head to head · open source
nnn vs Edge-Drop
nnn has 22,108 GitHub stars, 834 forks, 1 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Edge-Drop has 746 stars, 48 forks, 22 open issues and last shipped yesterday. nnn leads on adoption by 2,864% (22,108 vs 746 stars). nnn is written in C under BSD-2-Clause; Edge-Drop is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. nnn has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, Edge-Drop 6%. Edge-Drop was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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 | Edge-Drop | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 22K | ★ 746 |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | C | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-01 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 834 | ⑂ 48 |
| 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 Edge-Drop if
- You want the Edge-Drop feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Edge-Drop 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 Edge-Drop
Edge Drop Zero click, hover activated clipboard shelf and desktop file transfer hub with native OS integration. Lives invisibly on the screen edge. Approach it, and it springs open. Drag anything out — anywhere. Download • Why • Demos • Features • Quick Start • Architecture • Sponsor • Contributing Why Every clipboard manager on the market breaks your flow. You copy something, switch apps, paste, then hunt through Win+V history with arrow keys or dig into a tray menu. Multi step. Modal. Slow. Edge Drop removes the friction. It anchors to the screen edge of your monitor as a transparent, always on top, click…
read the full Edge-Drop overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is nnn or Edge-Drop more popular?
nnn has 22,108 GitHub stars and Edge-Drop has 746. nnn has the larger community by that measure.
Are nnn and Edge-Drop free?
Both are open source. nnn is licensed under BSD-2-Clause and Edge-Drop under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between nnn and Edge-Drop?
nnn is written in C and Edge-Drop in TypeScript. 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 Edge-Drop?
Choose nnn if you want the larger community (22,108 stars) or its BSD-2-Clause licence terms. Choose Edge-Drop if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.