Alternatives
Best eza alternatives in 2026
Data compiled by Toolradar Updated How we rate
Cite this list: Toolradar, best eza alternatives 2026, toolradar.com/alternatives/eza
5 direct alternatives to eza and 3 more tools in the same category, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.
Quick answer
- Midnight Commander is the top alternative to eza on our list, followed by exa and Fd.
- 7 of the 8 alternatives have a free plan, starting with Midnight Commander.
- Highest rated: Claude Code, 4.7 out of 5 from 115 ratings, Aug 2026.
- 8 alternatives
- 5 direct
- 7 with a free plan
Top 3 alternatives to eza

Midnight Commander
#1 Top pickA visual, dual-pane file manager for text-mode environments.
Pricing
Free
4.6 /5 across G2 and SourceForge · 13 ratings, Mar 2026
Our take
Best overall

exa
#2A modern, color-coded ls replacement with Git integration
Pricing
Free

Fd
#3A simple, fast, and user-friendly alternative to the 'find' command for filesystem searches.
Pricing
Free
eza vs 8 alternatives
| Tool | Starting price (Oct 2026) | Free plan | Rating | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | n/a | ||
| Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | 4.6 out of 5, from 13 ratings across G2 and SourceForge (13) | Direct alternative | |
| Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | n/a | Direct alternative | |
| Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | n/a | Direct alternative | |
| Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | n/a | Direct alternative | |
| Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | n/a | Direct alternative | |
| Price: Free | Free plan: Yes | 4.6 out of 5, from 2,732 ratings across G2 and Trustpilot (2,732) | Same category as eza | |
| Price: $20/mo | Free plan: No | 4.7 out of 5, from 115 ratings on G2 (115) | Same category as eza | |
| Price: Free + paid | Free plan: Yes | 4.5 out of 5, from 606 ratings across G2 and SourceForge (606) | Same category as eza |
Why people consider alternatives to eza
eza is a contemporary and actively maintained replacement for the traditional `ls` command-line utility found in Unix and Linux operating systems.
Teams most often switch away when one of these starts to bite:
- A feature or quota ceiling that a paid specialist covers and this free tool does not.
- Missing integrations with the rest of your stack.
- Performance or scale limits as your needs grow.
- A specific feature gap you have hit in terminal tools.
The 5 direct alternatives below cover the same core job (terminal tools) with different trade-offs. The 3 tools marked "Same category as eza" fit the category but replace eza less directly.
eza by the numbers
| Metric | eza | Peer median | Position (1 is best) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | 66% have one | n/a |
| Listed as an alternative to | 1 tool | 2 | #69 of 131 (joint) |
Listed as an alternative to: #66 on 2026-10-16 to #69 on 2026-10-31 (rank among 131 tools, 1 is best).
Each position is counted among the tools that have data for that row, as noted under it. All File Management data · How we compute this. Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position.
Cite this: Toolradar, “eza by the numbers”, Oct 2026.
Terminal Tools leaderboards from Toolradar data
Toolradar ranks Terminal Tools tools on one measure at a time, only where at least 8 tools have data. As of Oct 2026.
Lowest entry price, plans with no stated unit
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 28 tools with no stated price unit, verified price.
Lowest entry price, per-user plans
Cheapest standard paid plan per month (annual prices divided by 12), read on vendor pages and compared only with tools priced on the same basis.
Counted among 11 tools priced per user, verified price.
| # | Tool | Entry plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CC-BEEPER | $4/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 1 | Google Workspace CLI | $4/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 1 | JusTTY | $4/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 1 | Kit by Speakeasy | $4/user/mo, billed monthly |
| 1 | OpenGyver | $4/user/mo, billed monthly |
A position exists only when at least 8 tools have data for that metric. 39 of 165 Terminal Tools tools have a verified price; the others publish none we could read (often "contact sales"). Advertising and placement fees are not inputs to any position. Visit counts include visits from every source. How we compute this. Cite this: Toolradar, “Terminal Tools leaderboards”, Oct 2026. Data licensed CC BY 4.0. All Terminal Tools statistics.
8 alternatives to eza
Direct alternatives come first, ranked by G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review. Tools marked "Same category as eza" follow, ranked the same way.
- 1

Midnight Commander
100% freeA visual, dual-pane file manager for text-mode environments.
4.6 /5 across G2 and SourceForge · 13 ratings, Mar 2026
Free
- 2

exa
100% freeA modern, color-coded ls replacement with Git integration
Free
- 3

Fd
100% freeA simple, fast, and user-friendly alternative to the 'find' command for filesystem searches.
Free
- 4

Dust
100% freeAn intuitive command-line tool for visualizing disk usage in Rust.
Free
- 5

Broot
100% freeA faster, more intuitive way to navigate directories, find files, and execute commands in your terminal.
Free
- 6

Visual Studio Code
100% free Battle-tested at scaleFast, lightweight, and customizable code editor for all languages
4.6 /5 across G2 and Trustpilot · 2,732 ratings, Aug 2026
Free
Same category as eza
- 7

Claude Code
Free planCode editor and terminal agent that works across your favorite tools
4.7 /5 on G2 · 115 ratings, Aug 2026
From $20/mo, billed monthly; free plan available
Same category as eza
- 8

Gemini CLI
Free planOpen source AI coding agent powered by Google Gemini
4.5 /5 across G2 and SourceForge · 606 ratings, Sep 2026
Free plan available; paid prices not published
Same category as eza
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to eza?
Based on real-signal scoring (G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editorial review), the top alternatives to eza are Midnight Commander, exa, Fd. Each solves the same core job with different trade-offs on pricing, features, and integrations.
Is there a free alternative to eza?
eza is already 100% free (no paid upgrade path). Midnight Commander is another fully free option listed here (A visual, dual-pane file manager for text-mode environments). Freemium tools on this list have a free tier plus paid plans; they are not the same as 100% free.
Why do people look for eza alternatives?
Common reasons teams switch away from eza even though it is free: missing integrations with the rest of their stack, performance or scale limits, or a specific feature gap in terminal tools. The alternatives on this page solve the same core problem with a different feature set.
Side-by-side comparisons
In-depth comparison pages for eza versus each alternative.

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