# cwdio vs Far Manager

> Far Manager is the open-source text-mode two-panel manager for Windows; cwdio is a graphical dual pane with a following terminal, previews, git and undo.

- Canonical: https://cwdio.com/compare/far-manager/
- Updated: 2026-08-16
- Product: Cwdio File Manager (cwdio) — https://cwdio.com

Far Manager is the text-mode two-panel file manager for Windows: open source, keyboard-driven, endlessly
extended by plugins, and at home inside a console. cwdio agrees with almost every one of its instincts and
disagrees on exactly one: it is graphical. Two real panels with thumbnails and previews, and an embedded
terminal that follows the panel — so you keep the shell without giving up the pictures. If you live entirely
in a console, Far is the tool. If you want Far's keys with a screen, previews, git and an undo, cwdio is
worth an afternoon.

## Side by side

| | cwdio | Far Manager |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Interface | Graphical, dark or light, dockable | Text mode ("Far Manager works in text mode") |
| Platform | 64-bit Windows 10/11 | Windows |
| Licence | Free in beta; Founding Users free forever; one-time tiers at 1.0 | Open source, BSD-3-Clause |
| Source | Private; binaries and issues public | Open, on GitHub |
| Two panels | Yes; per-panel folder tabs | Yes |
| Terminal | Embedded, two-way working-directory sync; SSH shell on SFTP | It *is* in the console; a command line under the panels |
| Remote | SFTP and FTP/FTPS as folders, credentials encrypted by the OS | FTP client as a bundled plugin |
| Archives | ZIP, 7z, RAR, tar read (incl. encrypted); ZIP, 7z, tar.gz create | Archive support as a bundled plugin |
| Viewer / editor | Space Quick Look (images, video, audio, PDF, CSV tables, Markdown, code, diff, hex); F4 built-in or external editor | Built-in viewer and editor with colour highlighting |
| Transfers | Verified copy, resume, journaled queue that survives a restart, per-file skip/retry | Standard copy and move |
| Undo | Ctrl+Z undoes a batch; overwrite stash; delete to Recycle Bin | — |
| Search | Name and content, honours .gitignore; Everything when installed | Find file |
| Git | Status column, changes, branches, history, push/pull | Via plugins, if any |
| Plugins | Own platform, no public marketplace | Large plugin architecture; archives, FTP, network browser and temporary panel ship as plugins |
| Telemetry | None | None (open source) |

## Where Far Manager is stronger

- **It runs anywhere a console does**, including over a remote session where a GUI would be painful.
- **Plugins.** A very large body of plugins written over decades, and an architecture designed for them.
- **Speed and density.** Nothing is faster than text, and Far shows a lot of it.
- **Open source, BSD-licensed.**

## Where cwdio is different

- **Graphics without losing the shell.** Thumbnails, a Space preview of almost any file, a size map, and a
  terminal that follows the panel — the folder you look at is the folder your prompt is in.
- **Transfers designed for interruption.** Verification, resume after a dropped drive or connection, and a
  journal that survives a restart.
- **Undo covers a batch**, overwritten files are stashed, deletes go to the Recycle Bin.
- **Git in the panel.** Status badges, changes, branches and history.
- **Remote as folders.** SFTP and FTP/FTPS, with an SSH shell on the same connection.

## Who should pick which

- Keep **Far Manager** if the console is where you work, or a Far plugin is central to your day.
- Choose **cwdio** if you want the same two-panel keyboard model with previews, a synced terminal, git and
  undo — and you are on 64-bit Windows 10/11.
- Running Far inside cwdio's embedded terminal is a real workflow, not a joke.

## Switching notes

F5/F6/F7/F8, F3/F4, Tab, Alt+F1/Alt+F2 and Ctrl+U carry over. cwdio's Ctrl+Shift+F4 always opens the
built-in editor (Far's force-internal chord); Ctrl+E always the external one. New: Space for Quick Look,
Ctrl+` for the terminal, Ctrl+Shift+P for the command palette, Ctrl+Z for undo. Full table:
[keyboard shortcuts](/docs/keyboard-shortcuts/); the [text editor](/features/text-editor/) page explains
the F4 model.

## Last checked

Far Manager facts read 2026-08-15 from the FarGroup/FarManager GitHub repository: "a program for managing
files and archives in Windows operating systems", "works in text mode", BSD-3-Clause, and "archive support,
FTP client, temporary panel and network browser are all implemented as plugins included in the standard
distribution". farmanager.com blocked automated fetching; nothing further is claimed.

## Frequently asked questions

**Is cwdio a console file manager like Far?** No. Far Manager runs in text mode inside a console window; cwdio is a graphical app with two panels, thumbnails and previews, and it embeds a terminal so you still have a shell in the folder you are looking at. Many people run both — Far inside cwdio's terminal works.

**Do Far's keys work in cwdio?** The orthodox core does: F5 copy, F6 move, F7 new folder, F8 delete, F3 view, F4 edit, Tab between panels, Alt+F1/Alt+F2 drive lists, Ctrl+U swap panels. cwdio's Ctrl+Shift+F4 is Far's force-internal-editor idea. Far's editor macros and plugin keys have no equivalent.

**Which is free?** Far Manager is open source under the BSD-3-Clause licence and free. cwdio is free during the beta with every feature and no account; beta users keep it free forever, and paid one-time tiers arrive for new users at 1.0.

**Can cwdio load Far plugins?** No. Far's plugin architecture is Far's own; cwdio has a separate plugin platform without a public marketplace.