XYplorer has been my go to file management product for more than 20 years. I bought a lifetime license and never regretted doing so. For a while, the lifetime license disappeared. I see it’s back. GET IT.
The numerous search options is the killer portion for me. If you know regular expressions you’ll love using them as a rename function.
The preview pane can be a pain because XYplorer preview can show more file formats than I can count. I keep forgetting to turn it off. Don’t want the wife to see EVERYTHING in the preview pane, after all. It’s a great feature.
It has pulled my bacon out of the fire more times than I can count.
Bill / July 2023
Thanks for creating the best Windows file manager ever. I started using Windows in the early 90s and have tried numerous managers before and since I came across XYplorer, which according to the earliest XYplorer folder date on my Windows 10 machine, was August 2013.
Almost my entire computing life revolves around file names and their associated properties, and the dozens of file managers I have tried since have not come close to my reliable, dependable, and modifiable old friend. I would truly be lost without it.
Jimmy / July 2023
Honestly as a non techie person this product is amazing. Why it has insane settings and customizations. But on top of that it doesn’t freeze or load like file explorer does in windows when I am opening folders with lots of images or videos. I do alot of photo and video editing. On top of that another thing I love is their search contents of things feature is more precise and customizable, so for example I had a folder for work that had thousands of emails and we needed to find a select set of words, 1 file explorer would freeze or take forever, 2 it would find emails we didn’t want to find because it wasn’t precise, XYplorer has insane advanced search features file explorer simply doesn’t have. Lastly I tried other file explorers and this was the best.
Please don’t hesitate to use the 30 day trial to see if my review is accurate and the product is awesome. You lose nothing, and after the 30 days it’s still free to use minus some features. I bought the lifetime license after it changed my life. Best wishes everyone, if you end up loving this software too, carry it forward and tell your friends too. Maybe it will change their life too and they will thank you.
I use the portable version at school and work because as you know they don’t let you install software.
Oh forgot to mention I also love how thumbnail view loads instantly unlike the slow lagging file explorer, and that it shows folder sizes super fast unlike file explorer, and long file names and log file paths work in explorer impossible.
MD / July 2023
I have used 100s of programs (maybe 1000s) over the many years I have been building and using computers and the internet. First computer I built had 1K of memory, that is only 1000 bytes and had to be programmed in machine language. First PC I built was an IBM PC clone with only a 360K floppy and 256k of memory using DOS 1.0. I now have 6 computers, 3 tablets and 4 smartphones.
I have programmed in many high level languages and a lot of assembler.
The reason I say the above is that I am thoroughly impressed with XYplorer. It is infinitely configurable and very stable. My thanks for creating a great program.
Clark Robbins / February 2023
About 6 weeks ago I bought a lifetime license for XY. I got so sick of Windoze File Exploder and its incessant habit of jumping to the top that I researched, found XY and instantly knew it was a keeper.
I am so over the top impressed with this amazingly brilliant program that there are not enough good words to describe it. Unquestionably the finest piece of software I’ve ever had the pleasure to have a copy of.
I use XY every day to handle the thousands of files I have for my work. I just love the ability to toggle 1 or 2 pane view, and to have tabs in each one is more brilliance! I have multiple tabs in each pane for the wide selection of folders I need to access daily. It is a huge time saver just with that feature alone. I use Dark Mode - I love it - easy on the eyes and easy to navigate.
I am exploring the program more and learning new features as I go. Beats watching the latest movies! All I can say is Wow Wow Wow!!
BobsYourUncle / February 2023
XYplorer is easily one of the finest pieces of software I have ever used. Being a retired software engineer with 25+ years in the aeronautics and satellite field, I’ve written and reviewed a ton of code. Throughout my career I’ve been responsible and the lead engineer for systems of well over a million lines of code controlling hardware worth billions. These days, most applications I use disappoint. None have motivated me to go to the effort of writing something like this.
Cheers to you Donald. XYplorer is both intuitive and incredibly flexible. While using XYplorer I often ask, "Can I configure it to do <insert efficient shortcut here>". The answer has nearly always been yes. Outstanding... I actually enjoy using a file manager. Wow.
Also, cheers to the active user community.
Tshudy / December 2022
I don’t have the words (and I am pretty good at finding the words) for how amazing this is. It’s powerful, uses minimal resources, has so far caused me no issues and, to top it all off it has a non-install portable version that still let’s you integrate into the system with ease. WHAT?!
This software is amazing in ways that many people do not understand because they don’t deal with the developers of the world of IT. Try it out. If you don’t like it after 30 days then I just don’t know what is wrong with you, but I hope they find a cure for it, because no one in their right mind should pass up this beautiful piece of software.
cagestooge / August 2022
Possibly the best explorer killer out there, so many features to make my everyday organization tasks easier that wasn’t simply possible with explorer and a reason I started to find a solution for it at the first place.
I really appreciate the amount of customization I can do with this, the tagging, color coding and labels make it easy to find newest files or organize files in same folder that cannot be in sub folders like in some game modding cases. Also the amazing hold left click to see full size image straight in the folders is very good for 3d artist and the like who need to deal with hundreds of texture maps (targa, tiff, png, jpg etc).
