Best pointer Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from terminal file managers ranked against pointer on the same published basis.
- 1pointer vs Rat Commander
- 2pointer vs Newt
- 3pointer vs nnn
- 4pointer vs FileManagerTUI
- 5pointer vs far2l
- 6pointer vs RTFM
- 7pointer vs Clifm
- 8pointer vs Zeta
- 10pointer vs Broot
- 11pointer vs superfile
- 12pointer vs Yazi
- 13pointer vs Vifm
- 14pointer vs Runa
- 15pointer vs TUIFIManager
- 16pointer vs Midnight Commander
- 17pointer vs Far Manager
- 18pointer vs elio
- 19pointer vs cfiles
- 20pointer vs Joshuto
- 21pointer vs xplr
pointer alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rat Commander | 8.2 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 2 | Newt | 8.1 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 3 | nnn | 8.1 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Android |
| 4 | FileManagerTUI | 8.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 5 | far2l | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac |
| 6 | RTFM | 7.7 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac |
| 7 | Clifm | 7.7 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Android |
| 8 | Zeta | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 10 | Broot | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 11 | superfile | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 12 | Yazi | 6.9 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 13 | Vifm | 6.9 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 14 | Runa | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 15 | TUIFIManager | 6.6 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android |
| 16 | Midnight Commander | 6.2 | No | — | Linux, Mac |
| 17 | Far Manager | 6.1 | No | — | Windows |
| 18 | elio | 6.1 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 19 | cfiles | 5.9 | No | — | Linux, Mac |
| 20 | Joshuto | 5.8 | No | — | Linux, Mac |
| 21 | xplr | 5.7 | No | — | Linux, Mac |
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Questions about pointer alternatives
What is the best alternative to pointer?
Rat Commander, number 1 in terminal file managers with a score of 8.2 out of 10. The others here: Newt, nnn, FileManagerTUI and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to pointer?
Rat Commander is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 9 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Is there an open-source alternative to pointer?
Yes: Newt, FileManagerTUI.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation.