{"slug": "filepilot", "name": "FilePilot", "category": "files", "category_name": "Files, sync and backup", "description": "", "recommenders": 15, "commenters": 17, "warners": 1, "score": 11.563, "rising": -3.58, "first": "2025-11-02", "latest": "2026-10-08", "why": "Its like explorer but so much faster in every single way.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 16, "neutral": 1, "compare": 1, "warn": 1}, "spark": [2, 3, 2, 4, 2, 2, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "Its like explorer but so much faster in every single way.", "kind": "", "icon": true, "domain": "filepilot.tech", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://filepilot.tech", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["FilePilot", "File Pilot", "filepilot"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 793488032, "item_id": 49593002, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49593002", "by": "deadbeef7f", "date": "2026-09-07", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "If you are a windows user, you may want to check out File Pilot", "excerpt": "If you are a windows user, you may want to check out File Pilot https://filepilot.tech/", "context": "", "use_case": "file manager on Windows", "switched_from": "", "story": "Finder is so frustrating and has been since day one"}, {"id": 762429793, "item_id": 47651862, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47651862", "by": "dangus", "date": "2026-04-05", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "File Pilot does look cool.", "excerpt": "I also use Everything. But I'm not sure how Windows Search not being the best has much to do with the system's overall RAM usage. Explorer works fine for me but File Pilot does look cool. I'll give it a try. (Good luck replacing Finder on Mac, is that even possible?) I only use Windows for desktop and if I was clean installing I'd probably switch it to Linux. My laptop is Linux then I share a macOS system with my par", "context": "", "use_case": "File management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ubuntu now requires more RAM than Windows 11"}, {"id": 762380321, "item_id": 47648770, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47648770", "by": "Alifatisk", "date": "2026-04-05", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "replace Explorer with Filepilot (filepilot.tech)", "excerpt": "> I wouldn\u2019t go so far as defending Microslop > I do get tired of the Apple fanboys accusing Windows of being bloated and running poorly. > Windows has a lot of problems but performance and memory efficiency is not one of them. I can't even describe how much your experience differs from mine. I would never have imagine someone to utter such sentence about Windows in todays day and age. For everyone else reading this,", "context": "", "use_case": "File manager", "switched_from": "Explorer", "story": "Ubuntu now requires more RAM than Windows 11"}, {"id": 759453457, "item_id": 47465841, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47465841", "by": "jodrellblank", "date": "2026-03-21", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "If you like \u201cEverything\u201d, you might like https://filepilot.tech/ - a 2MB, no install, Explorer clone", "excerpt": "If you like \u201cEverything\u201d, you might like https://filepilot.tech/ - a 2MB, no install, Explorer clone designed to be quick and including a similar fast search.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Our Commitment to Windows Quality"}, {"id": 759369600, "item_id": 47460600, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47460600", "by": "iknowstuff", "date": "2026-03-20", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Entirely embarassed by File Pilot", "excerpt": "Oh, someone's feeling the heat of MacBook Neo and getting pressured by their hardware partners. > More taskbar customization, including vertical and top positions: Pfft. Still slow, react-based, and ad-riddled > reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points, starting with apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets and Notepad. Must have failed to meet the metrics goals > Reducing disruption from Windows Updates You can bet", "context": "", "use_case": "file manager", "switched_from": "", "story": "Our Commitment to Windows Quality"}]}], "caveats": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 749819472, "item_id": 46863717, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46863717", "by": "embedding-shape", "date": "2026-02-02", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "That's only for Windows though, it seems?", "excerpt": "> You don't need to use microsoft's or apple's or google's shit UI frameworks. E.g. see https://filepilot.tech/ That's only for Windows though, it seems? Maybe the whole \"just write all the rendering yourself using metal/gl/dx\" is slightly harder than you think.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Codex App"}]}], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["windows file manager", "file manager", "file browsing", "file manager on windows", "file explorer", "file management"], "compared": [{"slug": "windows-file-explorer", "name": "Windows File Explorer", "co": 5, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "file-explorer", "name": "File Explorer", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "everything", "name": "Everything", "co": 3, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}, {"slug": "microsoft-windows", "name": "Microsoft Windows", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [{"id": 770359200, "item_id": 48147450, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48147450", "by": "t23414321", "date": "2026-05-15", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "FilePilot is Next-gen file explorer (since Feb 2025)", "excerpt": "That's wrong and untrue. FilePilot is Next-gen file explorer (since Feb 2025) Engineered entirely from scratch for light-speed performance, featuring a modern and robust interface .. and it doesn't use AI 2.08MB size, extremally optimized, made by single developer (Vjekoslav Kraja\u010di\u0107) \u00a332 personal license, We plan to offer Source Included as a separate purchase