nnn
7.8#7 in file manager softwareFree planFree planAndroidLinuxmacOSWindows
Visitnnn vs pointer
What both publish
| Fact | nnn | pointer |
|---|---|---|
| Archive support | Yes | Yes |
| Dependencies | Optional integrations include sshfs and rclone for remote mounts, gio trash or trash-cli for trash, and advcpmv for copy and move progress. | Rust and Cargo are required to build from source; optional runtime tools include bat, fzf, ImageMagick, pdftotext, git, xclip, locate, navi, and curl. |
| Dual-pane layout | No | Yes |
| File operations | It can analyze disk usage, batch rename, launch apps, pick files, and copy, move, delete, archive, and link selections. | It supports asynchronous copy and move operations and undo for delete, move, rename, copy, symlink, permissions, and bulk rename. |
| Integrations | Remote mounts can use sshfs or rclone, and nnn supports desktop openers, shell integration, and FreeDesktop-compliant trash utilities. | The README lists fzf, navi, locate, git, bat, ImageMagick, pdftotext, xclip, and curl as integrations or optional runtime dependencies. |
| License | The GitHub repository identifies the project license as BSD-2-Clause. | The project is released under the Unlicense, described on the page as public domain. |
| Linux support | Yes | Yes |
| macOS support | Yes | Yes |
| Plugins | Language-agnostic plugins can add capabilities such as live previews, disk mounting, file comparison, and uploads. | Its plugin system uses JSON manifests to bind external commands to keys. |
| Preview pane | Yes | Yes |
| Product | nnn is a full-featured terminal file manager designed to be small, fast, and nearly zero-configuration. | Pointer is a Rust terminal file manager and feature clone of RTFM. |
| Remote file access | Yes | Yes |
nnn plans
- FreeFree
pointer plans
- PointerFree
Pick nnn if…
nnn suits people who want file management from a terminal, from beginners to power users. Its plugins and optional integrations also fit users who want to extend file workflows.
Pick pointer if…
Pointer suits Linux or macOS users who want a terminal-based file manager with archive browsing, previews, and remote SSH/SFTP access. It may also fit users who want file picking or command plugins for other tools.