pointer vs xplr
pointer
github.comxplr
xplr.devSide by side
| Figure | pointer | xplr |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · File managers | 8.5 (#8) | 7.2 (#26) |
| Spec score · Terminal File Managers | 8.3 (#11) | 7.0 (#29) |
| Downloads | The latest release lists binaries for Linux x86_64 and aarch64 and macOS x86_64 and aarch64. | Direct standalone downloads are listed for GNU/Linux and macOS; the install guide also documents building from source and installing through crates.io. |
| Dual-pane layout | Yes | Yes |
| Extensibility | Its plugin system uses JSON manifests to bind external commands to keys, and scripts receive Pointer context through environment variables. | xplr supports pluggable Lua modules to extend its interface and functionality. |
| File operations | It supports asynchronous copy and move operations and undo for delete, move, rename, copy, symlink, permissions, and bulk rename. | xplr describes itself as an explorer that delegates file management operations to external commands. |
| Integrations | The README lists fzf, navi, locate, git, bat, ImageMagick, pdftotext, xclip, and curl as integrations or optional runtime dependencies. | The integrations list includes editor integrations for Neovim and Vim, GitHub CLI repository browsing, and a Powerlevel10k shell prompt. |
| License | The project is released under the Unlicense, described on the page as public domain. | The project repository identifies xplr as MIT licensed. |
| Linux support | Yes | Yes |
| macOS support | Yes | Yes |
| Plugins | Its plugin system uses JSON manifests to bind external commands to keys. | Plugins can be installed manually or with a plugin manager, and some may require LuaRocks. |
| Preview pane | Yes | Yes |
| Product | Pointer is a Rust terminal file manager and feature clone of RTFM. | xplr is a terminal UI based file explorer intended to help improve terminal productivity. |
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.