Mikkis / March 2022
Amazing amazing product! I bought the pro version within a day or two of testing. It absolutely transformed the way I work. It took me a bit to get it configured to how I wanted it, but now that I understand it more, it’s unrivaled from the research I’ve done. I’ve been a windows/PC video editor for 20 plus years and it seems like windows file explorer just keeps getting worse through the years for dependability and usage. It’s been probably 6 months or so that I’ve been using XYplorer and it’s absolute incredible. Lightening fast and dependable on windows 11.
I’ve recently tried to make a switch to the new m1 macs after the processor buzz and nothing I could find for mac compares. Maybe forklift, but that pales in comparison. I don’t even think Linux has something native that is close. Luckily several of my video plugins aren’t yet compatible on m1 mac’s yet either... so I’m staying on windows/PC and XYplorer is making that even more solid of a stay.
Nick / March 2022
I gave XY a go about... 3 years ago I think. I wasn’t immediately convinced, but I was so fed up with wasting time in Windows Explorer that I forced myself to figure out the actual features of XY.
And so I did, for the most part. I think I’ve mastered about oh, 25% of the functionality. But as it is, I can do my daily things, which are different for everyone, about 10 times faster at least. I’m not kidding. Quicklaunch is my buddy, and so are locked tabs and their color properties.
Labels, are you kidding me on how ridiculously awesome those are? I have, at any time, 5-10 customer tickets open. I need to keep old ones for a while; some are semi-active. I can color code all that? Holy...
Branch view is absolutely the GOD of features. How on earth do people not demand this in Windows Explorer? There are operations I can do with this in seconds that fellow developers are just not even doing because their tools are garbage.
The ability to tie age of files to a background color is ridiculously useful. It gives me instant feedback that yes, my IDE is dumping DLLs into the right place, NO MISTAKE POSSIBLE. sorry about the caps.
Overall, XY has become a skin graft. Perhaps some other products could do some similar things, but my thing about XY is, it’s a vision not a build. It keeps getting better but it never strays from its path. It’s cohesive.
And frankly, I can’t even tell you what could/should be better. I’m not annoyed by *anything* XY does. It just all makes sense and is super accessible. And fast.
And that’s with having explored maybe 25%. I won’t ever explore the 100% because I don’t need every part of XY, but I’m very, very impressed.
Last but NOT least, I want to talk about the licensing. I purchased a lifetime license pro. That’s what, $80 or so. By that license, I am able to use XY on VMs I have to frequently use, multiple computers I use every day. I’m ALLOWED to do that. I can’t even begin to tell you (and most of you probably know :) ) how restrictive and expensive licenses can be for that sort of use. It is absolutely AMAZING that I can do that and NOT violate terms. That’s a big, big shoutout to admin, thank you so very much for keeping it that way. And to be clear, I see this as a huge bonus, I’m not expecting it, and neither should anyone else. If that model ever changes, there’s gonna be good reason for it because it has been a free ride for a long time. Yes, not free, but again check licensing cost for other tools that have MUCH less functionality.
And then one more last thing. You can tell this is a love letter to XY... I know it’s VB6, I know the codebase must be huge and can’t port to newer technology easily. But I’ll be damned, the sheer speed and flexibility of ALL the features is amazing. It feels and acts like a modern tech product.
Hans / March 2021
Now I’ve been a user of "XYplorer" for a few years now, and write reviews for software all over the internet. I do have a reputation of being quite the bitch sometimes. . . You are making it very hard for me to maintain my reputation. Just once I would like to find a reason to complain. Curse you for making such a worthy file manager! No complaint can one make.
Thank you for your hard work. Love the last update.
Heidi-Ann / March 2021
I’m not a newbie to software technology as my career encompassed working at Texas Instruments, Hewlett-Packard, and Sun Microsystems. I know what an excellent software product looks like and how it performs for its users. XYplorer, for my 3 years of use, has far exceeded my expectations and improvements have stayed well-ahead of my imagination.
Tom / September 2020
In my work, I have to have 10-15 file-manager windows (or tabs) open at the same time, because I need quick reference to many different groups of files. With Windows Explorer, this was bug-prone at best, and Windows Explorer hung (stopped responding) usually once every other day, which meant not just setting them back up again, but a distraction from my train of thought -- costly in my profession.
XYplorer handles all of that so easily and allows me to group tabs together that contain related material (each tab is like one independent instance of Windows Explorer). This saves me a ton of time, increasing my productivity.
I have found over time that there are MANY improvements over Windows Explorer that make a difference. One that comes to mind as I type this is I have one directory with thousands of sub-directories with long names that only differ (in spelling) in a serial number on the right side. Windows Explorer has a NAME-SORTING bug that causes these directories (when sorted by name) to apparently have the creation date affecting their sort order, which is unnerving, and cost a LOT of time hunting for the folder when they were not, in fact, in sequence. This one thing alone (that XYplorer not only does the sort right, but has several name-sort configuration options) that are BUILT for situations like mine.
Another important item is finding files in a sub-directory tree -- very fast, and very reliable (unlike Windows Explorer, which frequently misses files in a file find!).
