Commander One

Developer(s)	Electronic Team, Inc.
Stable release	3.7.3831[1]  / 25 August 2023
Written in	Swift
Operating system	OS X v.10.9.x - 11.x
Size	58.68 MB
Available in	English, French, German, Dutch, Czech, Chinese, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Ukrainian
Type	File manager, FTP client, Archiver
License	Proprietary
Website	www.electronic.us/products/commander-one/

Commander One is a dual-pane file manager designed for macOS. Developed by Electronic Team, Inc. the app is created entirely in Swift and aims to provide users with a powerful and intuitive tool to navigate, manage, and manipulate files and folders on their Mac computers.^[2][3] The application offers a wide range of features and meets the requirements of both casual users and professionals.^[4]

Commander One is officially approved by Christian Ghisler as a decent alternative to Total Commander^[5] It supports multiple languages, including English, Czech, Simplified Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Ukrainian.

Features

The app comes with a variety of features bundled together in the free version as well as the PRO package.^[6] These are some of the features:

• Dual-Pane Interface: Commander One adopts the classic dual-pane interface ideology, allowing users to browse and manage files and folders more efficiently.
• Multi-Tab Browsing: Users can open multiple tabs within the application to navigate between different locations.
• Built-in Viewer: It includes a built-in viewer for various file types without the need for additional software.
• File Operations: The software supports various file operations such as copy, move, rename, delete, compress, and extract, making file management more convenient.
• Quick and Advanced File Search: Commander One allows users to quickly find files and folders through its search functionality, as well as offering an advanced search feature to quickly locate specific files or folders based on user-defined criteria (regex).
• Hotkeys Setup: Commander One allows users to customize hotkeys]], providing quick access to frequently used functions.
• Work with Archives: It supports ZIP file compression and extraction as well as expanded support for various file compression formats, including RAR (extract only), TBZ, TGZ, and 7z formats.
• Display of Hidden Files: The application features a special toggle switch that allows users to display hidden files, giving access to files that are not visible in the default macOS file manager.
• Renaming Files and Folders during Movement: Users can conveniently rename files or folders while moving them to a different location.
• Three viewing modes: The app provides three viewing modes: Full for detailed file information, Brief for a concise overview, and Thumbs for visual browsing through the media files.
• Personalized Interface Customization: Commander One offers an interface personalization experience through customizable fonts, colors, and themes, allowing them to change the UI according to their preferences and work environment.
• Root Access: With the capability to gain root access, advanced users can perform administrative actions and manage system files that require elevated permissions.
• Built-in FTP Client: Users can seamlessly connect to FTP, FTPS (FTP over SSL/TLS), and SFTP servers for file transfer.^[7]
• MTP, Android, and iOS Devices Mounting: The app allows mounting of MTP (Media Transfer Protocol), Android, and iOS devices (not available in the App Store version of the app) and managing files stored on these devices right on their Mac.^[8][9][10]
• Integration with Cloud Storage: The app allows users to mount and manage cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Amazon S3 directly from the Commander One interface.
• Terminal Emulator: Commander One includes a built-in terminal emulatorfor executing command-line operations.
• Encryption on Online Connections: The app offers encryption on online connections, ensuring that data transfers and interactions with remote servers are encrypted for enhanced privacy.
• Process Viewer: provides insight into currently running processes and system resource usage. This feature is valuable for users who need to monitor system performance or troubleshoot issues related to resource consumption.

Operating system support

Commander One is specifically designed for macOS systems and is compatible with macOS 10.12 and later versions. The app runs natively on Mac computers with Apple silicon: M1 and M2 series.

Reception

MacWorld rated Commander One as 3.5 out of 5 stars, concluding that it adds some useful functions to the standard Finder, but it was let down by its user interface and bugs in some of its functions, in particular with the built-in FTP manager; the article was later updated with a notice that the problem with the FTP manager had been solved by a subsequent update (version 1.2) ^[11]

TechRepublic review mentions that Commander One offers convenient efficiencies and simplifies the workflow with its dual-pane interface and a number of features, like an FTP client, compression support, Terminal Emulator, and Dropbox integration. In general, the author finds it a handy application to use.^[12]

Tom Nelson in his review of Commander One on About.com highlights the app's features, including File Viewer, FTP/SFTP/FTPS client, Dropbox integration, view modes, etc., and draws the conclusion that "Commander One provides additional file management capabilities at a very reasonable price (free) and offers more advanced functions as add-ons that you can purchase or not, depending on your needs."

Apple Tech Talk introduces Commander One 2.1, a dual-pane file manager for macOS, as a robust alternative to Finder. The article highlights the app’s benefits, including a clean interface, the ability to view hidden files, and create hotkeys. The PRO Pack extends the functionality with features like FTP support, cloud integration, and theme customization. While acknowledging a learning curve, the article sees Commander One as a valuable addition for Mac users seeking enhanced file management capabilities.^[13]

In an article by Krishna on August 17, 2019 for pcweenies.com, the author provides an in-depth evaluation of Commander One software. The article outlines the features and capabilities of the app, comparing it to macOS Finder and highlighting its strengths as a file management tool. The review touches on various aspects, including customization options, keyboard shortcuts, process monitoring, and cloud storage and mobile device integration.

The author praises the software's functionality and accessibility while also discussing some nuances and differences in behavior compared to macOS Finder. The review offers insights into the user experience, particularly for power users who seek advanced file management solutions.^[14]

Commander One is a comprehensive file manager designed specifically for Mac systems, as reviewed in an article on MacSources by Robyn. The reviewer highlights its intuitive design and aesthetically pleasing user interface, earning a high rating of 92% for its excellent performance.^[15]

In the review of Commander One, by Hammad Baig for twitgoo.com, the author evaluates the app’s capabilities as a comprehensive file management solution for Mac users. The reviewer highlights Commander One's superiority over the default Mac file manager due to its advanced features such as dual-pane mode, hidden file viewing, hotkey support, file previews, root access, built-in FTP client, and compatibility with various cloud services. He also mentions the software's ease of use, encryption capabilities, Android file transfer feature, and dark mode.^[16]

TechWhoop Team review emphasizes the software's dual-pane design for multitasking, features like RegEx search, mobile device management, menu functions, and cloud storage support. The review also mentions the availability of both free and paid versions, with the Pro version offering additional benefits such as cloud data storage integration and FTP client capabilities. The review concludes by affirming Commander One's smooth and user-friendly experience.^[17]

Digital Connect Mag describes the software as a potential solution for simplifying file management tasks and emphasizes its compatibility with various cloud services and remote servers. The article highlights the features of Commander One in detail, including its easy file selection and management capabilities, brief mode, smooth file selection, hotkey customization, etc.^[18]

See also

• Comparison of FTP client software
• File managers

References

External links

• Official website
• Commander One User Guide
• Release Notes