A Total Commander alternative for the Mac
Total Commander is made for Windows only. Dirnex is a native Mac app in its spirit: two panes, the function keys, and the habits your hands already have.
Free to use · macOS 14 or later
The keys your hands know
Most keys do in Dirnex what they do in Total Commander. Where the Mac has a habit of its own, such as ⌘ in place of Ctrl, Dirnex follows the Mac.
| Total Commander | Dirnex | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Tab | Tab | Switch panes |
| SpaceInsert | Space | Mark the file and move down. On a folder, also count its size |
| Num +Num − | Num +Num − | Mark or unmark files by a pattern, such as *.jpg |
| Num * | * | Invert the marks |
| Enter | Return | Open a folder or a file |
| BackspaceCtrl+PgUp | ⌫⌘↑ | Go up to the parent folder |
| F3 | F3 | Show the file in Quick Look |
| Ctrl+Q | ⌃Q | Quick View: the other pane shows the file |
| F4 | F4 | Edit the file in the editor you already use |
| Shift+F4 | ⇧F4 | Make a new file and edit it |
| F5 | F5 | Copy to the other pane |
| F6 | F6 | Move to the other pane |
| Shift+F6 | F2 | Rename. With the Total Commander set of keys, ⇧F6 too |
| Ctrl+M | ⇧F2 | Multi-Rename Tool |
| F7 | F7 | New folder |
| Alt+F7 | ⌥F7 | Find files |
| F8Del | F8⌘⌫ | Move to the Trash |
| Shift+F8 | ⇧F8 | Delete at once, without the Trash |
| Alt+F5 | ⌥F5 | Pack the marked files into an archive |
| Alt+↓ | ⌥↓ | The folders you visited |
| Ctrl+D | ⌘F | Favorites, your list of folders |
| Alt+F1Alt+F2 | ⌘G | Places: disks, servers and favorite folders |
| Ctrl+TCtrl+W | ⌘T⌘W | New tab, close tab |
| Alt+Enter | ⌘I | Get Info: permissions, owner, dates and more |
The tools you know
Total Commander’s tools are in Dirnex too, most of them under the same names. ⌘K finds each one by its name.
Multi-Rename Tool
⇧F2 renames many files at once, with masks, counters and regular expressions.
Synchronize Directories
Compare two folders by date and size, or by contents, then copy what differs, either way.
Compare by contents
⌥F3 opens the file and the one in the other pane side by side, in FileMerge, Kaleidoscope or BBEdit.
Checksums
Make and check CRC32, MD5, SHA-1 and SHA-256 files. SFV files and Total Commander’s own .crc files are read too.
Archives as folders
Zip, 7z and tar archives open like folders, and ⌥F5 packs. Names in an old archive from Windows become readable when you choose their code page.
FTP, and more
SFTP, SMB, FTP, FTPS and Amazon S3, from the sidebar. Passwords stay in your Mac’s Keychain.
Quick View
⌃Q shows the file under the cursor in the other pane: code highlighted, Markdown as a page, pictures and PDFs.
The function key bar
Along the bottom of the window, as in Total Commander. Your own shell scripts can have a key and a button there.
Colors by file type
Give each kind of file its own color, and choose the colors of the cursor and the marks.
A command line below
⌃` opens a terminal under the panes. It follows the folder you’re in, and the pane follows a cd you type.
What the Mac adds
A command palette
⌘K finds any command by a few letters of its name, and shows its key.
Undo for files
⌘Z takes back a copy, a move, a rename, a new folder or a move to the Trash.
What Finder does
Finder tags, Spotlight, Quick Look, iCloud Drive, and the Trash with Put Back.
Instant copies
On an APFS disk, a copy is made at once and takes no space until one of the two changes.
What’s different
⌘ does what Ctrl did
Most shortcuts with Ctrl use ⌘ on a Mac: ⌘T, ⌘W, ⌘I. Alt is the ⌥ Option key.
The function keys need a setting
On a Mac keyboard, F1 to F12 control the brightness, the sound and more, unless you hold fn. To make them function keys, turn on “Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys” in System Settings ▸ Keyboard ▸ Keyboard Shortcuts ▸ Function Keys.
Typing filters the pane
Type a few letters, and the pane shows only the names that match. Esc shows them all again.
No plugins
Dirnex has no plugins. What they usually add, such as archives, servers and viewers, is built in, and your own shell scripts run from the palette or a function key.
Set it up like Total Commander
- Download Dirnex and drag it to your Applications folder.
- In Settings ▸ Shortcuts, choose the Total Commander set of keys, so ⇧F6 renames too.
- Turn on the standard function keys, as above, or hold fn when you press one.
- Give Dirnex Full Disk Access when it asks, so it can open every folder. Why it asks
Total Commander is a trademark of Christian Ghisler. Dirnex is an independent app: it isn’t made by him or connected with him.