Midnight Commander vs NexusFile

Midnight Commander is a full-screen file manager with a dual-pane text interface. It can copy, move, and delete files or directory trees, search for files, and run commands in a subshell. An internal viewer, editor, and diff viewer provide tools for inspecting and editing files within the program.

It runs in a regular console or an X Window terminal, and can also be used over SSH and in remote shells. Its virtual filesystem connects to FTP and shell-based remote filesystems; SFTP support depends on compilation with sftpfs. The tar filesystem provides read-only access to tar and compressed tar archives, and scripts can extend the virtual filesystem. Users can choose included skins or create their own.

NexusFile is a free Windows file manager built around two panes for moving and copying files between folders. Keyboard shortcuts and destination-folder selection support those operations. Its batch-renaming tool can insert, replace, or delete text, change case, add numbering, and act on extensions, with a preview before applying changes. NexusFile can create ZIP archives and extract selected files; other archive formats need an external program. Duplicate detection, a portable version, favorite and work folders, a folder tree, and keyboard navigation are listed. Customization covers skins, list colors, shortcuts, and function keys, although the help guide says only two skins are provided. Deletion options include the recycle bin, permanent removal, and overwriting contents with zeroes before deletion. FTP can upload, download, rename, delete, and create folders, but is described as incomplete and unstable. Version 5.4.1 is dated 2021-04-09; a 64-bit build is marked beta.