As a software developer myself, I have nothing but praise for the developer(s). (From one point of view, this is what I would have built for MYSELF if I had had the time....) :-)
V.Wheeler / November 2019
XYplorer is the best of its kind. My favourite things are "nuke" to kill the unwanted files, "folder sizes" to find out where all of the space has gone, "multiple rename", and the endless configurations you can do. I have been using it since at least 2010 and would encourage everybody to use it and buy a licence, it isn’t much to pay. As for customer service, I have to say it is five star. I have only needed it once but the service was excellent. All in all, 5 Star.
Lynn / October 2019
Simply the best file manager available on the market today. I have large folders (meaning with thousands of files in them) and XY manages them with ease. Single instance of the app helps as well. Multiple tabs with possibility to configure tab sets and favorites are all great tools. Plus you have scripts to automate some operations. Excellent tool and highly recommended.
A.K. / October 2019
I have been using it for 4 years now. This is an amazing product, the flexibility it offers is like no other product in the market (at the time that I tested several). It offers so much and yet it is such a simple and fluid program. After configuring it "it just works".
Tiago / October 2019
I upgraded to the lifetime license because I just can’t see trying to get work done without XYplorer. I have tried most of the other file managers on this list and a few more. XYplorer has the best feature set of things that I need day in and day out. The other advantage is that if you send the author an email, he replies and is nice about it. He stays active in the forums too. I highly recommend this product!
S. Atarsamain / October 2019
Simply put, this is the most diverse file manager out there, no matter the OS. It’s as easy and as advanced as you want to apply for its use. I’ve been using this for nearly 12 years and it’s never and I mean never crashed or hampered my daily use of it. I can’t use other people’s computers for prolonged periods without getting XYplorer withdrawal. Lol. Thanks for the continued updates and the ton of new features/uniqueness ever since I purchased a lifetime license all those years ago.
A.P. / June 2019
I can’t stand Windows Explorer. So many little things that just drive me crazy! Can’t even show the File/Folder Size anymore. (XP did!) Then I went to ClassicShell and got the File/Folder Size back but little more. Then discovered XYplorer. This is the Real Deal with so many features it has been an actual "Journey" discovering all of them. (How wonderful is that!) For me I spend very little time using Applications (maybe Word - Excel) and the majority moving Files/Folders around on Corporate Servers and the like. So this has been a long time coming.
P. Kurunta / July 2018
Over the [many] years of using a PC (from MSDOS onwards!), I’ve probably used every file manager out there. XYplorer beats the lot - and by a long way, IMHO. Without going into great detail, I’d say JUST GET IT. The 30-day (fully functional) demo should convince you!
Tantalus / July 2018
The fast preview was something I’ve been looking for forever, as I need this for scrolling through tons of text files for work. This product is great all around beyond that.
Downstairs / June 2018
I got this software from a friend who told me it changed his computing experience. I was skeptical, but it turned out he was more than correct.
For anyone who wants the best, most well thought out blend of scripting + file browsing, this is the *only* tool.
5 Stars
Thank you so so so much!
Manix / April 2017
I got my lifetime license at a discount. The developer has been so incredibly responsive, intelligent, and active in his development, I’m currently trying to see which family member would actually use another license in gratitude. I sometimes feel like I pirated a lifetime of upgrades from a man who seems devoted to making my computer-life a better experience.
I normally don’t like learning deep system tools that aren’t in some way standard: Batch Files, Advanced Query Syntax, Powershell, inane registry tweaks, advanced link types - or even things like Python and RegExes. But I intend to keep studying this thing until I’ve got it backwards and forwards. Just about every time I’ve gone, "I wish it would...." - it turns out it does, or there’s a way you can do it. I’ve officially given up on reporting anything as a bug - this is mature, well-tested software - or a wish until I’ve studied this deep, deep tool with a microscope: I don’t want to waste the man’s time. And he seems to manage to read any comment, no matter how naive, with respect and patience. Plus, he’s implemented a few little wishes within a day or two of agreeing they were appropriate. I’m astonished. (The community is also very good.)
Just having a dual-pane, tabbed browser with an approachable interface made me happy the moment I started up. Instantly useful with almost no introduction - but as I went along, I’ve found it incredibly, intelligently deep. And things like...this will sound a bit silly to choose...double-clicking in white space to go up a folder. It’s such a smart feature, I can hardly stand every other blasted application out there for not doing it too. Or how about, again simple, his delete confirmation (new feature) that recurses what you’re deleting and tells you just what’s going to go; I’ve checked the properties of many a folder just to make sure...no longer! Or how about folders that list the number of files they contain and how much data? With an intelligent caching scheme so I can use it productively over a network and on external drives? An optional path-length column and over-long filename support? I’m not even mentioning many of the Big Features. Example: It has duplicate finding, but it also has a way to instantly select uniques between two folders - incredibly useful. No .thumb files required but the picture data is far more, and more creatively accessible? A portable single-user wherever-I-happen-to be license with lifetime upgrades while being extremely affordable? I don’t have to be without it! He even has a great free version with a long, full trial if I were.
This will be one of the few applications - let alone a file browser?! - with a native scripting language that I’m looking forward to learning. Scripting is totally unnecessary, ever, to make this more than a brilliant tool, but it will probably keep me from asking even more from the developer.
