A native file manager for Mac
Finder + more thoughtful = 
It works the way Finder does, so there’s nothing to relearn. It just takes better care of the things Finder leaves to you.
Version 1.0.4 · Free, PRO free for 14 days · Apple Silicon · macOS 15+
brew install --cask nghialuong/fileoctopus/fileoctopus
From the r/macapps launch thread, word for word. Tap a name to read the whole comment.
“Downloaded. Played around with it for 15 minutes. Then bought it. … Using this felt just like using Finder, but with just the additional features I've been looking for. … Bravo and congrats on a great app!”
“Quick trial, first impressions great so far. Love the idea I don't need to relearn much, and this is much better than random Finder plugins.”
“the undo after quitting and reopening is the feature i didn't know i needed.”
“Super cool 👏 love everything about this”
“Purchased it. I see the potential, and I like supporting indie devs. Keep it up!”
“Keep Both as the default is the right call”
“Keep Both as the default is a sensible choice.”
“Dang this is clutch, Finder can be a pain and messy at times!”
“Great work on this...Thanks.....Picked it up.”
“this looks sick! keep it up!”
“Also respect for shipping the 'what it can't do yet' section, more launches need that. 👍”
“This looks nice and useful”
“I do like the option in Settings to use Cmd-X to cut files (~ Windows) - I normally use the Command-X app to achieve this but I'm always happy to reduce the number of running apps :-)”
“Wow, that actually looks quite good. I like how clean it looks, very close to Finder. Great job!”
“Love that it's a native app and not another bloated Electron wrapper. Downloading it now!”
“This looks amazing, and thank you for the detailed and candid write-up.”
“Seems like some really great innovations and hard work, well done! Just picked up a Pro license.”
“Really like the look of it and just picked up a pro copy. I’m really looking forward to what this brings.”
“I love keep both as the defaullt, I’m not emotionally ready to decide which build is the working one”
“Named after an animal with 8 arms, ships with 16 panes. Underpromise, overdeliver.”
“Purchased!!! Excellent work!”
“Reminds me of Paul the octopus lol. … Jokes aside, love this!”
“Just commenting to support! Great seeing devs still making indie apps”
“What a nice pitch and it looks really nice!”
“nice, checking the file is still the same one before undoing is a really thoughtful touch.”
“I like the sidebar grouping feature and the Workspace; I've always wanted those.”
Features
The jobs Finder leaves to you, done in one window.
Split View
Split any pane left, right, up or down, as many times as your work needs, up to 16 panes in one window. Drag files between them.
How panes workNatural-language search
Type “pdfs from last week” and it becomes filters you can see and edit. Search covers only the folders you approve.
Search results 29× faster than Finder’s default search.Median of 12 searches over 146,000 files on an Apple M3 Max with macOS 26.5.1: results in 0.27 s vs 7.7 s. Finder used its default ⌘F search, which also matches file contents; FileOctopus searched names.
Rule-based and local, not AI. Searching inside files is a separate opt-in for each folder.
How search worksFile Shelf
Add files from any folder to the window’s Shelf while you browse, then copy or move them all into the active pane in one step.
How the Shelf worksContent search · Text in images
Search with content: to find text inside PDFs, and text in screenshots and other images, read on your Mac.
Content and text-in-image searchWorkspaces · PRO
Save the windows, tabs and panes you’re working with as a named workspace, then bring them back any time from Window ▸ Open Workspace.
How workspaces workQuick Open · Command Palette
Press ⌃⌘P and type part of a name to open a recent folder, a favorite, another open tab or a saved workspace. Start with > to run any menu command, or press ⌃⇧⌘P. Go to Folder suggests folders as you type a path.
Free. Opening a saved workspace needs PRO.
How Quick Open worksAnd the details
The parts you notice the first time you need them.
See the speed and about how long is left, pause a long copy or move and resume it from the same point. With PRO, start more while one runs: drag them into the order you want, or hold them all with Pause All.
Pausing and queueing
When a name is already taken, you see both versions, with the newer one marked, and choose Keep Both, Replace or Stop. Keep Both is the default.
When a name already existsWhen a folder with the same name is already there, choose Merge… to see how many items are new, clash or are already there, before anything changes. Keep Both is the default.
Merge two folders⌘Z in any window undoes the last file operation, even after you quit and reopen FileOctopus (the last 20 steps, for 24 hours). It checks the files first and tells you if something changed.
Undo after quittingPress ⇧⌘↩ to give the pane you’re in the whole window, and again to bring every pane back where it was.
Panes and workspacesRename a favorite, make your own groups, hide a disk you never use, and right-click any row for Open in New Tab, Get Info or Eject. Only the sidebar changes; folders on disk keep their names.
Customize the sidebarView ▸ Filter Current Folder narrows the list as you type, without searching every subfolder.
Ways to searchSearch “downloaded from github” to find files by the site they came from, when the file kept that information.
Source searchMoving to another drive copies first, checks the copy and removes the original only after that. A drive can’t be ejected while a copy runs.
Copies and movesIf FileOctopus quits in the middle of a copy or move, the next launch can show which items need your review.
Undo and recoveryDrag files between panes as you would in Finder, or press ⌃⇧⌘C to copy the selection into the other pane and ⌃⇧⌘M to move it there.
Copy or move to the other paneThe side buttons on a mouse, and Swipe between pages on a trackpad, go Back and Forward in the pane under the pointer, just like ⌘[ and ⌘].
Navigating foldersTurn on Explorer keys in Settings ▸ General: Return opens and F2 renames, ⌘X cuts files. ⌃⌘] and ⌃⌘[ move between panes, and Settings ▸ Keyboard has an Explorer profile. Finder’s keys stay the default.
