Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience our own tag's counts — open to see them
–Visits
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · visits, page views and clicks counted by our own tag, which counts more than our checked analytics; every figure rounded down · how we count

Head-to-head · Terminal File Managers

Rat Commander vs Yazi

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 8 checks side by side
Higher score Rat Commander #2 in Terminal File Managers 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 7 of 7 features Visit Rat Commander
Yazi #4 in Terminal File Managers 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 7 features Visit Yazi

Rat Commander leads on 0 checks, Yazi on 0, and 8 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 scoreRat Commander · 9.2/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresRat Commander · 7 of 7

Rat Commander scores higher on our rubric for terminal file managers: 9.2 against 8.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #4.

Rat Commander is the better fit for power users needing deep file operations. Yazi is the better fit for fast, extensible archive-focused navigation.

  • Rat Commander fits best

    Power users needing deep file operations

  • Yazi fits best

    Fast, extensible archive-focused navigation

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 Rat Commander 9.2/10 Visit ↗ Yazi 8.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.9
Ranking #2 in Terminal File Managers #4 in Terminal File Managers
Best for Power users needing deep file operations Fast, extensible archive-focused navigation
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux Linux, Windows, macOS
Support Docs Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business
Features Rat Commander 7/7 · Yazi 1/7
Dual-pane layout ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Linux support ✓ (best) Not checked yet
macOS support ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Windows support ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Preview pane ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Remote file access ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Archive support ✓ ✓
Our review
Pros
  • Dual-pane workflows with vertical or horizontal splits
  • Remote filesystems, archives, Git, synchronization, and comparisons
  • Free, open-source packages for Linux, macOS, and Windows
  • Asynchronous operations include progress reporting and cancellation.
  • Archives, rich previews, tabs, search, and bulk renaming are built in.
  • Runs across Linux, macOS, and Windows with plugins and Git integration.
Cons
  • Terminal-based workflows may not suit users who prefer graphical file managers
  • Linux disk management features are not listed for macOS or Windows
  • Its broad toolset may exceed the needs of users seeking basic file browsing
  • The terminal-first design will not suit users seeking a graphical file manager.
  • The project is in public beta and may introduce breaking changes.
  • Its broader workflows depend on command-line tools and plugin configuration.
Our verdict

Rat Commander is a terminal-based file manager for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It is designed for users who prefer keyboard-driven navigation and want file operations, viewing, editing, archives, remote filesystems, Git, and disk utilities…

Read the review →

Yazi is an open-source, terminal-based file manager written in Rust for users who manage files primarily from the command line. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and combines core navigation with asynchronous file operations, task…

Read the review →
  1. Rat CommanderTerminal File Managers 9.2Free plan
  2. YaziTerminal File Managers 8.9Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Rat Commander — where it wins

    • Dual-pane workflows with vertical or horizontal splits
    • Remote filesystems, archives, Git, synchronization, and comparisons
    • Free, open-source packages for Linux, macOS, and Windows

    Where it doesn't

    • Terminal-based workflows may not suit users who prefer graphical file managers
    • Linux disk management features are not listed for macOS or Windows
    • Its broad toolset may exceed the needs of users seeking basic file browsing

  • Yazi — where it wins

    • Asynchronous operations include progress reporting and cancellation.
    • Archives, rich previews, tabs, search, and bulk renaming are built in.
    • Runs across Linux, macOS, and Windows with plugins and Git integration.

    Where it doesn't

    • The terminal-first design will not suit users seeking a graphical file manager.
    • The project is in public beta and may introduce breaking changes.
    • Its broader workflows depend on command-line tools and plugin configuration.

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