Clifm vs Rat Commander
Clifm
github.com
Rat Commander
rat-commander.comSide by side
| Figure | Clifm | Rat Commander |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Terminal File Managers | 8.5 (#4) | 8.3 (#12) |
| Spec score · File managers | 8.1 (#17) | 8.8 (#2) |
| Archive support | Yes | Yes |
| Dual-pane layout | No | Yes |
| File operations | Features include bookmarks, search, file selection, tags, filters, previews, bulk renaming, archiving, trash, and file opening. | It supports file copy, move, delete, permissions, ownership, symlinks, and directory creation. |
| Installation | The README says Linux binary packages are available for most major distributions through the OpenSUSE Build System and gives source installation instructions for Linux and BSD. | Nothing else is required to install |
| License | The project is licensed under GPL version 2 or later. | The project is licensed under GNU General Public License version 2, GPL-2.0-only. |
| Linux support | Yes | Yes |
| macOS support | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | The project lists Linux, Termux on Android, BSD variants, macOS, Solaris/Illumos, Haiku, and Cygwin/MinGW as supported environments. | The maker lists Linux, macOS, and Windows; its README notes that Windows lacks Drive Manager and Network Connections. |
| Preview pane | Yes | Yes |
| Product | Clifm is a shell-like, text-based terminal file manager that runs on the command line. | Rat Commander is a self-contained, two-panel terminal file manager written in Rust with Ratatui. |
| Remote file access | Yes | Yes |
| Support | The project directs users to its FAQ, wiki documentation, issue tracker, and repository discussions for help and feedback. | The project links to GitHub Issues for reporting issues. |
| Windows support | No | Yes |
Plans
In their own words
Clifm
Clifm is an open-source file manager for people who prefer managing files through shell commands. It runs on the command line without a graphical or text user interface, so its workflow is based on commands rather than a conventional file-manager layout. File tools include bookmarks, search, selection, tags, filters, previews, bulk renaming, archiving, trash, and file opening. Shell features include tab completion with fzf integration, expansions, autosuggestions, syntax highlighting, aliases, and command history. Users can configure profiles, shortcuts, themes, prompts, custom commands, and plugins; a documented plugin can show Git status before each prompt. Clifm also supports remote file access and archives, but does not have a dual-pane view. It is listed for Android, Linux, and macOS, not Windows. Linux binary packages are available for most major distributions through the OpenSUSE Build System, and source installation instructions cover Linux and BSD. The project says it collects no data and makes no outside connections. Clifm is licensed under GPL version 2 or later and is free, with no paid plans stated.
Rat Commander
Rat Commander is a free, two-panel terminal file manager for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It brings file browsing and media viewing together with editing, archives, Git, remote filesystems, and system tools. Panels can show files as lists, trees, thumbnail grids, or interactive 3D views, and can be split vertically or horizontally. The built-in viewer and editor support syntax highlighting, search and replace, Markdown, tables, images, and in-place hex editing. Git tools cover tasks including staging, commits, branches, diffs, and history. Remote connections over SFTP, SCP, FTP, and FTPS let users work with remote filesystems in a local-disk-like way. ZIP, TAR variants, 7z, and other archives can be browsed and edited; RAR is read-only. QR codes support sending and receiving files over a local network. Linux disk tools can mount, format, flash, and image disks and USB devices. On Windows, Drive Manager and Network Connections are unavailable. Rat Commander is written in Rust with Ratatui and is licensed under GNU GPL-2.0-only.