This is the single best utility I’ve ever purchased or used in terms of day-to-day productivity. I feel like I’m driving to work in a BMW rather than a Chevy Nova with a new paint job, lots of shiny stickers, and a joystick along with the steering wheel. I know, this isn’t the OS, but it’s the interface to my data; I currently spend a lot of work shuffling around data and this saves me an incredible amount of time while pleasing me immensely every time I learn something new. It’s more fun than a computer game.
This software is a work of passion - the opposite of software by committee - and I’m deeply grateful.
Dustydog / September 2016
XYplorer is so flexible that despite its overwhelming pack of well-thought features, with little configuration (start in [Main Menu] Window > the several ’Show...’ entries and Tools > Configuration > Other > Features and select what you need or need not) you can bring it under control. No hassles, no obscure settings, no reading.
So flexible that with scripting I managed to control each and every aspect of it using a single pane and a basic set of 7 hotkeys - no touchpad/mouse, viewing a single list of files and no other GUI elements!
As you delve into the impressive online and offline vast-yet-organized documentation, you’ll see the benefits of having almost each and every feature file-management related you’ve ever dreamed of right there at your disposal, just waiting to serve your most wild wishes in order to fully and efficiently control your digital life.
Lifetime license for all of this? It’s a steal. On XYplorer’s pocket.
Unbeatable value, unstoppable development, incredible innovation. That’s XYplorer signature.
SkyFrontier (Brazil) / August 2015
I came across XYplorer two weeks ago. Being a computer user for about 17 years, this is the first time I’ve been able to put my files and folders in order and to work with them in an intuitive and efficient way. To me, it looks almost impossible how you’ve managed to combine such wealth of features within such a simple and user-friendly interface. A great job!
Radoslav Hýl (Czech Republic) / June 2015
After I configured it a bit I was happy because I could click on image and see the preview [Mouse Down Blow Up]. I thought - "it’s great, I love it, but I’d love it more if it would be a fullsize and some nice way to scroll it". And guess what? Of course it was possible! As I’m amateur photographer I found XYplorer the best tool for checking pictures, a lot of pictures. The only bad point it had, was lack of informations like ISO, shutter speed near thumbnail. And that was another surprise - it was available in the next version.
Krzysztof Blachnicki (Poland) / May 2015
Thank you for creating and continuing to develop XYplorer. I became acquainted with it based on a discussion at the DonationCoder website, tried the free version, and decided that a product this well-crafted was worth supporting. Purchasing the lifetime license was one of the better software investments I have made.
The Mini-Tree has been helpful, particularly when traversing wide and deep folder structures. Other features I’ve found to be especially useful: Branch View, Batch Renaming (thanks for all the options here), Tabsets, Scripting, and Portable File Associations. There are many features that I don’t use on a regular basis, but the ability to customize XYplorer and its flexibility enable me to bend it to my will, so it works the way that I want to work. When I’m ready for a change, a quick read in the comprehensive documentation is all that’s necessary. And the keyboard and mouse cheatsheets were handy at the beginning, when all of the options seemed a bit overwhelming.
Chad Schwartz (USA) / April 2014
I love XYplorer. Perfect balance of features and simplicity packaged in a functional and attractive interface. Very nice.
Bob Miller-Rhees (USA) / April 2014
I’ve been using XYplorer for years with a significant increase in my daily activities. XYplorer has a friendly open forum where suggestions, enhancements, bugs, and help is all available in one of the quickest response environments around. The developer is one of the best in the industry in the quality of the product delivered. XYplorer is easy to learn with a rich environment that even advanced users will appreciate. I highly recommend anyone who is interested in improving their productivity by utilizing XYplorer.
Lars Bergman (USA) / January 2014
Thank you so very much for developing such a terrific application and for LISTENING to your customers. Just when I think XYplorer couldn’t possibly get any better, it does. It just proves that when a developer collaborates with customers, an amazingly useful, creative, flexible, and successful product can result.
My colleagues and customers constantly ask me what product I am using to navigate my file system. They immediately become fans as well.
Rob Alfieri (Senior Enterprise Architect, IBM) / November 2013
Before XYplorer, I would never have thought it possible to keep track of hundreds of gigabytes of files. XYplorer is so fully integrated into the way I do things that such an extensive scope of file management is not only possible, but enjoyable.
Peter Miller (Kamakura, Japan) / November 2013
It’s only taken me a couple of hours of evaluating XYplorer to resign Windows Explorer to the great Recycle Bin in the sky. Thus far, I can’t find anything I’d ever want a file manager to do that XY can’t do... and I’ve already discovered a number of things that I never realised I needed! With such great support too (sorting out my CODEC issue), I had no hesitation in getting the Pro version straight away. After working in the IT industry for 41 years, I don’t do that very often.
Geoff Baylis (UK) / September 2013
I haven’t checked updates for a while, and when I installed the new Version 12.70 earlier today, I was amazed at all the improvements. The program was already superb, and now you’ve made it even better! I would have thought that was nearly impossible. Numerous operations, particularly with photos, are easier and at the same time more flexible and have more options. And the options -- such as those for viewing, reporting, finding, and so forth -- are useful.
XYplorer still adheres to a minimalist design philosophy, which I like, while expanding still further the range of useful choices available -- a truly amazing feat.
