Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Midnight Commander VS Thunar

Compare Midnight Commander VS Thunar and see what are their differences

Midnight Commander logo Midnight Commander

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

Thunar logo Thunar

Thunar is a modern file manager for the Xfce Desktop Environment.
  • Midnight Commander Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29
  • Thunar Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-25

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.

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.

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

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 Midnight Commander and Thunar)
File Manager
68 68%
32% 32
FTP Client
63 63%
37% 37
File Explorer
58 58%
42% 42
File Management
63 63%
37% 37

User comments

Share your experience with using Midnight Commander and Thunar. 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 should be more popular than Thunar. 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.

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 / 4 months ago
  • OpenBSD Desktop
    Midnight Commander is a good TUI file manager. https://midnight-commander.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Antonmedv/walk: Terminal file manager
    Was there something before https://midnight-commander.org/ or was that the OG? - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year 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: almost 2 years ago
View more

Thunar mentions (4)

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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

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

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.

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 .

Caja - Caja, the file manager for the MATE desktop