Rat Commander
7.6#4 in file managersFree planFree planLinuxmacOSWindows
VisitRat Commander vs RTFM
What both publish
| Fact | Rat Commander | RTFM |
|---|---|---|
| Archive support | Yes | Yes |
| Dual-pane layout | Yes | Yes |
| File operations | It supports file copy, move, delete, permissions, ownership, symlinks, and directory creation. | It supports bulk file operations, pattern-based bulk rename, optional trash with restore, and undo for common operations. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| License | The project is licensed under GNU General Public License version 2, GPL-2.0-only. | The repository identifies the license as Unlicense and describes the software as public domain. |
| Linux support | Yes | Yes |
| macOS support | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | The maker lists Linux, macOS, and Windows; its README notes that Windows lacks Drive Manager and Network Connections. | The installation instructions list Ubuntu/Debian, Arch Linux derivatives, and macOS. |
| Preview pane | Yes | Yes |
| Product | Rat Commander is a self-contained, two-panel terminal file manager written in Rust with Ratatui. | RTFM is a feature-rich terminal file manager written in pure Ruby. |
| Remote file access | Yes | Yes |
| Support | The project links to GitHub Issues for reporting issues. | The maker invites bug reports and feature requests through the GitHub issues page and code contributions through pull requests. |
Rat Commander plans
- Rat CommanderFree
RTFM plans
- FreeFree
Pick Rat Commander if…
Rat Commander may suit terminal users who want file management alongside editing, Git, remote filesystems, and system utilities. It is available on Linux, macOS, and Windows, with some disk and network tools limited to Linux.
Pick RTFM if…
RTFM suits Linux and macOS power users who want a terminal-based file manager with SSH/SFTP workflows, undo, and previews. Its OpenAI features are optional and require a user-configured API key.