With this design and with the guidance, instructions, and commentary, you have also succeeded in making file management fun. I’m not a data junkie, but I really enjoy this program -- its appeal transcends merely practical usage.
Peter Miller (Kamakura, Japan) / August 2013
I am a hobbyist electronic designer. I needed a database to allow me to search through thousands of articles, schematic fragments, PCB layouts, and parts datasheets quickly and easily, while leaving all of my files in their native formats. I’ve been burned by programs that store files within a vault that needs it’s own proprietary program to access, so I wanted a program that could tag files but leave them in my file structure on my drive: both the hard drive, and the thumb drive.
After a year of searching, I encountered XYplorer. It did everything I needed and the scripting helped me automate some repetitive tasks in ways I never thought of before. Sharing tags and settings between multiple drives (containing the same volume of files) is as easy as copying two files between them.
Since I purchased it, I’ve been evaluating other databases that are made for my application. Even though they are designed to do exactly what I need, nothing operates as easily and intuitively as XYPlorer. I’m constantly amazed at how much simpler XY is to operate than any databases designed to store disparate information.
Since discovering it, I have expanded my usage to include cataloging my family’s pictures, my software library, my music, and many pieces I have written through the years. This program is as much a very flexible database as it is a file manager!
This is one of the best software investments I’ve ever made.
Bill / April 2013
I installed XYplorer one day after I accidentally shift-deleted an entire folder instead of the file I meant to, then while trying to fix it I accidentally dragged and dropped something else and couldn’t even figure out what it was. Now thanks to the keyboard shortcuts (I removed everything with "delete" in it), the undo/redo list, and the safety belt for drag/drop, I don’t have these problems any more.
Jason Wells (USA) / November 2012
I have been using this application for at least a decade and have never found anything that even comes close to the amazing utility this provides.
The price of this program is only a small fraction of what it will save in time and effort. Anyone who needs to manage files in a computer also needs XYplorer. Nothing else even comes close.
I say this because every time I need to do something that the bundled file explorers won’t do I usually find XYplorer will handle it with ease. I keep many thousands of photo, video and CAD files that need to be archived, so I recently purchased a dedicated incremental backup program to manage them, not realizing that XYplorer will do the job easily. The backup program did not work as well and was a waste of money.
I work in a university and constantly recommend XYplorer to all my colleagues. I tell them they will never be sorry.
Joe Lippencott (USA) / August 2012
I deal with plenty of file categorization, tagging and searching in the context of a thesis development. XYplorer has provided great support on handling files in a friendly interface with advanced file management, including the possibility of dealing with several work environments simultaneously. Handy indeed!
C. Silva (Brazil) / April 2012
I’ve been developing computer software for over three decades. Rarely, do I encounter a product implemented which is a result of true agile development. It’s usually all talk and little action. The rapid life cycles provide stakeholders (you) with valuable new features, enhancements and defect resolution quickly. Your time is finite. Quality is ultimately everything. Being effective and efficient in the management of your files is more complex than ever. More important today for your concerns than ever before, is, fast, effective communications with the developer and the community. I highly recommend XYplorer as the Ultimate File Manager for the Windows environment.
Lars Bergman (USA) / November 2011
I used PowerDesk for about 12 to 15 years. I’m almost glad they went to hell, I was so used to the program that I never looked around. If it weren’t for Advanquest, I never would have found my way here, and XYplorer is so much better. I don’t think I would run PowerDesk again if Avanquest gave me a free copy of the mythical Version 9 to make up for all the hassles they caused me.
Trasd / November 2011
The overall design of XYplorer is very simple and user friendly, fully customisable to your own specific needs, common tasks are done with ease, finding and viewing files easy, renaming, complete control and most important, the ability to undo an operation. I liked the tabbed viewing and dual panes and the ability to colour code. Look forward to using the product on a daily basis for my every day tasks. Plenty of options to satisfy most users. Plenty to explore and discover as you use and become more familiar with the product. Definitely recommend XYplorer for those who wish to take file management to the next level.
Kaylene Horne (MVP, Australia) / September 2011
What I like in XYplorer? I think I love the overall model of handling files in tabs with functional quadrants on each tab, while retaining orthodox two-panel linear approach as an option. This model is not unique, but XYplorer has probably got the best implementation of it. Besides this, the overall interface design is overwhelmingly informative, yet simple and user friendly. I was able to access at once every file or folder property I would imagine. With XYplorer I honestly felt myself in total command and control of all my files. Looking into particular features, the catalogs/drop zone, sync scroll, directory color tagging and preview implementation (with easy-touch zoom!) are definitely price worthy. I did not come to the point where I would need scripting, notwithstanding this, I believe it might give unlimited flexibility, especially in repetitive tasks. Finally, XYplorer is a lightning fast instrument in every conceivable way.
Valerii Volobuiev (MVP, Ukraine) / September 2011
I have been using XYplorer for a couple of years now. I’m not a "reseller" and receive no commission or other benefit from supplying my opinion which is completely honest and accurate.
Here’s the bottom line . . . I’ve used many, many file managers over the years and XYplorer is by far the best of them. I’ve paid much more money for applications such as Directory Opus but it can’t do half the stuff that XYplorer can.
