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Head-to-head · Terminal File Managers

Yazi vs far2l

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Yazi #4 in Terminal File Managers 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 7 features Visit Yazi
far2l #6 in Terminal File Managers 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 7 features Visit far2l

Yazi leads on 0 checks, far2l on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreYazi · 8.9/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresfar2l · 4 of 7

Yazi scores higher on our rubric for terminal file managers: 8.9 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #6.

Yazi is the better fit for fast, extensible archive-focused navigation. far2l is the better fit for linux and macOS users managing many remotes.

  • Yazi fits best

    Fast, extensible archive-focused navigation

  • 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 Yazi 8.9/10 Visit ↗ far2l 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.7
Ranking #4 in Terminal File Managers #6 in Terminal File Managers
Best for Fast, extensible archive-focused navigation 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 Linux, Windows, macOS Linux, macOS
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs
Integrations 9 integrations 11 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business Solo, Small business
Features Yazi 1/7 · far2l 4/7
Dual-pane layout Not checked yet Not checked yet
Linux support Not checked yet ✓ (best)
macOS support Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Windows support Not checked yet —
Preview pane Not checked yet Not checked yet
Remote file access Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Archive support ✓ ✓
Our review
Pros
  • 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.
  • 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
  • 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.
  • 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

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 →

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. YaziTerminal File Managers 8.9Free plan
  2. far2lTerminal File Managers 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • 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.

  • 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
  • Yazi8.9/10 · Free plan

    A fast, extensible terminal file manager with strong archive and preview support.

    Visit YaziFull 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