Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Caja VS Thunar

Compare Caja VS Thunar and see what are their differences

Caja logo Caja

Caja, the file manager for the MATE desktop

Thunar logo Thunar

Thunar is a modern file manager for the Xfce Desktop Environment.
  • Caja Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-25
  • Thunar Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-25

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.

Thunar features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Thunar is a file manager designed to be fast and low on system resource usage, making it suitable for older hardware or systems with limited resources.
  • Simple Interface
    Thunar offers a clean and straightforward user interface, which makes it easy for users to navigate and manage files without a steep learning curve.
  • Extensible
    Thunar supports plugins, allowing users to extend its functionality with additional features like bulk renaming or adding custom actions.
  • Integration with Xfce
    Thunar is the default file manager for the Xfce desktop environment, ensuring tight integration and consistent behavior across the desktop.
  • Custom Actions
    Users can configure custom actions that appear in the context menu, providing a level of personalization and flexibility in daily file management tasks.

Possible disadvantages of Thunar

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Compared to other file managers, Thunar lacks some advanced features like integrated terminal panels or advanced search capabilities.
  • Slower Development
    Thunar's development cycle can be slower compared to other file managers, which might result in delays in new features and bug fixes.
  • Less Customizable
    While Thunar does offer some level of customization, it is not as customizable as some other file managers that allow more extensive interface and functionality tweaks.
  • Dependent on Xfce Components
    Thunar relies on various Xfce components, which might lead to dependencies that are less desirable if you are not using Xfce as your desktop environment.
  • Limited Network Browsing
    Thunar’s capabilities for network browsing and managing remote files are not as robust as some other file managers, which may be a limitation for certain users.

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

Thunar videos

Showing Thunar file browsers preferences

More videos:

  • Review - Comparing File Managers - Nautilus Versus Thunar Versus Nemo
  • Review - Add Custom Actions to Thunar File Manager

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Caja and Thunar)
FTP Client
35 35%
65% 65
File Manager
33 33%
67% 67
File Management
45 45%
55% 55
File Explorer
31 31%
69% 69

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Thunar seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 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.

Thunar mentions (4)

What are some alternatives?

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

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

Midnight Commander - GNU Midnight Commander is a visual file manager, licensed under GNU General Public License and...

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

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 .

fman - An unexpected gift. January 07, 2018 by Michael. One of the nice things that happened last week was an fman user writing in to say that 1) fman "is THE BEST SOFTWARE" (sic). And that 2) he would like to send me a $50 tip.

Polo - Polo is a modern, dynamic and powerful file manager for Linux operating systems, written in Vala. It attempts to fold in several drive/devices management functions similar to Windows Explorer, and offers several innovative display layouts.