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 nnn
- 3pointer vs FileManagerTUI
- 4pointer vs Broot
- 5pointer vs Clifm
- 6pointer vs elio
- 7pointer vs Newt
- 9pointer vs Runa
- 10pointer vs superfile
- 11pointer vs Zeta
- 12pointer vs far2l
- 13pointer vs FModel
- 14pointer vs Deepfence SecretScanner
- 15pointer vs xplr
- 16pointer vs Termix
- 17pointer vs Middle Manager
- 18pointer vs TUIFIManager
- 19pointer vs UnixTree
- 20pointer vs Vifm
- 21pointer vs Yazi
pointer alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rat Commander | 7.3 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 2 | nnn | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Android, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 3 | FileManagerTUI | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 4 | Broot | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 5 | Clifm | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Android, Linux, Mac |
| 6 | elio | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Windows |
| 7 | Newt | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 9 | Runa | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 10 | superfile | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 11 | Zeta | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 12 | far2l | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac |
| 13 | FModel | 6.7 | Free plan | Free | Windows |
| 14 | Deepfence SecretScanner | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Linux, self-hosted |
| 15 | xplr | 6.3 | No | — | Linux, Mac |
| 16 | Termix | 6.1 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux |
| 17 | Middle Manager | 6.0 | No | — | Mac, Linux |
| 18 | TUIFIManager | 6.0 | No | — | Windows, Mac, Linux, Android |
| 19 | UnixTree | 6.0 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 20 | Vifm | 6.0 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 21 | Yazi | 6.0 | No | — | Linux, Mac, Windows |
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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 7.3 out of 10. The others here: nnn, FileManagerTUI, Broot and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to pointer?
Rat Commander is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 13 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Is there an open-source alternative to pointer?
Yes: FileManagerTUI, Newt.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes: documentation depth, a free tier and the platforms it runs on.