Nimble Commander 1.2

Nimble Commander is intended for managing files and folders. In this regard, it is an alternative for Finder, macOS built-in file manager.

It comes with several handy features; however, the possibility to browse two different directories thanks to its dual-pane layout is probably the most popular.

If you have used dual-pane file managers before, Nimble Commander will surely look quite familiar. In this respect, those users who prefer using the keyboard over the mouse are likely to be pleased by the possibility of performing practically any operation just by using shortcuts. Of course, learning key combinations for more than a hundred operations may be too much. Still, you do not have to know all of them, as typing the most frequently used are enough to boost your productivity. Fortunately, the application allows opening various pairs on locations simultaneously on different tabs. Moreover, doing so does not seem to affect performance or demand more hardware resources.

Nimble Commander has other features which deserve your attention. For instance, it allows performing searches using its built-in function but also integrates with Spotlight. Similarly, the tool lets you preview the contents of the selected file. Also, when managing a long list of files, it is possible to rename batches using a given pattern. Good news is that it also allows browsing the contents of archives just as you would do with a standard folder, which contributes to saving time as you do not need to unzip the whole archive to extract a specific item.

In terms of accessing remote directories, Nimble Commander supports various protocols and services, including FTP, SFTP and WebDAV. Luckily, you can browse their contents just as you do with local folders. Additionally, there is a built-in transfer manager, which comes in particularly useful when moving large amounts of data.

In short, Nimble Commander is a product I strongly recommend. Yet, this does not mean it is free from drawbacks. In this sense, I would like the tool to support a wider range of archive formats. Besides, it would be good if there were a vertical scrollbar to help me browse through long lists.

It is great that there is a trial version available from the developer’s site, which is a great opportunity to explore many other features you may find convenient. Likewise, there is free version downloadable from the Mac App Store, but it has multiple limitations resulting from its running in sandbox mode. Finally, should you be satisfied with your experience, you can upgrade to its Pro version (paid).