elio
What it is
elio is a free, open-source terminal file manager for Linux, macOS, Windows and self-hosted use. Its interface provides Places, Files and Preview panes, with grid or list views and keyboard or mouse navigation. It previews text, code, documents, archives, media and other file types, including inline images in supported terminals. Remote file access and archive support are included. Users can create and extract common archives, find duplicates, and trash, restore or permanently delete files. Shell wrappers for bash, zsh, fish and Nushell can return the shell to the browsed directory when elio closes. Optional zoxide integration offers a picker based on recorded directory history. elio works without extra tools; Poppler, FFmpeg, resvg and 7-Zip add preview or archive capabilities. Installation methods cover major Linux distributions, Homebrew on macOS, FreeBSD and Cargo. It can serve as a file chooser on Linux and FreeBSD.
For and against
For
- Free and open source
- Previews many file types
- Inline images in supported terminals
- Archive, duplicate and trash operations
- Shell and zoxide integrations
Against
- Inline image support depends on terminal compatibility
- Richer previews require optional tools
- No dual-pane layout
The verdict
elio offers broad terminal file handling with previews, archives and familiar shell integrations at no cost. Its capabilities depend partly on terminal support and optional utilities.
Who it suits
It suits terminal-oriented users who want previews and file operations across Linux, macOS or Windows. Self-hosted users and those needing a configurable file chooser may also benefit.
Plans and prices
elio
No paid plan or usage limits stated on the opened pages
Read 7 Oct 2026 · elio-fm.github.io
On the record
- Archive support
- Yeselio-fm.github.io · read 21 Sep 2026
- Dual-pane layout
- Noelio-fm.github.io · read 21 Sep 2026
- File chooser
- elio can be configured as the file chooser on Linux and FreeBSD.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- File operations
- It supports creating and extracting common archive formats, duplicate finding, and trashing, restoring, or permanently deleting files.elio-fm.github.io · read 7 Oct 2026
- File previews
- It previews text, code, documents, archives, media, and other file types, with inline image rendering in supported terminals.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Layout and navigation
- It has Places, Files, and Preview panes, grid and list views, and supports keyboard and mouse navigation.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Linux support
- Yeselio-fm.github.io · read 21 Sep 2026
- macOS support
- Yeselio-fm.github.io · read 21 Sep 2026
- Preview dependencies
- elio works out of the box, while optional Poppler, FFmpeg, resvg, and 7-Zip tools add richer previews and archive support.elio-fm · read 7 Oct 2026
- Preview pane
- Yeselio-fm.github.io · read 21 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- elio is a terminal file manager with rich previews, inline images, bulk actions, and trash support.elio-fm.github.io · read 7 Oct 2026
- Remote file access
- Yeselio-fm.github.io · read 21 Sep 2026
- Security reporting
- The project asks reporters to use GitHub private vulnerability reporting and says it aims to acknowledge new reports within 7 days.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Security scope
- The security policy describes elio as a local terminal file manager that does not run a server, accept remote logins, or intentionally process untrusted network requests.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Shell integration
- Shell wrappers for bash, zsh, fish, and Nushell can leave the shell in the directory browsed when elio exits.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Supported systems
- The install page lists packages or installation methods for Arch, Fedora, Debian and Ubuntu-based Linux, macOS through Homebrew, FreeBSD, and Cargo.elio-fm.github.io · read 7 Oct 2026
- Support policy
- Security fixes are provided for the latest released version of elio.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Terminal compatibility
- Inline image previews are listed as supported in terminals including Kitty, Ghostty, Rio, Warp, WezTerm, iTerm2, Konsole, foot, and Windows Terminal.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
