head to head · open source
nnn vs curbox-android
nnn has 22,107 GitHub stars, 834 forks, 1 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. curbox-android has 1,489 stars, 174 forks, 31 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. nnn leads on adoption by 1,385% (22,107 vs 1,489 stars). nnn is written in C under BSD-2-Clause; curbox-android is written in Kotlin under GPL-3.0. nnn has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, curbox-android 12%. nnn was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (android), 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
| nnn | curbox-android | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 22K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | C | Kotlin |
| Last push | 2026-11-01 | 2026-11-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 834 | ⑂ 174 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick nnn if
- You weight community size — 22K stars and counting
- You want the BSD-2-Clause license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick curbox-android if
- You want the curbox-android 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 curbox-android fits your workflow better
About nnn
nnn Supercharge your productivity! [ Features ] $ $ [ Quickstart ] $ $ [ Plugins ] $ $ [ Wiki ] nnn ( n³ ) is a full featured terminal file manager. It's tiny ( 150 KiB), nearly 0 config and incredibly fast. It is designed to be unobtrusive with smart workflows to match the trains of thought. nnn can analyze disk usage, batch rename, launch apps and pick files. The plugin repository has tons of plugins to extend the capabilities further e.g. live previews, (un)mount disks, find & list, file/dir diff, upload files. A patch framework hosts sizable user submitted patches which are subjective in nature. Independent…
About curbox-android
Curbox Curbox (formerly Digipauwse) is a powerful open source utility for Android built to help you reclaim your time and master your digital habits. It provides a suite of tools designed to break the cycle of screen addiction through granular control and deep insights. Screenshots Click on any image to enlarge it. Why Curbox Stands Out Most screen time tools are closed source. This raises concerns about your private usage data being tracked or sold. Curbox takes a different path. Open Source Transparency The entire codebase is public. Anyone can verify how the app works. This ensures there are no hidden…
read the full curbox-android overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is nnn or curbox-android more popular?
nnn has 22,107 GitHub stars and curbox-android has 1,489. nnn has the larger community by that measure.
Are nnn and curbox-android free?
Both are open source. nnn is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and curbox-android under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between nnn and curbox-android?
nnn is written in C and curbox-android 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, nnn or curbox-android?
Choose nnn if you want the larger community (22,107 stars) or its BSD-2-Clause licence terms. Choose curbox-android if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.