to find actions fast - Batch rename (with regex support and presets for common operations), image conversion (HEIC/WebP/AVIF to JPG/PNG), zip creation - Bookmarks, Quick Look, single-click open, keyboard control
And many other small quality of life features.
I used Claude Code for making the app and the tech stack is .NET/C# with AppKit. The app is compiled to Native AOT so the total app size is only around 9 MB. Since file operations are very important to get right (I don’t want to lose any important files) I put a lot of time into hardening file move/copy/delete operations. Copies are written to a temp file and atomically renamed into place. I also made a dedicated audit of move/copy/delete and verified each operation by hand.
Another thing that’s important to me is apps that are privacy first so the only network request the app makes is to check if there’s a new version (this is not done at all for the trial version, the trial expiry date is enforced locally by just checking the date and trusting the user) and the only information that is sent is the current app version.
The app is Apple Silicon, macOS 12+ and has a 30-day free trial with a one-time launch price of $19.99 (no subscription).
Discussion (39 Comments)Read Original on HackerNews
My favourite Finder-likes: Nimble Commander, Marta
I haven't found a good file manager for mac since 15 years now. They all just about do the things I need but not good enough. I've never really done the dual pane thing, my favourite gui for file management was Windows XP. Every iteration of explorer since has gotten objectively worse.
On mac I don't even bother trying to filemanage. I remote in to a windows machine.
I need to be able to get paths and paste paths.
for my downloads I just sort by type in list view and delete whatever by type. just do that a few times a year no big deal. I don't understand why we can't have an AI that sorts out the files they half baked 'stacks' onto the desktop, but all that happens is i now have dozens and dozens of stacks which contain dozens and dozens of files.
There's an app called Hazel that does your stack sorting. And you can get paths (copy file populates pasteboard with multiple forms, one of which is the file path) and paste paths easily (I use keyboard shortcut but it's also on the context menu). You can paste paths into goto box or even into file selector to instantly change the directory to the location of the file and select it. There are so many "hidden" things like this throughout macOS that it's worth asking before giving up hope that something might not be possible.
I dont understand why we are stuck in stone’s age with filesystems GUI
I wish Finder had that view.
The other thing is in most apps in the title bar there is an icon. Drag that to finder and it saves the file. Kinda Risc os style.
In the app you can have a dual pane with two folders side-by-side and select the file(s) you want to move/copy to the other folder and right click or open the command palette to do the operation, so you do not have to drag them (though dragging still works too). It's also possible to cut files with CMD + X and paste them somewhere else with CMD + V.
I now use the Finder (column view) and it sucks.
At a first glance, I like this app. The problem I have is that I tend to think about the long term: will this app be around in 5 years? There is a plethora of AI-coded apps (this in itself doesn't bother me) where the author loses interest after just a couple of weeks.
And (here come the HN downvotes, because this is really unpopular on HN) the one-time pricing model doesn't lend itself to long-term sustainability, unfortunately. I know people hate to hear that, but ask anyone who tried to run a small or solo-founder business whether it's possible to make ends meet with one-time purchases.
I’m curious, because at this point I’ve used everything from the spatial Classic Mac OS Finder to to every OS X Finder to every Windows Explorer version since to Windows 95 to Dolphin to the menagerie of Nautilus forks, and I don’t quite understand the discontent with the Finder for the most part. If anything I find the W11 Explorer overall more frustrating these days.
Good catch. That's already fixed (selected-row text is white now, matching Finder). Just an old screenshot on the site. I'll get it updated. Thanks for flagging it.
I do not think people actually think it’s not stealing in all honesty. I’m pretty sure it’s something like “but we cannot do differently” and we kind of collectively “decided” to stop talking about it.
It’s still plainly wrong, and a theft.
Wait, are you telling me that macOS has gotten so ensh---ified that many of its users feel the need to purchase a bespoke file manager, arguably one of the most fundamental functions of an operating system?
Surely this is a very specific product for a very specific class of users? This can't be a widespread need, right? RIGHT?
(Context: I haven't used modern macOS in roughly a decade and have no idea what it's like these days)
The file manager definitely got a lot worse than it used to be. It doesn't even seem like you can properly move up/down the directory hierarchy anymore with just the keyboard, I think the sequence of holding down "CMD" then spamming "up arrow" no longer takes you to the root, as just one example of workflows they've broken since then.
In comparison though, Windows' file browser is a completely dumpster-fire that sometimes takes 10-20 seconds to load for me, in a relatively barebones Windows 11 installation with 0 network drives. The only stuff that keeps being the same or slightly improving, is the various file managers on Unix/Linux systems, although Gnome's latest iteration took some time before it was as good as the previous versions, for whatever reason.
Sadly, it has received effectively zero updates since. The only amazing things about the Finder are column view and QuickLook, both of which we've had forever
For reference, both Windows Vista and QuckLook came out nearly 20 years ago. TWENTY.
Alternative file managers are arguably a healthy property; the alternative is the phone where you cannot compete meaningfully with the Files app. And Finder works for most basic needs, something which is not true of its mobile counterpart.
I suppose it's similar to how people used to buy things like Directory Opus. The point isn't so much that the default one doesn't work. A bunch of functions like those listed here, e.g. batch rename and easy image conversion, would be a great help to power users, and should be better than having to install a separate program for each one.
I doubt it's aimed at everybody, but it shouldn't need to be. Software tailored to a specific group's needs is likely to be better for them than something too generic.
^1: https://cocoatech.io/