Broot
dystroy.org
What it is
Broot is a directory navigator for finding files, browsing folders, and launching commands. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, with a dual-pane layout and synchronized preview panels. Directory overviews respect .gitignore and .ignore files. Search supports relevance ranking, regular expressions, file contents, and logical operators. Users can select a directory and return to the shell with that location active. Built-in file operations include move, copy, remove, and mkdir, and users can add shortcuts. Multiple panels support navigation and moving or copying items between locations, with customizable colors. Preview options include PDF and Office documents through transformers and high-resolution images through Kitty's graphics protocol in Kitty and WezTerm. A staging area lets users run commands across several files. For space analysis, sorting by size or date and whale-spotting mode help locate large items; sizes, dates, and file counts are calculated in the background. Git views show file states, branch, upstream divergence, and change statistics. Client-server mode uses Unix sockets and is available only on Unix-like systems. Broot is free under the MIT License, with source and precompiled binaries available.
Spec sheet
- Purpose
- Broot is a way to navigate directories, find files, and launch commands.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Free plan
- YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Support
- The maker provides contact by email and invites users to chat through Miaou.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- License
- The repository is released under the MIT License, with permission to use, copy, modify, publish, distribute, sublicense, and sell the software subject to the license conditions.Read 28 Sep 2026 · github.com
- Archive support
- NoRead 21 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Client-server mode
- Broot can act as a client or server so another process can control it or query its state; this feature currently uses Unix sockets and is available only on Unix-like systems.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Directory overview
- It provides directory overviews and handles .gitignore and .ignore files.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Document preview
- With transformers, it can preview PDF and Office files.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Dual-pane layout
- YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- File operations
- Move, copy, remove, and mkdir operations are built in, and users can add shortcuts.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Git integration
- Git status views show file states, branch name, upstream divergence, and change statistics.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Linux support
- YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- macOS support
- YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Navigation
- Users can select a directory and return to the shell with that directory as the current location.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Panels
- Multiple panels can be opened for navigation and copying or moving elements between panels, with customizable colors.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Preview
- It provides synchronized file preview panels and can display high-resolution images through Kitty's graphics protocol in Kitty and WezTerm.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Preview pane
- YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Search
- It supports relevance-based search, regular expressions, content search, and logical search operators.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Staging area
- Its staging area lets users execute commands on several files in one go.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Storage analysis
- Sorting by size or date and whale-spotting mode help identify files or folders taking space, while sizes, dates, and file counts are computed in the background.Read 28 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
- Windows support
- YesRead 21 Sep 2026 · dystroy.org
Plans and prices
Broot Free MIT-licensed · source and precompiled binaries available Read 28 Sep 2026 · github.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows
- Searches file contents and supports logical operators
- Includes move, copy, remove, and mkdir operations
- Free under the MIT License
Limits
- Client-server mode is limited to Unix-like systems
- Archive support is not available
- High-resolution image previews require Kitty or WezTerm
Who it suits
Broot suits people who want terminal-oriented directory navigation, file search, previews, and file operations. Its Git views and staging area may also help users who work with repositories and batches of files.
Verdict
Broot combines directory navigation with search, previews, file operations, and Git status views. Note that client-server mode is Unix-only and archive support is absent.
Where Specifiction places it
- Terminal File Managers#2 of 298.6
- File managers#12 of 298.3