Want to select a thousand files in the current folder based on a RegEx pattern you can save and use again and again? Want to move those files to a series of sub folders? Want to create a hundred folders and sub folders based on patterns you can save and use again and again? Want to search an entire drive with a simple to use but incredibly advanced pattern matching interface in less time than you ever believed possible? Want to create a set of your very own user buttons that with one click (yes, just one click!) do EXACTLY what you want to do with any number of selected files? Want instant and highly user friendly access to all your favourite software applications, folders and drive locations?
It is just impossible to say in less than a hundred thousand words what this software can do, and Don the developer is improving things and interacting with users constantly. I’ve never experienced a developer so "in touch" with what his customers need. When I first purchased XY I made a suggestion via the forum . . . Don implemented it the very same day and made the new beta version available for download on the XYplorer web site.
I’m writing this because I’ve just started work this morning and I have a couple of hundred files to sort out and "tag" with comments etc etc. It suddenly struck me how this used to take me hours and hours on an almost daily basis before I had XY, now I can’t imagine life on a PC without it. For personal use or business or across multiple servers there’s just none better.
Biggy / June 2011
As someone who works with computers 8 to 10 hours a day, I am always looking for software and routines that can help me save time and, ultimately, make my life easier. XYplorer is, without question, one of them. Since Internet browsers have tabs, why shouldn’t explorer windows have tabs as well? It is so much better than having 10 windows opened at the same time: it gets confusing pretty fast. Also, I think the catalog is a great feature that allows quick access to frequently used resources. Finally, as a podcast aficionado, I absolutely LOVE the feature that lets me rename mp3 files based on their ID3-tags: I love my collection so neatly organized. In a nutshell, just try XYplorer and you’ll never look back!
Vittorio Bosio (Italy) / June 2011
It’s fast, light weight, and adds tons of functionality to your File Manager. It took me less than 30 minutes to move from the trial version to a lifetime license.
The ability to add scripts to your file manager is absolutely brilliant! It adds one-mouseclick functionality and saves me tons of time.
I review a lot of files (docs) in 100’s of corresponding directories. Now I can mark the files with colors (tags) for 'In-Progess', 'Done', 'Interesting'. And the directories as 'Done' or 'In Progress' or 'Interesting files within'. For that I use little scripts that choose a different icon out of shell32.dll (folder-with-checkmark, search-icon and star resp.). Previously I couldn't do any file-tagging other than moving files to subdirectories. But that screws up your backups. I did directory tagging before (rightclick/properties/tab-customize-buttonChangeIcon/browse to the new icon...). Now it's one mouse-click.
Bob (The Netherlands) / July 2010
XYplorer is the most essential software I use since it provides me the ability to build a kind of sub-operationg system answering my needs. Here are a few unique highlights:
- FILE ASSOCIATION CUSTOMIZING: this is priceless under Vista or Win7, especially with portable apps... (the last Windows editions put sticks in your wheels with unregisted softwares... and I use almost only portable apps).
- CATALOG: very useful to keep at hands a mix of folders, files and applis dispatched on different drives or directory, but related to one particular hobby or job.
- FIND FILES : works very fast, and even search within the IPTC tags in pictures!
- MANUAL SORTING OF THUMBNAILS: extremely useful to sort pictures in a special order before renaming them, especially when the filenames are ill-assorted. This is the "banc de montage" (ie sorting table) I've been looking for a long time.
To conclude, I got a priceless toolbox for a small price: thanks a lot for this good work, and best wishes for your following developments!
Philippe Hamel (France) / February 2010
I highly recommend this software if you like to have control over your work, and appreciate the time savings a real coder can provide. This software is a work of art. I have yet to meet the end of what I can customize and set up for my individual situation. For $15 I will get back $600 in time savings over the next 6 months. Most of all, my frustrations with the elementary software provided with Windows 7 is gone. I am free, free at last. Just an amazing piece of software.
Dave Haley / December 2009
I was using power desk (ontrack version) for about ten years, but several years ago they stopped development of the program. I needed a new file manager and came across xyplorer. It is similar to power desk so it was easy to switch to, but it has several extra features that make it a more evolved program than power desk.
Martin Willoughby / September 2009
I was a Win Explorer user for a long time, since Win95 actually. Explorer was never great, but good enough most of the time. Unfortunately MS has a tendency to introduce new, extremely shiny and extremely annoying features to Explorer. WinXP Explorer can be made usable by some config tricks. But then came Vista and things changed ... Vista's Explorer is a madhouse! I'm absolutely appalled by its automation/pseudo-intelligence (read stupidity) hell and the hoops you have to jump through to disable even some of it. "No! I do not want to view this folder in special MP3 mode. There's not a single bloody audio file in sight anywhere!"
So I went to look for an alternative ... and almost despaired. Dual pane everywhere, and never an option to turn it off! Problem is, I just don't work that way. Tabs are great and imo a lot more efficent than dual panes. And if I happen to need a second pane once or twice a month I'll just open a second window.
Well, to make a long story short. Forced dual pane ruled out most programmes and I ended up testing XYplorer and Directory Opus. Both are good, but XYplorer has this feature that outshines them all: mini tree! How could I live without it? How could I ever stand using a tree view with all that clutter of open but not needed folders? It's been a nightmare for years and I never even realised it!
