17 posts
Path Finder shipped its last build in 2023. If you're still using it, here's the practical migration to mq-dir — what transfers, what doesn't, and how to bridge the gaps.
If you switched from Windows + Q-Dir to Mac and missed the four panes — mq-dir is the closest spiritual successor. Here's the practical migration guide.
v0.1 shipped. Here's what we're working on for v0.2 — and why we're deliberately not shipping AI features inside the app, despite the obvious temptation.
alpha.12 is the build that put 'native' through the polish grinder — icon glass rim trimmed, tab close hit-target widened, schema rev'd safely. None of these matter individually. All of them matter together.
ranger is the vim-philosophy terminal file manager that influenced a generation. mq-dir is the GUI quad-pane app for parallel work. The careful comparison.
Default Folder X augments macOS Open/Save dialogs; mq-dir replaces Finder for navigation. They solve adjacent problems and most users want both.
Yazi is the fastest-growing terminal file manager of 2025-2026 — Rust-built, async, with rich previews. mq-dir is the GUI quad-pane Mac app. When does each fit?
nnn is the legendary terminal file manager — fast, minimal, scriptable. mq-dir is its GUI counterpart in a different design space. When does each fit?
Directory Opus is the most feature-rich file manager ever made. mq-dir is the opinionated minimalist counterpoint. The honest comparison from someone who respects both.
Total Commander defined dual-pane file management on Windows for 30 years. mq-dir takes that lineage to macOS and adds a fourth pane. Here's the careful comparison.
Q-Dir is the legendary Windows quad-pane file manager. If you switched to Mac and missed it, mq-dir is the closest spiritual heir — with native macOS polish.
Finder is fine for most users. If you've started feeling friction — windows resetting, no parallel views, scroll position lost — here's what you actually gain by switching.
Path Finder has been discontinued since 2023, but its userbase hasn't migrated yet. Here's an honest comparison with mq-dir as a successor — what you keep, what you lose, what you gain.
Commander One is Total Commander's spiritual successor on Mac. mq-dir is the quad-pane native challenger. The full comparison from a developer who lives in both.
Marta is the Total Commander successor for keyboard purists. mq-dir is the native quad-pane app for parallel workflows. They look similar; they're built for different brains.
Forklift is the polished commercial dual-pane standard. mq-dir is the open-source quad-pane challenger. An honest side-by-side comparing every axis that matters.
First public release of mq-dir — what's in it, what isn't, and the design decisions behind both.