Double Commander: free open source two-panel file manager for Windows, Linux and Mac
Official gallery screenshot shows Double Commander 1.1.9-332, not current 1.2.9. Hosted by publisher. https://doublecmd.sourceforge.io/gallery. Independent guide, not affiliated or sponsored.
Double Commander describes itself as a free, cross-platform, open source file manager with two panels side by side.
What it is
Double Commander is a file manager that shows two folders side by side (or one above the other), so you can copy and move files between them. Its README says it is "inspired by Total Commander and features some innovative new ideas".
Is it free?
Yes, per the project. The README calls it "a free cross-platform open source file manager", and the word "free" there links to the GNU definition of free software. The GitHub project lists the GPL-2.0 licence. No price appears on the pages we read, so there is nothing to convert to rupees.
What the pages list
- Two panels side by side, or one above the other.
- Support for 32-bit and 64-bit processors.
- Plugins. The wiki says it uses the Total Commander plugin API, so on Windows you can use Total Commander plugins.
- Examples of plugins on the wiki: one that shows camera data (aperture, exposure time) from JPG and Canon RAW files, and one that shows properties of OpenOffice documents.
Good to know, per the project
- Windows: the wiki says it works on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and 11.
- Linux: separate builds for GTK2, Qt5 and Qt6. The Qt builds need extra Pascal Qt libraries (libQt5Pas or libQt6Pas).
- macOS: Apple Silicon and x86_64 are both listed as fully supported. The wiki also shows a Homebrew install.
- It also lists FreeBSD, and experimental Haiku support.
- The wiki lists 1.2.9 as the latest release, and GitHub shows it published on 27 September 2026.
- The README sends you to the SourceForge download page. That download page blocked our original automated check; the official screenshot gallery was accessible for this recheck. We did not test any installer.
Our advice
- Reach the download page from the README link on the official GitHub project, not from search ads.
- Try it on a few non-important files first. Two-panel managers make it easy to move files by accident.
- Plugins are extra code from other people. We did not review any.
Privacy and data
- We found no privacy statement for the program and make no claim on what data it collects.
India
- No region limit appears on the pages we read. We did not test it from India.
Source code
The GitHub project doublecmd/doublecmd is under GPL-2.0 and has about 4,600 stars, per its GitHub page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Double Commander free?
Yes. Its README calls it a free, open source file manager and the GitHub licence is GPL-2.0.
Does it work on Mac?
The wiki says yes, on Apple Silicon and Intel.
Is it like Total Commander?
It is inspired by it and can use Total Commander plugins, per its wiki. It is a separate program.
Sources: GitHub project, Supported platforms, Versions, Plugins. Checked 20 October 2026.
Scoped recheck 24 October 2026: official README, platforms, versions, plugins and GitHub release checked. Version 1.2.9 remains listed latest, published 27 September 2026. Added official gallery screenshot, which shows older 1.1.9-332, not the current release. No download, install, file-operation or plugin test.