FileWorks for Mac
Dual-pane file manager with a transfer queue, archives, content search, batch renaming and full keyboard control.
Free
In English
Version 1.7When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission
FileWorks overview
FileWorks is a dual-pane file manager for macOS in the tradition of the classic "commander" apps. It shows two folders side by side, one as the source and one as the destination, so copying, moving and comparing files takes a single keystroke. FileWorks uses the system's Quick Look, Finder icons, Finder tags and Finder comments, and switches to a single-pane view whenever you prefer one folder at a time.
Features
- Two panels with tabs, path bar, favorites and an optional single-pane mode
- Transfer queue with progress, speed and conflict handling; when moving, originals are removed only after the copies have arrived
- Browse, extract, create and verify archives, including password-protected ones
- Multi-rename with name and extension masks, search and replace, and a live preview
- File and content search with rules for name, content, dates, size, type, tags and cloud storage, in a folder or on the whole Mac
- Content search in text and Office files, also on network drives, and in PDF files through Spotlight
- Saved searches in the sidebar that run again each time you open them
- Filter the list and select files by pattern, with Smart Select and saved patterns
- Checksums to verify downloads, find duplicate files and compare folders
- Finder tags and comments, Quick Look and an inspector with file and image details
- iCloud Drive status, downloading and removing local copies
- Network drives via SMB, AFP, NFS and WebDAV, with steady transfers to NAS devices
- Custom tools: run apps, shell or Python scripts and Shortcuts on the selected files
- New files and folders from your own templates
- Drop Shelf for collecting files from different folders, then copying, moving or packing them in one step
- List and icon views, thumbnails and colour rules
- Full keyboard control, Terminal at the current folder, settings export and import
- English and German user interface and manual
What's new in version 1.7
Added
- Search rules: up to four rules per search for content, name, dates, size, type, tag and storage (on this Mac or only in the cloud)
- Content search by reading text, Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OpenDocument files directly, also on network drives, or through the Spotlight index, which also covers PDF files
- The line, page or paragraph where the text was found is shown below the results; custom tools can open an editor right at that line
- Search this folder or this whole Mac, with search depth, skipped folders, hidden items and package contents
- Saved searches in the sidebar, in the bookmark menu and under Go › Saved Searches
- More types (e-book, disk image, font, package, alias or symlink), a switch to match diacritics, and highlighted matches in result names
- Drop Shelf at the bottom of the window with name, location, size and kind of each item, and a compact row of thumbnails
- Copy, move or pack the items on the Drop Shelf to the folder of the active panel
- Option to hide apps in hidden folders from Open With
Improved
- Searching a folder on a local disk is about four times faster, without the former limit of 200,000 items
- Searches in the home folder or on this Mac include iCloud Drive and other cloud services
- A content search never downloads files that are only in the cloud; the size limit for reading files can be set
- Search, filter and mask bars sit on a floating card, open smoothly and wrap in narrow panels
- Tag search results show readable locations
- Tab bar across the full width of the panel and a clearer divider between the panels
Fixed
- Keyboard focus and grey selection after closing the sidebar or the inspector
- A selection rectangle dragged exactly vertically selected nothing
- Shift-click and Shift-Up/Down could extend the selection from the wrong row
- A slow regular expression in Multi-Rename kept a processor core busy
- Folders that are symbolic links stayed empty when opened from the sidebar, the jump list or Go to Folder
- Folders opened from another app were sometimes missing from the tab bar
- App and tool icons are back in the Open With and Tools menus on macOS 27
FileWorks for Mac
Free
In English
Version 1.7
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Comments
User Ratings
Oct 27, 2026
Version: 1.7
This may sound harsh, especially because it's free, but the OS requirement is ridiculously high for a file manager.