Mini tree is also a great example of the overall XYplorer feeling. The whole programme seems to be made up of a thousand ridiculously simple ideas with a powerful impact, and it always leaves the user in control. I've finally redirected Windows+E to open XYplorer, I think that says it all. Keep up the good work!
B. Schöler (Germany) / Jun 2009
I was pleased to discover that several more recent file managers can report directory sizes and collapse the view, but XYplorer has been the only one that does those things and works in my somewhat unusual environment. I run multiple virtual Windows sessions under a Linux host (using VirtualBox, though I'm experimenting with VMware) and access shared folders as virtual network shares. As I progress with this arrangement I'm sure I'll find a few problems -- for example, VirtualBox sometimes takes about 15 seconds to complete a simple file write to a shared drive, apparently because it refreshes the virtual network -- but so far XYplorer seems to handle the virtualization best of all the file managers I've tried.
Many thanks for your work on this very useful file manager!
Michael Flory / Apr 2009
I work in a very large web shop with hundreds of past and present clients and numerous dev servers in house. The multi-tab interface with the easy ability to move or copy between tabs using context menus, tab history, outstanding search features and high level of customization makes most of my every day tasks so much easier. This software is an absolutely fantastic tool that I honestly don't know how I ever survived without it! Worth every penny and more, thanks for this wonderful tool!
S. Sligh (USA) / Jan 2009
I had to "adapt" my workflow a little, but all for the better. Now I'm 100% of the time using MiniTree (most of the time it's Locked as well), and I love it.
And I've also been doing lots of scripting. It's awesome how much can be done, I've automated a bunch of tasks, like recently one I used to do manually that took me about half an hour, and since I didn't do it everyday as I should but once or twice a week only it was even worse, now XY has a little script that does the work for me, it's about 2 to 5 seconds a day! :)
Seriously, it's great. I've also added myself some "cron" jobs run automatically without me having to think about it, works fine, damn cool! All that just to say, thank you for creating such an amazing piece of art, software, whatever the name -- I'm loving it every day. :)
Olivier Brunel (France) / Dec 2008
Pros: Robust features and extremely fast. I have used this portable software daily (9 to 10 hours a day) for approximately one year. I truly believe this is my most useful software on the windows platform.
Cons: Absolutely none. The more I use the software ==> the more useful advanced features I discover.
Summary: I have purchased/used several explorers over the last 14 years. This software stands in a league all it's own. I use the portable version on a Corsair Survivor GT. I often have 10-12 tabs open at a time (accessing Network drives). XYplorer is extremely fast at accessing the network drives and uses very little resources. Adding templates to the 'New Items' options (right click in a window) ==> provides a great deal of flexibility. The Wiki knowledgebase link (from the developer's web site) provides a wealth of easily understandable information. The scripting is also quite powerful. I spend approximately $1,500 on software each year and this is the best application I own. I liked the software enough to buy a lifetime license (and I very seldom buy these type of licenses). This software is consistently rated 5 out of 5 on many web sites. My review is typical of the comments/ratings posted. Thanks for the great software. SIgned, AS400 Systems Programmer for over 23 years.
W. Droge (USA) / Aug 2008
XYplorer is not about any one particular feature; it's about how all those little parts come together to form a cohesive application. Days, weeks, months after you install this gem you will notice those little treats that will make you smile, and say to yourself, "Mmmm, Nice." Anyone who has used this app for any length of time will see that every feature was carefully considered before it was added. Just USE it. You will love it!
This application is a work of art, it really is that.
Ax Fleming (USA) / Dec 2007
Let's face it, I'm a hopeless techno-junkie. My latest fix, "XYplorer" is the cleverest file management program I have ever encountered and I've been vetting software for quite a few years. Having used several file managers, including dual pane, I was blown away by XYplorer's tabbed interface. This makes flicking between several drive partitions and file groups unbelievably quick and easy.
The multitudinous things this user-friendly program can do continually amaze me but are far too numerous to go into here. It's even more astounding when you realise how small a footprint XYplorer leaves on your hard drive. It does not even have to be installed.
Importantly, I had an almost immediate and very helpful response from the developer himself, when I emailed a few questions. Not bad considering that I'm still waiting for replies months later, from others to whom I've emailed software queries.
Brian D. (Western Australia) / Dec 2007
My previous file manager balked at Vista so I was forced to find a replacement. XYplorer was a shot in the dark that paid off in spades since it had every feature I had been relying upon and MANY more. It installs very quickly and comes up the first time with a nice set of features activated that most users will not need to change.
However, if you are a real power user, there are MANY ways that you can easisly enable other things to make it conform to your specific needs. In fact, there are so many customizable functions and options that it is impossible to describe them all here. The amazing thing is that they work elegantly and do not bloat its size or degrade its blazing performance.
For me, it works flawlessly when browsing a company network server as well as for my local environment. And, although it does all that Windows Explorer does, any attempt to compare them is like comparing apples and oranges. A bonus here is that the developer continues to add meaningful features. Whether you are a casual user of this type of utility or a professional, you will find XYplorer a real winner that is well worth the price.
