pointer vs Vifm
pointer
github.comVifm
vifm.infoSide by side
| Figure | pointer | Vifm |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · File managers | 8.5 (#8) | 8.5 (#7) |
| Spec score · Terminal File Managers | 8.3 (#11) | 7.8 (#21) |
| Archive support | Yes | Yes |
| Dual-pane layout | Yes | Yes |
| File operations | It supports asynchronous copy and move operations and undo for delete, move, rename, copy, symlink, permissions, and bulk rename. | Features include undoing, redoing, and backgrounding operations, as well as trash. |
| Security | The opened project page does not state security certifications or compliance claims. | The v0.14.4 notes say the release fixed a buffer overflow in the trie implementation identified as CVE 2026 8997. |
Plans
In their own words
pointer
Pointer is a free, open-source terminal file manager for Linux and macOS. It presents files in a two-pane layout with configurable width ratios and border styles, plus previews with syntax highlighting for more than 20 languages and inline image display through kitty, sixel, or w3m protocols. Archives including zip, tar, gz, bz2, xz, rar, and 7z can be browsed and edited as virtual directories. File operations include asynchronous copying and moving, undo for several actions, and deletion with a flag-then-purge process and default confirmation. Pointer supports SSH/SFTP remote browsing, filename and content search, extension or regex filters, bookmarks, tabs, and file-picker mode. JSON-manifest plugins bind external commands to keys. The README describes OpenAI integration and Claude-powered descriptions and sessions. Linux and macOS binaries are listed for x86_64 and aarch64.