Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Caja VS Midnight Commander

Compare Caja VS Midnight Commander and see what are their differences

Caja logo Caja

Caja, the file manager for the MATE desktop

Midnight Commander logo Midnight Commander

GNU Midnight Commander is a visual file manager, licensed under GNU General Public License and...
  • Caja Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-25
  • Midnight Commander Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29

Caja features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Caja is known for being lightweight and fast, making it a good choice for systems with limited resources.
  • User-friendly Interface
    The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, providing a smooth user experience even for those new to Linux environments.
  • Integration with MATE Desktop
    Caja is the default file manager for the MATE desktop environment, offering seamless integration and consistent user experience across the system.
  • Extensible
    Caja supports various plugins and extensions, allowing users to customize and extend its functionality to better suit their needs.
  • Active Development
    It is actively maintained and developed by the MATE community, ensuring regular updates, improvements, and security patches.

Possible disadvantages of Caja

  • Limited Features Compared to Others
    While it is lightweight, Caja might lack some advanced features found in other file managers like advanced search options or built-in terminal integration.
  • Less Customizable Interface
    Caja offers fewer options for interface customization compared to other file managers, which might be a limitation for users who prefer highly personalized setups.
  • Dependency on MATE
    Optimal performance and features are best realized within the MATE desktop environment, which might restrict its appeal to users of other desktop environments.
  • Resource Usage in Larger Directories
    Caja may experience performance slow-downs when dealing with very large directories, which can affect user efficiency.
  • Plugin Availability
    While extensible, the range of available plugins might not be as extensive as those available for more popular file managers like Nautilus or Dolphin.

Midnight Commander features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Midnight Commander provides a text-based user interface that is relatively easy to navigate, unlike traditional command-line interfaces, which can be intimidating for new users.
  • Two-pane File Manager
    The dual-pane layout allows users to perform file operations such as moving and copying files between two locations effortlessly.
  • Built-in Editor
    Midnight Commander includes a built-in text editor (mcedit) that can be handy for quickly editing configuration files or scripts.
  • Connectivity Options
    It supports various network protocols like FTP, SFTP, and Samba, enabling users to manage files on remote systems as easily as on local drives.
  • Customizability
    Users can customize key bindings, color schemes, and panels to better suit their needs and workflow preferences.
  • Cross-Platform
    Midnight Commander is available on multiple operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows, offering a consistent experience across platforms.
  • Search Capabilities
    Advanced search options make it easy to find files and text within files, which is useful for a variety of tasks, from coding to administration.

Possible disadvantages of Midnight Commander

  • Limited GUI Features
    Being a text-based application, it lacks some of the graphical features and mouse interactions available in graphical file managers.
  • Learning Curve
    While more user-friendly than the command line, it still requires some time to learn and get accustomed to the various key bindings and functionalities.
  • Dependency on Terminal
    As a terminal-based application, it requires a terminal emulator, which might not be as efficient or convenient as using a native graphical application for some users.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    For complex file management tasks, it may not offer the advanced features or plugins available in more robust file managers.
  • No Built-in Preview
    Unlike some graphical file managers, it doesn't provide a built-in preview of files (like images or PDFs), which can be a drawback for certain use cases.
  • Dependency on Configuration Files
    Customization often necessitates editing configuration files manually, which could be a deterrent for users who are not comfortable with text-based configurations.

Caja videos

¡La caja más kawaii del mundo! SORTEO + Review - Kawaii Box ✎ Craftingeek

More videos:

  • Review - UNBOXING CAJA GIGANTE EXCLUSIVA - The Last of Us Parte 2
  • Review - Mini Caja Fuerte Mitzu BCF 2217 | Unboxing Review

Midnight Commander videos

EzeeLinux Show 18.15 | GNU Midnight Commander

More videos:

  • Review - 16 - Midnight Commander, Part 1 of 3
  • Review - Midnight Commander || Installation and short review || Ubuntu || Fedora

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Caja and Midnight Commander)
FTP Client
24 24%
76% 76
File Manager
19 19%
81% 81
File Management
33 33%
67% 67
File Explorer
23 23%
77% 77

User comments

Share your experience with using Caja and Midnight Commander. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Midnight Commander seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 28 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Caja mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Caja yet. Tracking of Caja recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Midnight Commander mentions (28)

  • Emacs 2024 Changes
    Dired as a cross-platform file manager. I used to use Midnight Commander but I found it buggy in the end (on MacOS). Since investing time in learning dired it's good enough. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • OpenBSD Desktop
    Midnight Commander is a good TUI file manager. https://midnight-commander.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Antonmedv/walk: Terminal file manager
    Was there something before https://midnight-commander.org/ or was that the OG? - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • How to move a directory to ../ if there is a directory with same name?
    Just use mc (midnight commander) it not only is a terminal based file manager but it will give you the command lines used to do so GNU MIDNIGHT COMMANDER. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • What's that email client doing here?
    Given that you can run shells in Emacs since those are text too, Emacs ends up becoming almost like a Lisp-powered tmux or mc. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Caja and Midnight Commander, you can also consider the following products

Thunar - Thunar is a modern file manager for the Xfce Desktop Environment.

Double Commander - Double Commander is a cross-platform open source file manager with two panels side by side.

Nemo - Nemo is the official file manager for the ...

Total Commander - A Shareware file manager for Windows® 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista/7, and Windows® 3.1.

Krusader - Krusader is an advanced twin panel (commander style) file manager for KDE and other desktops in the *nix world, similar to Midnight or Total Commander.‎Get your copy of the Krusader .

FreeCommander - FreeCommander is an easy-to-use alternative to the standard windows file manager. The program helps you with daily work in Windows. Here you can find all the necessary functions to manage your data stock.