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Midnight Commander vs superfile: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)

Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Midnight Commander and superfile side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.

On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.

Data comparison compiled by Toolradar, not hand-reviewed Methodology
Data comparison 13 user reviews compared Pricing checked Oct 6, 2026

Short on time? Here's the quick answer

Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:

Midnight Commander

A visual, dual-pane file manager for text-mode environments.

Best for you if:

  • • You want free and open-source software

superfile

Terminal file manager with a polished UI and powerful dev features

Best for you if:

  • • You want combines a visually appealing interface with the speed of a terminal tool
At a glance: Midnight Commander vs superfile
At a Glance
Midnight Commander Midnight Commander
superfile superfile
Starts at
Free 100% free
Free 100% free
Category
Developer Tools Terminal Tools
Terminal Tools Developer Tools
Rating
4.6/5 SourceForge 4.8 · G2 4.0 13 reviews n/a
Free plan
Yes Yes
Watch out for
n/a GPL/MIT: you can use it commercially. You do not buy a seat.

Choose Midnight Commander or superfile?

Midnight Commander

Choose Midnight Commander if

  • You want free and open-source software
  • You want efficient for keyboard-driven file management
  • You work in developer tools, not terminal tools
superfile

Choose superfile if

  • You want combines a visually appealing interface with the speed of a terminal tool
  • You want highly customizable to adapt to any workflow
  • You work in terminal tools, not developer tools

In-Depth Analysis

Midnight Commander Midnight Commander

A visual, dual-pane file manager for text-mode environments.

Great value

The pricing for Midnight Commander is exceptionally generous, as it is entirely free.

Strengths

  • Pro: Free and open-source software
  • Pro: Efficient for keyboard-driven file management
  • Pro: Versatile across different terminal environments
  • Pro: Includes essential built-in tools (editor, viewer, diff)
  • Pro: Customizable with themes

Weaknesses

  • Con: Text-mode interface may not appeal to all users
  • Con: Requires familiarity with command-line environments
  • Con: Learning curve for new users unfamiliar with similar tools

Key features

Visual dual-pane interface Copy, move, delete files and directories Search for files Execute commands in subshell Internal file viewer (mcview) Internal text editor (mcedit)

superfile superfile

Terminal file manager with a polished UI and powerful dev features

Great value

superfile is free.

Watch out

GPL/MIT: you can use it commercially. You do not buy a seat.

Strengths

  • Pro: Combines a visually appealing interface with the speed of a terminal tool
  • Pro: Highly customizable to adapt to any workflow
  • Pro: Open source with an active community and plugin ecosystem

Weaknesses

  • Con: Requires familiarity with terminal environments
  • Con: Limited to file management tasks without built-in text editing or other advanced features

Key features

Beautiful, obsessively crafted UI that lives entirely in the terminal Complete file operations: copy, move, delete, rename, fuzzy search, bulk operations, and image preview Fully customizable hotkey remapping, themes, borders, and colors Multiple panels for simultaneous directory browsing with cross-panel copy/paste Plugin support for community extensions like Git status and system monitoring 20+ built-in themes including Catppuccin, Nord, Tokyo Night, Dracula, and Gruvbox

Plans and prices: Midnight Commander vs superfile

Plans and prices of Midnight Commander and superfile, as read on each vendor's pricing page. Each plan keeps its own billing unit.
Tool Plans and prices Source
Midnight Commander
  • Free: Free
midnight-commander.org read Oct 6, 2026
superfile
  • superfile: Free
superfile.dev read Sep 30, 2026

Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Midnight Commander pricing and superfile pricing.

Key Takeaways

Midnight Commander

  • Choose if you want a visual, dual-pane file manager for text-mode environments

superfile

  • Choose if you want terminal file manager with a polished UI and powerful dev features

What the data shows

On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.

  • Only Midnight Commander has a published user rating (4.6/5 from 13 reviews); superfile has none we can show.
  • Both have a free plan.

Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate

Frequently Asked Questions

How do Midnight Commander and superfile compare in 2026?

On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. Only Midnight Commander has a published user rating (4.6/5 from 13 reviews); superfile has none we can show. Both have a free plan.

What are Midnight Commander and superfile used for?

Midnight Commander: A visual, dual-pane file manager for text-mode environments. superfile: Terminal file manager with a polished UI and powerful dev features.

What does Midnight Commander cost vs superfile?

Midnight Commander is free. superfile is free. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 6, 2026.

What's the main difference between Midnight Commander and superfile?

Midnight Commander's main strength: free and open-source software. superfile's main strength: combines a visually appealing interface with the speed of a terminal tool.

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