head to head · open source
Files vs FarManager
Files has 45,796 GitHub stars, 2,946 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped 9 days ago. FarManager has 2,232 stars, 248 forks, 156 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Files leads on adoption by 1,952% (45,796 vs 2,232 stars). Files is written in C# under MIT; FarManager is written in C++ under BSD-3-Clause. Files has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, FarManager 11%. FarManager 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 | FarManager | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 2.2K |
| License | MIT | BSD-3-Clause |
| Written in | C# | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-24 | 2026-10-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.9K | ⑂ 248 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Files if
- You weight community size — 46K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick FarManager if
- You want the FarManager feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the BSD-3-Clause license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and FarManager fits your workflow better
About Files
Files is a modern, MIT licensed file manager for Windows, written in C and maintained by an open source community, for Windows users who want a customizable, actively developed alternative for organising files and folders.
read the full Files overview →
About FarManager
Far Manager is a text mode file and archive manager for Windows, built in C++ under a BSD 3 Clause licence, aimed at users and administrators who prefer a keyboard driven console interface for file operations and who want to extend the tool through plugins.
read the full FarManager overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Files or FarManager more popular?
Files has 45,796 GitHub stars and FarManager has 2,232. Files has the larger community by that measure.
Are Files and FarManager free?
Both are open source. Files is licensed under MIT and FarManager under BSD-3-Clause. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Files and FarManager?
Files is written in C# and FarManager in C++. 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 FarManager?
Choose Files if you want the larger community (45,796 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose FarManager if its feature set, stack or BSD-3-Clause licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.