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HUDrag and drop between them
Drag files from Finder onto a panel to copy them there, even onto a cloud account or a server. Drag items from a panel to Finder: files on your Mac go as themselves, remote ones are downloaded.
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DriveManager and Finder: different tools for different jobs
Finder is the Mac’s own file browser and part of the system. DriveManager is a two-panel file manager for people who move, rename and compare a lot of files, often across disks, cloud accounts and servers. Here is where each one fits.
Who it is for
DriveManager is made for file-heavy work
If you mostly open documents and tidy your Desktop, Finder already does that well. DriveManager is for days that look more like these:
- copying and moving between two places all day: a project and its backup, a card and an archive
- working on cloud accounts and servers in the same window as your local folders
- renaming dozens of files by a rule, or checking that two folders hold the same files
- driving everything from the keyboard, as in Total Commander or Midnight Commander
Workflow differences
The everyday tasks where the two work differently. The Finder column describes macOS 26 Finder without extra apps.
| Task | Finder | DriveManager |
|---|---|---|
| Two folders at once | One folder per window or tab; to see two side by side, you open two windows. | Two panels in one window, each with its own tabs. Commands use the other panel’s folder as the destination. |
| Copying from the keyboard | Copy with ⌘C and ⌘V, move with ⌥⌘V, or drag. No function-key file commands. | F5 copies and F6 moves to the other panel; F3–F8 cover view, edit, copy, move, new folder and Trash. ⌘3–⌘8 work the same on a Mac keyboard. |
| Cloud accounts | iCloud Drive is built in. Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive appear through their own desktop apps. | Connects to Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive itself, without their apps, after a one-time setup with your own developer app registration. iCloud Drive and the cloud apps’ folders on your Mac open too. |
| Servers | Connect to Server mounts SMB and NFS shares and WebDAV; FTP servers open read-only. No SFTP or S3. | Mounts SMB and NFS shares through macOS, and connects to WebDAV, SFTP, FTP, S3-compatible storage and OpenStack Swift right in a panel. |
| Renaming many files | The Rename dialog does one of Replace Text, Add Text or Format per run, with an example of the result. | Multi-Rename runs a list of rules in order, previews every new name, saves presets and can undo the rename. It works on cloud accounts and servers too. |
| Comparing and syncing folders | No built-in folder comparison or sync. | Compare Folders (⇧F2) marks what differs between the two panels. Synchronize Folders (⇧⌘Y) lists every difference and copies only what you approve, when you start it. |
| Looking inside files | Quick Look (Space) previews many file types, and apps can add Quick Look extensions. | F3 opens built-in read-only viewers for images, PDF, Markdown, archives, SQLite databases, CSV and more; Quick View previews in the other panel as you move. Quick Look is there too (⌘Y). |
| Git status | Not shown. | Local panels show which files are modified, staged, new or ignored, and the branch. Its own Git engine; the git command isn’t needed. |
In detail: folder compare and sync, the built-in file viewers and Git and the developer tools.
Renaming: a dialog or a rule list
Finder’s Rename dialog is quick for one simple change. Multi-Rename (⌃M) is built for the jobs that need several steps.
- Rules such as Find & Replace, Add Text, Remove Text, Change Case and Mask run from top to bottom
- The preview shows every old and new name, and flags names that would clash
- Undo Rename puts every name back that hasn’t changed since
Where Finder is the better tool
Some jobs belong to Finder, and DriveManager doesn’t try to take them over.
Use both
DriveManager works alongside Finder, not instead of it.
Show in Finder
Right-click an item on your Mac and choose Show in Finder to see it there, for example to share it.
Quick Look
⌘Y opens the macOS Quick Look window for the marked items or the item under the cursor, with the same previews as in Finder.
Finder tags and the Finder look
Finder tags show in the panels, and ⌃1–⌃7 add the colour tags. Give a panel the Finder style (⌃⌘2), or switch to the Finder key preset.
Questions about DriveManager and Finder
Does DriveManager replace Finder?
No. Finder stays the Mac’s file browser: it runs the Desktop and stays part of the system. DriveManager is an app you open for file work, and the two pass files back and forth with drag and drop and Show in Finder.
Can DriveManager search with Spotlight?
Find Files (⌥F7) can use the Spotlight index for folders on your Mac, which is faster and also finds text in PDF and Office files. It can also search a whole cloud account or all your sources at once.
Does DriveManager work with iCloud Drive?
Yes. Allow iCloud Drive once and it opens like any folder, with each file’s sync status. Files that are only in iCloud download when you open or copy them.
Can I keep the Finder shortcuts I know?
Settings ▸ Keyboard ▸ Presets has a Finder key map, and every command’s keys can be changed. How the two-panel keys work
Apple, Mac, macOS, Finder, iCloud, Spotlight, AirDrop and Quick Look are trademarks of Apple Inc. Other names are trademarks of their respective owners. DriveManager is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple.
Last checked: November 2026
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