5 reasons you should be using XtraFinder on your Mac

Finder has been a default file manager on macOS for years, but it struggles with complex workflows. Although it handles basic tasks mostly fine, it lacks features like a dual-pane view, and some of the behaviors are a bit unusual if you’re coming from a different operating system.

Many Finder alternatives exist, but they often come with a hefty price tag, and not everyone wants to spend a buck on something Apple should have fixed ages ago. XtraFinder stands out as a free tool that adds those essential features that Finder should have. With that said, here are six reasons why you should use XtraFinder on your Mac.

5

Keyboard navigation feels much more natural

Finder makes some weird decisions

Right off the bat, one of the biggest, yet smallest reasons to use XtraFinder is the fact that it basically fixes keyboard navigation in Finder. One of the most frustrating things about Apple’s solution is that it doesn’t work with some keyboard shortcuts you’re probably used to on other platforms. For example, if you’re browsing your files with your keyboard and you press Enter to open a folder, Finder tries to rename it, rather than open it.

XtraFinder fixes these problems. With this tool, you can make it so that pressing Enter over a selected file or folder will always open that item, rather than attempt to rename it. Another very useful change has to do with cutting and pasting content. XtraFinder makes it so that you can cut a file or folder using the Command + X shortcut, equivalent to Ctrl + X on Windows, which makes it much easier to move files around without having to worry about duplicates.

If you’ve used macOS all your life, maybe this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but coming from Windows, it makes a huge difference in how I use my Mac.

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4

Dual pane mode

Bye to dragging between windows

I used to waste so much time dragging files between Finder, which felt like a chore. Fortunately, XtraFinder’s Dual Pane mode allows you to open two folders side-by-side. This makes it easy to organize files without constantly switching between windows, saving you time.

Additionally, with XtraFinder, you can split the panes horizontally or vertically, depending on what feels right. And with a mouse, you can middle-click sidebar items to open them in the second pane. It’s a simple tweak that makes a huge difference. Once you get used to it, there is no going back.

Panes also play well with the tab support in Finder, so you can easily manange which two folders you’re viewing at any given time.

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3

Arrange folders on top

Take control of your Finder experience

Coming from Windows, I found it annoying that macOS mixes files and folders when sorting. You can kind of fix this withb an option in Finder that keeps folders on top, but this only works when soprting items by name, which is a baffling limitation.

XtraFinder fixes this with its “Arrange Folders on Top” feature, which keeps all folders neatly grouped above individual files for all sorting conditions. Whether you’re sorting your files by date, name, or size, you’ll always see folders first, just like how File Explorer handles things on Windows 11. This might seem like a minor change, but it is helpful, particularly when managing large media libraries. Hopefully, Apple will fix this at some point, but you don’t have to stand around and wait for it to happen when XtraFinder can fix it for you.

Plus more toolbar customization

The right-click menu in Finder has always felt a bit lacking, but XtraFinder does more than the basics by letting you pack your context menu with genuinely valuable actions. There are a lot of things you can add to the context menu to make it more useful, such as the ability to cut and paste files, compress files into specific archive formats, or permanently delete files.

And for developers? This is a game-changer. Options like “New Terminal,” “Launch as Root,” and “Copy Path” make navigating projects so much easier. Of course, if you prefer the command line’s speed efficiency, you might find these essential macOS terminal commands helpful. Even better, you can assign custom keyboard shortcuts to these actions, keeping everything just a keystroke away. Whether you want these shortcuts to work just in Finder or system-wide, XtraFinder gives you full control.

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1

XtraFinder is free to use

The price is hard to beat

Unlike some Finder alternatives like Forklift, XtraFinder is completely free to use. Better still, it’s so lightweight you’ll hardly notice it’s there. But it’s worth noting that the installation process can be a bit tricky, especially if you aren’t used to downloading apps from third-party sites. It took me a while to figure out how to get it done, even though it came with some instructions. I had to restart my Mac in recovery mode and disable some security settings for the installation to work properly. And you’ll also need to know your way around Terminal because you’ll have to feed it some commands as part of the final steps.

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Give XtraFinder a trial for more efficient file management

Apple might be pushing macOS toward a more streamlined, mobile-inspired experience, but XtraFinder should be in your toolkit as long as Finder stays limited. At least, it fills in the gaps Apple has left behind, making file management faster and more enjoyable.

It does come with the downside of requiring some setup and disabling some security settings, which can make it hard to recommend for everyone, but the features it offers may just be worth the risk, especially if you’re otherwise carefully with how you use your computer. Give XtraFinder a shot — you almost certainly won’t regret it.