Windows Explorer habitsIf something fails, you get the reason in plain words and what to try next. The Problems list shows each failed item, with Retry when trying again is safe.
When something goes wrongWhat you keep, what you gain
Everything you use in Finder stays. Here is what FileOctopus adds on top.
| Feature | Finder |  FileOctopus |
|---|---|---|
| Icon, List, Column and Gallery viewsHow it works: Icon, List, Column and Gallery views | Yes | Yes |
| Quick Look with SpaceHow it works: Quick Look with Space | Yes | Yes |
| Window tabsHow it works: Window tabs | Yes | Yes |
| Google Drive and Dropbox, with cloud status and Download NowHow it works: Google Drive and Dropbox, with cloud status and Download Now | Yes | Yes |
| Undo for rename, move and Move to TrashHow it works: Undo for rename, move and Move to Trash | Yes | Yes |
| Undo after you quit and reopenHow it works: Undo after you quit and reopen | No | Yes |
| Merge two folders, with a preview firstHow it works: Merge two folders, with a preview first | LimitedOption-drag, no preview | Yes |
| Saved searches in the sidebarHow it works: Saved searches in the sidebar | YesSmart Folders | YesPRO |
| Two folders side by side in one windowHow it works: Two folders side by side in one window | No | Yes2 panes in Free |
| Copy or move the selection to the other paneHow it works: Copy or move the selection to the other pane | No | Yes |
| Reopen split panes and Back history after you quitHow it works: Reopen split panes and Back history after you quit | Limitedwindows only | Yes |
| Quick Open and a Command Palette from the keyboardHow it works: Quick Open and a Command Palette from the keyboard | No | Yes |
| Your own keyboard shortcuts, with Explorer and Total Commander profilesHow it works: Your own keyboard shortcuts, with Explorer and Total Commander profiles | LimitedApp Shortcuts in System Settings | Yes |
| Sidebar groups, renamed favorites and hidden disksHow it works: Sidebar groups, renamed favorites and hidden disks | No | Yes |
| Up to 16 panes, including a 2×2 gridHow it works: Up to 16 panes, including a 2×2 grid | No | YesPRO |
| Named workspaces that reopen a whole layoutHow it works: Named workspaces that reopen a whole layout | No | YesPRO |
| A Shelf to collect files from many foldersHow it works: A Shelf to collect files from many folders | No | YesPRO |
| Batch rename with a preview of every new nameHow it works: Batch rename with a preview of every new name | Limitedshows one example | Yes |
| Pause, resume and queue copies and movesHow it works: Pause, resume and queue copies and moves | No | Yesqueue in PRO |
Compared with Finder as it ships with macOS, and FileOctopus 1.0.4. Some Finder features are not in FileOctopus yet: see the current limits.
Why FileOctopus
29×
faster search results than FinderMedian of 12 searches over 146,000 files on an Apple M3 Max with macOS 26.5.1: results in 0.27 s vs 7.7 s. Finder used its default ⌘F search, which also matches file contents; FileOctopus searched names.
8 MB
download · 22 MB installedRelease build measured on 16 October 2026; the notarized download may differ slightly.
Native
Swift + AppKit · Apple Silicon · macOS 15+
0
accounts. Your index stays on your Mac
Same four views, same shortcuts, same menus. Your hands already know it.
See changes before they run, keep both when names clash, and undo.
No account, no cloud. Search covers only the folders you approve.
Free and PRO
Try every PRO feature free for 14 days. No card, no account: the trial starts when you first open FileOctopus. Afterwards, keep Free or buy PRO once.
Free forever
$0
No daily limits, and nothing to buy to keep using it.
Free download · Version 1.0.4
One-time purchase
One license, up to 2 Macs · Lifetime updates
$29.99
Pay once. Launch offers from $14.99.
Launch pricing: $14.99 for the first 100 customers until Nov 2, $19.99 for the next 200 until Nov 30, then the price goes up.
Be one of the first to buy PRO at the launch price.
One user, up to 2 Macs · Lifetime updates, no subscription · 30-day money-back. Launch prices end when sold out or on their end date. Taxes at checkout. Refund policy · Terms
Buy PROSecure checkout by Lemon Squeezy · license key by email
Good to know
Yes. It is a separate file manager you can use instead of Finder for everyday file work. It does not replace the Desktop, the Dock, or the Open and Save dialogs, and Finder keeps running alongside it.
Yes. FileOctopus 1.0.4 is signed and notarized by Apple. PRO is free for 14 days; then buy it once in the pricing section and paste the license key from your receipt email into FileOctopus → License…. Check the current feature status before you rely on it.
FileOctopus continues as Free, with up to two panes per window and the included file-management and search tools. Your files, named workspaces and saved searches are not deleted, and you can still see what you saved. Applying saved workspaces, running saved searches, queueing a copy or move behind one that is running and using layouts with more than two panes need PRO; recovery information stays accessible.
No. PRO is a one-time purchase with lifetime updates: every future version is included at no extra cost.
Supported phrases are interpreted locally into visible, editable filters. It is rule-based search, not semantic AI. Core browsing and search do not require a cloud account.
There are no linked panes or duplicate finder, and the Shelf lasts for one window. Quick Actions such as Rotate and Create PDF are not available yet, and a paused copy has to be resumed or stopped before you quit. The current limits page lists the rest.
FileOctopus for Mac
Make FileOctopus your main file manager on Mac.
Version 1.0.4 · Signed and notarized · Apple Silicon · macOS 15+