Eldon M Wright, IT Professional / Nov 2007
XYplorer is perfect for an admin like myself to take with them on an USB memory stick when helping users logged in as users or power users without having to mess around re-authenticating all the time, since they can do a RunAs on XYplorer directly and authenticate just once to then browse to many servers without the need to log the user off and on as them and without constantly being prompted over and over again for credentials, etc.
Windows Explorer does not work well with RunAs. There is a trick of using Internet Explorer instead to get around this, however, this no longer works with Internet Explorer 7.
Using XYplorer instead works great for this! All of my favorite settings will save right to the USB memory stick, and there is no need to have it installed on all the computers that I use it on since it is portable!! Very cool!
Bruce Weston, I.T. Manager at BASIC, www.basiconline.com / Jun 2007
I recently downloaded the trial version of XYplorer and am really impressed! I'm usually one to support open source communities by using and contributing to their software, as I am a software engineer by trade. Yet, there appears to be no open source project that I am happy with for file management on Windows PCs. I am usually very picky about applications' GUIs. As a software engineer, very few applications satisfy my high expectations of both visual aesthetics and usability.
Then I found XYplorer. Everything I want to do with file management is included in XYplorer. Nothing is out of place; everything is so easy to find, even information in the help files.
"I quickly found what I was looking for with your "Backup" option to act as a Copy w/ 'no to all' option that File Explorer and Windows Explorer lacks. I instantly transferred over new and newer version files from one folder on one drive to a duplicate folder on another drive. It found 2 newer versions and a dozen new files out of 16GB of 58,000 files. Wow. It would have taken me days to sort through my files and file the new ones. I might have even missed the new versions all together on my own.
I also found worthwhile options, including one of my favorites: automatic folder size calculations. I have a Western Digital Raptor drive with fast access, so I can take advantage of quick folder size calculations.
John Suit (State College, PA, US) / Jun 2007
I have tried out file managers from Microsoft's own to PowerDesk Pro to Directory Opus to File Commander for MS Vista (Ultimate).
What I have wanted was a file manager that was quick, intuitive, integrates seamlessly with the operating system - and does this at minimal overhead in memory and CPU usage. I'd like to move around, copy, move, or delete easily. I'd like to be able to quickly find, preview, and open documents, images, and media.
In a word, XYplorer was a delightful and unexpected discovery. How often does a small upstart company come up with software that runs circles around the "big boys"? XYplorer is the fastest, easiest to install, and most thoroughly useful File Manager I've found since I ran into PowerDesk Pro (which has, unfortunately, been allowed to wither without significant upgrades for several years). XYplorer acts like it was born to be a part of Vista.
I was a little hesitant because of its small size (the old bigger must be better way of thinking). But, well designed software doesn't have to be bloated to be powerful and efficient. XYplorer is certainly both.
So, it's a David and Goliath story in software cyberspace - and the little guy has clearly won the day.
Tom Lawson (Webb City, MO, US) / Mar 2007
A creative and formidable file management solution, XYplorer won me over with its easy setup, broad customizability, active development, friendly, responsive forums, and astonishing speed throughout every part of the program. Now I can't live without it!
Zaine Ridling (Chicago, US) / Sep 2006
As a developer and power user I constantly need access to multiple folders which are spread over several drives. XYplorer feels natural and powerful. From being able to see thumbnails and full size JPGs by using the preview panel. To using the find-in-files for searching for code in web pages. The most used feature for me is tabbed browsing and folder bookmarks. Allowing me to work in several areas at once, e.g. business clients folder and my website development folder, without losing my place. PLUS - It doesn't crash!!! The days of Windows Explorer hanging and crashing and stalling the taskbar are over. Thank goodness.
Gordon McKinney (Austin, TX, US) / Aug 2006
I've been searching for an efficient means of managing thousands of Outlook email messages for quite some time now. When I found that XYplorer allows drag and drop copying of Outlook messages with a user-configurable naming convention, I found the solution to my problem. The drag-and-drop feature and the catalog feature allow me to very quickly move messages from of my Outlook Inbox into a user directory structure that is backed-up and search-indexed on a regular basis.
XYplorer is a great product! Very intuitive interface. Favorite features:
Gary R. Consolazio, Ph.D. (Gainesville, FL, US) / Jan 2007
XYplorer can find files that were updated in the last 15 minutes by a single click, which is what solved my need exactly.
John Hallgren (Clearwater, US) / Sep 2006
XYplorer is the ultimate keyboardist's explorer. I can move around with the greatest of ease without resorting to using the mouse -- just the way I like it!
Allen Day (Northern Maine, US) / Sep 2006
I have been a registered user of XYplorer since the days of TrackerV3; March of 2002. It is an indispensable program which I have programmed to open up as soon as I boot up my computer. On the rare occasion where I have required support, Donald Lessau (the Creator) has promptly answered my questions, and has even implemented some suggestions I have made to improve the versatility of XYplorer. Not enough can be said about the quality and usability of this program, which is constantly being upgraded and improved. There are very few programs that can compare to the integrity of this product, period.
James Stogryn (Canada) / Oct 2006
here's what i like about xyplorer:
these are only the few features i've used so far, but they are enough for me.
scott luepke (Texas, US) / Dec 2006