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Head-to-head · Terminal File Managers

Newt vs far2l

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 8 checks side by side
Higher score Newt #1 in Terminal File Managers 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 7 of 7 features Visit Newt
far2l #6 in Terminal File Managers 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 7 features Visit far2l

Newt leads on 1 check, far2l on 0, and 7 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 8 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreNewt · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresNewt · 7 of 7

Newt scores higher on our rubric for terminal file managers: 9.4 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #6.

Newt offers windows support; far2l doesn't.

Newt is the better fit for cross-platform remote and local file management. far2l is the better fit for linux and macOS users managing many remotes.

  • Newt fits best

    Cross-platform remote and local file management

  • far2l fits best

    Linux and macOS users managing many remotes

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Newt 9.4/10 Visit ↗ far2l 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.7
Ranking #1 in Terminal File Managers #6 in Terminal File Managers
Best for Cross-platform remote and local file management Linux and macOS users managing many remotes
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Self-hosted, Desktop
Platforms macOS, Linux, Windows Linux, macOS
Support Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 7 integrations 11 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Solo, Small business
Features Newt 7/7 · far2l 4/7
Dual-pane layout ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Linux support ✓ ✓
macOS support ✓ ✓
Windows support ✓ (best) —
Preview pane ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Remote file access ✓ ✓
Archive support ✓ ✓
Our review
Pros
  • Dual panes support side-by-side file operations
  • Works with SSH, S3, SFTP, containers, Kubernetes, and WSL
  • Browses archives and supports recursive filename and content search
  • Remote access covers SFTP, SCP, FTP, FTPS, SMB, NFS, WebDAV, and AWS S3
  • Plugins support archives, comparisons, viewing, editing, image viewing, and scripting
  • Offers terminal, wxWidgets, and SDL backends with open-source extensibility
Cons
  • Currently distributed as nightly development snapshots
  • Keyboard-first workflows may not suit mouse-led file management
  • Its broad remote support can mean more configuration across environments
  • Verified platform support is limited to Linux and macOS
  • The project describes its beta version as unstable on master
  • Plugin-based configuration may require more setup than simpler file managers
Our verdict

Newt is a keyboard-first, two-pane file manager for macOS, Linux, and Windows. It is aimed at people who want one interface for local filesystem work and remote locations, including SSH sessions, S3 and SFTP filesystems, containers,…

Read the review →

far2l is an open-source file manager for Linux and macOS, designed for users who need more than local directory navigation. It combines terminal interfaces with graphical wxWidgets and SDL backends, while plugins extend its work across…

Read the review →
  1. NewtTerminal File Managers 9.4Free plan
  2. far2lTerminal File Managers 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Newt — where it wins

    • Dual panes support side-by-side file operations
    • Works with SSH, S3, SFTP, containers, Kubernetes, and WSL
    • Browses archives and supports recursive filename and content search

    Where it doesn't

    • Currently distributed as nightly development snapshots
    • Keyboard-first workflows may not suit mouse-led file management
    • Its broad remote support can mean more configuration across environments

  • far2l — where it wins

    • Remote access covers SFTP, SCP, FTP, FTPS, SMB, NFS, WebDAV, and AWS S3
    • Plugins support archives, comparisons, viewing, editing, image viewing, and scripting
    • Offers terminal, wxWidgets, and SDL backends with open-source extensibility

    Where it doesn't

    • Verified platform support is limited to Linux and macOS
    • The project describes its beta version as unstable on master
    • Plugin-based configuration may require more setup than simpler file managers
  • Newt9.4/10 · Free plan

    A free, open-source file manager for local work, remote sessions, archives, and search.

    Visit NewtFull verdict →
  • far2l8.7/10 · Free plan

    A plugin-rich file manager for local files, archives, comparisons, and many remote systems.

    Visit far2lFull verdict →

More comparisons

All terminal file managers comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update