Loop manages windows on macOS, according to its repository description.
The Best lf Alternatives in 2026
Looking for something like lf? Here are 24 alternatives, ranked by how closely they match it on purpose, features and platforms. Of these, 24 are open source.
lf manages files from a terminal, according to its repository description.
Top picks at a glance
Quick comparison
| # | Alternative | Pricing | Open source | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loop | — | Yes | — |
| 2 | Joshuto | — | Yes | — |
| 3 | bluetuith | — | Yes | — |
| 4 | Hyfetch | — | Yes | — |
| 5 | Tmux | — | Yes | — |
| 6 | gurk-rs | — | Yes | — |
| 7 | Surge | — | Yes | — |
| 8 | fm | — | Yes | — |
| 9 | GearLever | — | Yes | — |
| 10 | Magisk Installer | — | Yes | — |
All lf alternatives
Joshuto manages files in a Rust terminal application with a workflow similar to ranger.
bluetuith manages Bluetooth connections from a cross-platform terminal interface.
Hyfetch displays system information in a terminal with LGBTQ+ pride-flag themes, according to its repository description.
tmux provides terminal multiplexing, with source code and project information on its repository page.
gurk-rs provides a terminal-based Signal Messenger client, according to its repository title and description.
Surge provides downloads through a terminal manager written in Go, according to its repository description.
fm manages files in a terminal interface, with its project built using Go and Bubble Tea.
Gear Lever manages AppImage packages, integrating them into the app menu and supporting drag-and-drop installation.
WaydroidSU manages and installs Magisk from the command line for Waydroid.
Planify manages tasks with Todoist, Nextcloud, and CalDAV support for the GNOME desktop.
walk navigates files in a terminal interface as an alternative to cd and ls, with keyboard controls for moving through folders.
fclones finds duplicate files, according to the project title and repository description.
Atuin synchronizes and searches shell history with end-to-end encryption, according to its repository description.
CodexBar displays usage statistics for OpenAI Codex and Claude Code without requiring login, according to its repository.
Broot navigates directory trees, finds files, and launches commands from a terminal.
skim provides fuzzy finding in Rust, according to its repository description.
Fooyin plays music and supports customization, according to its repository description.
Pi-Apps catalogs software for Raspberry Pi, with projects described as open source in its repository title.
QMPlay2 plays video and audio in many formats and codecs, according to its repository description.
Satty provides tools to annotate screenshots, according to its repository description.
JDSP4Linux processes audio for PipeWire and PulseAudio clients, according to its repository description.
Powerlevel10k is a theme for the Zsh shell, as described by its repository page.
BlockTheSpot installs a Spotify client modification for blocking ads on Windows, according to its repository description.
Alternatives to similar tools
What is the best alternative to lf?
Are there open-source alternatives to lf?
Alternatives are suggested from the purpose and features described in our listings. Different pages for the same product appear once. Read each description to check whether it fits your task. How we choose alternatives · Suggest an alternative
























