head to head · open source
Files vs MaterialFiles
Files has 46,513 GitHub stars, 3,015 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped today. MaterialFiles has 9,404 stars, 786 forks, 611 open issues and last shipped 22 days ago. Files leads on adoption by 395% (46,513 vs 9,404 stars). Files is written in C# under MIT; MaterialFiles is written in Kotlin under GPL-3.0. Files has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, MaterialFiles 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 | MaterialFiles | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 47K | ★ 9.4K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C# | Kotlin |
| Last push | 2026-11-06 | 2026-10-15 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.0K | ⑂ 786 |
| 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 MaterialFiles if
- You want the MaterialFiles feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Kotlin
- You evaluated both and MaterialFiles 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…
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About MaterialFiles
Material Files 本文中文版 An open source Material Design file manager, for Android 5.0+. Help translation on Transifex (Search Android & GNOME translations, Microsoft language resources, MIME type translations) Preview Features Open source: Lightweight, clean and secure. Material Design: Follows Material Design guidelines, with attention into details. Breadcrumbs: Navigate in the filesystem with ease. Root support: View and manage files with root access. Archive support: View, extract and create common compressed files. NAS support: View and manage files on FTP, SFTP, SMB and WebDAV servers. Themes: Customizable UI…
read the full MaterialFiles overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Files or MaterialFiles more popular?
Files has 46,513 GitHub stars and MaterialFiles has 9,404. Files has the larger community by that measure.
Are Files and MaterialFiles free?
Both are open source. Files is licensed under MIT and MaterialFiles under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Files and MaterialFiles?
Files is written in C# and MaterialFiles in Kotlin. 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 MaterialFiles?
Choose Files if you want the larger community (46,513 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose MaterialFiles if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.