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Tech riderRev. 3 Oct 2026

pointer

Ch 097.0of 28 Terminal File Managers
  1. 1Runs onLinux, Mac
  2. 2CostsFree plan
  3. 3Dual-pane layoutYes
  4. 4Linux supportYes
  5. 5macOS supportYes
  6. 6Windows supportNo
  7. 7Preview paneYes
  8. 8Remote file accessYes
8 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: github.com
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Overview

pointer is ranked #9 of 28 in terminal file managers on Specifiction. It runs on Linux, macOS. There is a free plan.

pointer plans and pricing

All plans
Pointer Free Unlicense public-domain software · single binary github.com · 3 Oct 2026

Compared on terminal file managers

Dual-pane layout
Yesgithub.com
Linux support
Yesgithub.com
macOS support
Yesgithub.com
Windows support
Nogithub.com
Preview pane
Yesgithub.com
Remote file access
Yesgithub.com
Archive support
Yesgithub.com

Facts

Product
Pointer is a Rust terminal file manager with a two-pane view, previews, and image display.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
File handling
It supports archive browsing, asynchronous copy and move operations, and undo for several file operations.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Remote access
It supports SSH/SFTP remote browsing.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Search and navigation
Features include filename search, content grep, extension or regex filters, bookmarks, tabs, and file picking.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Integrations
The README lists fzf, navi, locate, git, bat, ImageMagick, pdftotext, xclip, and curl as integrations or optional runtime dependencies.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
AI features
The README describes OpenAI integration and Claude-powered file descriptions and sessions.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Plugins
Its plugin system uses JSON manifests to bind external commands to keys.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Deletion behavior
Deletion uses a flag-then-purge flow, and the README says confirmation is enabled by default.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Configuration and state
The README places configuration, state, trash, and plugins under ~/.pointer/.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
License
The repository lists the Unlicense and describes it as public domain.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Downloads
The latest release lists binaries for Linux x86_64 and aarch64 and macOS x86_64 and aarch64.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Maker
The repository credits Geir Isene as creator.github.com · 2 Oct 2026
Two-pane browsing
It provides a two-pane layout with configurable width ratio and border styles.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
File previews
It includes syntax highlighting for 20+ languages and inline image previews through kitty, sixel, or w3m protocols.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Archives
It browses and edits zip, tar, gz, bz2, xz, rar, and 7z archives as virtual directories.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
File operations
It supports asynchronous copy and move operations and undo for delete, move, rename, copy, symlink, permissions, and bulk rename.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Search and integrations
It includes filename search, content grep, extension or regex filtering, and integrations with fzf, navi, and locate.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Extensibility
Its plugin system uses JSON manifests to bind external commands to keys, and scripts receive Pointer context through environment variables.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
File picker
It can run in file-picker mode using the --pick=/path option for external tool integration.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Dependencies
Rust and Cargo are required to build from source; optional runtime tools include bat, fzf, ImageMagick, pdftotext, git, xclip, locate, navi, and curl.github.com · 3 Oct 2026
Security
The opened project page does not state security certifications or compliance claims.github.com · 3 Oct 2026

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Sources