head to head · open source
Files vs doublecmd
Files has 46,547 GitHub stars, 3,019 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped yesterday. doublecmd has 4,740 stars, 383 forks, 634 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Files leads on adoption by 882% (46,547 vs 4,740 stars). Files is written in C# under MIT; doublecmd is written in Pascal under GPL-2.0. Files has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, doublecmd 8%. Files was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (file-manager), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Files | doublecmd | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 47K | ★ 4.7K |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | C# | Pascal |
| Last push | 2026-11-09 | 2026-11-08 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.0K | ⑂ 383 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Files if
- You weight community size — 47K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick doublecmd if
- You want the doublecmd feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Pascal
- You evaluated both and doublecmd fits your workflow better
About Files
Files is a modern file manager that helps users organize their files and folders. Our mission with Files is to build the best file manager for Windows, and we’re proud to be building it out in the open so everyone can participate. User feedback helps shape the features we work on, & the bug reports on GitHub help to make Files more reliable. Built and maintained by the open source community, Files features robust multitasking experiences, file tags, deep integrations, and an intuitive design. Installing and running Files Files is a community driven project that depends on your support to grow and improve. Please…
read the full Files overview →
About doublecmd
Double Commander is a free cross platform open source file manager with two panels side by side (or one above the other). It is inspired by Total Commander and features some innovative new ideas. Double Commander can be run on several platforms and operating systems. It supports 32 bit and 64 bit processors. See Supported platforms for a complete list. See Double Commander in action in the Screenshot Gallery. Where to start Download Go to the Double Commander download page to download the latest release. You can check the latest version on the Versions page. See if Double Commander is supported for your platform…
read the full doublecmd overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Files or doublecmd more popular?
Files has 46,547 GitHub stars and doublecmd has 4,740. Files has the larger community by that measure.
Are Files and doublecmd free?
Both are open source. Files is licensed under MIT and doublecmd under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Files and doublecmd?
Files is written in C# and doublecmd in Pascal. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Files or doublecmd?
Choose Files if you want the larger community (46,547 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose doublecmd if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.