dua-cli
Focus: storage cleanup and command line. Shares disk usage and terminal with nnn. Adds Windows. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Desktop App
nnn
A tiny file manager that runs in your terminal.
Rating
4.6 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Intermediate
Works on
macOS, Linux
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is nnn?
nnn is a full-featured terminal file manager that its README describes as small, at about 150 KiB, and needing almost no configuration. It can analyse disk usage, rename files in batches, launch apps and act as a file picker, and plugins add things like live previews, disk mounting and archive handling.
Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.
Pros: what nnn does well
- Very small and quick to start
- Batch rename and disk usage built in
- Plugins add previews and archive tools
Cons: where it falls short
- Keyboard driven, so it takes time to learn
- No graphical window
Who nnn is for
People who move many files around and like working from the keyboard.
Who can skip it
Anyone happy with a normal mouse-driven file explorer.
nnn alternatives
Not sold on nnn? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
Broot
Focus: navigation and command line. Shares file manager and terminal with nnn. Adds Windows. Rated 4.5 (nnn: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Double Commander
Focus: dual pane. Shares file manager and batch rename with nnn. Adds Windows and Offline. Rated 4.5 (nnn: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
duf
Focus: command line and storage. Shares disk usage and terminal with nnn. Adds Windows. Rated 4.5 (nnn: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Dust
Focus: storage and du alternative. Shares disk usage and terminal with nnn. Adds Windows. Rated 4.5 (nnn: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
gdu
Focus: storage and cleanup. Shares disk usage and terminal with nnn. Adds Windows. Rated 4.5 (nnn: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Free alternatives to nnn
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
eza
Focus: file listing, command line and ls alternative. Shares terminal and open source with nnn. Adds Windows. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
lf
Focus: keyboard shortcuts and command line. Shares file manager and terminal with nnn. Adds Windows. Rated 4.5 (nnn: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
fd
Focus: file search, command line and developer tool. Shares open source and github with nnn. Adds Windows and Offline. Rated 4.7 (nnn: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
restic
Focus: backup, encryption and snapshots. Shares open source and github with nnn. Adds Windows. Rated 4.7 (nnn: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
BorgBackup
Focus: backup, encryption and deduplication. Shares open source and github with nnn. Adds Windows. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Etcher
Focus: usb, sd card and disk image. Shares open source and github with nnn. Adds Windows. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Are you the maker of nnn?Get a free Featured badge for your site, a share image and ready-to-paste posts. No sign-up.
Free Notion database
1,100+ ways people are making money online
Real online businesses, creators and projects, broken down by how they make money: apps, online stores, AI tools and more. Free on Gumroad.
Get the free databaseFree Notion database
399+ ways to make money online
Hundreds of online income methods in one place, so you can compare options and pick one to try. Free on Gumroad.
Get the free listFor research and ideas only. Results vary and nothing here is a promise of income. See our Disclaimer.
Weekly newsletter
Everything new, every Monday.
One short email every Monday with everything shipped that week: new free tools and websites, new guides, new free browser tools and what's new in my free Gumroad libraries, plus how the site is growing. Free, and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Join the newsletterYou sign up on Gumroad, which stores your email to send the newsletter. See our Privacy Policy.