https://filepilot.tech/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "FilePilot AI \u2013 local-first desktop file manager with optional AI summaries"}], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46859054", "title": "The Codex App", "mentions": 3}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47648452", "title": "Ubuntu now requires more RAM than Windows 11", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47459296", "title": "Our Commitment to Windows Quality", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46795864", "title": "Microsoft forced me to switch to Linux", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46445491", "title": "2025 was a disaster for Windows 11", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49999171", "title": "Sumatra File Manager", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 2}, "2025-12": {"recommend": 3}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-02": {"recommend": 4, "warn": 1}, "2026-03": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-04": {"recommend": 2}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {"neutral": 1}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-10": {"compare": 1}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 800134113, "item_id": 50008382, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50008382", "by": "wronex", "date": "2026-10-08", "version": null, "stance": "compare", "quote": "Also tried FilePilot and TotalCommander.", "excerpt": "Cool! Windows 11 really needs a better file browser. Will give this a try for sure! Currently using Explorer without the Windows 11 skin. Also tried FilePilot and TotalCommander. But what I really want is Windows explorer with tabs; more or less. It would be interesting to hear from a Microsoft engineer about what\u2019s going on in there. Explorer is a pretty important piece of the experience, and its currently a nightma", "context": "Windows 11 user", "use_case": "file browsing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Sumatra File Manager"}, {"id": 793488032, "item_id": 49593002, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49593002", "by": "deadbeef7f", "date": "2026-09-07", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "If you are a windows user, you may want to check out File Pilot", "excerpt": "If you are a windows user, you may want to check out File Pilot https://filepilot.tech/", "context": "", "use_case": "file manager on Windows", "switched_from": "", "story": "Finder is so frustrating and has been since day one"}, {"id": 773668592, "item_id": 48354287, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48354287", "by": "smusamashah", "date": "2026-06-01", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "This looks and performs very much like https://filepilot.tech/", "excerpt": "This looks and performs very much like https://filepilot.tech/ but made by a different person in the same spirit.", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows file manager", "switched_from": "", "story": "TaskSlinger: A faster, cleaner task manager for Windows with modern interface"}, {"id": 770362480, "item_id": 48147655, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48147655", "by": "t23414321", "date": "2026-05-15", "version": null, "stance": "neutral", "quote": "FilePilot is made by single developer", "excerpt": "FilePilot is made by single developer, Vjekoslav Kraja\u010di\u0107, public since Feb 2025: ..Next-gen file explorer Engineered entirely from scratch for light-speed performance, featuring a modern and robust interface 2.08MB size, handcoded and extremally optimized 'alternate universe' \u00a332 personal license, plan to offer Source Included as a separate purchase. https://filepilot.tech/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSZsgOOTY", "context": "", "use_case": "File explorer", "switched_from": "", "story": "Vjekoslav Kraja\u010dI\u0107 \u2013 File Pilot: Inside the Engine \u2013 BSC 2025 [video]"}, {"id": 762429793, "item_id": 47651862, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47651862", "by": "dangus", "date": "2026-04-05", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "File Pilot does look cool.", "excerpt": "I also use Everything. But I'm not sure how Windows Search not being the best has much to do with the system's overall RAM usage. Explorer works fine for me but File Pilot does look cool. I'll give it a try. (Good luck replacing Finder on Mac, is that even possible?) I only use Windows for desktop and if I was clean installing I'd probably switch it to Linux. My laptop is Linux then I share a macOS system with my par", "context": "", "use_case": "File management", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ubuntu now requires more RAM than Windows 11"}, {"id": 762380321, "item_id": 47648770, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47648770", "by": "Alifatisk", "date": "2026-04-05", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "replace Explorer with Filepilot (filepilot.tech)", "excerpt": "> I wouldn\u2019t go so far as defending Microslop > I do get tired of the Apple fanboys accusing Windows of being bloated and running poorly. > Windows has a lot of problems but performance and memory efficiency is not one of them. I can't even describe how much your experience differs from mine. I would never have imagine someone to utter such sentence about Windows in todays day and age. For everyone else reading this,", "context": "", "use_case": "File manager", "switched_from": "Explorer", "story": "Ubuntu now requires more RAM than Windows 11"}, {"id": 759453457, "item_id": 47465841, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47465841", "by": "jodrellblank", "date": "2026-03-21", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "If you like \u201cEverything\u201d, you might like https://filepilot.tech/ - a 2MB, no install, Explorer clone", "excerpt": "If you like \u201cEverything\u201d, you might like https://filepilot.tech/ - a 2MB, no install, Explorer clone designed to be quick and including a similar fast search.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Our Commitment to Windows Quality"}, {"id": 759369600, "item_id": 47460600, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47460600", "by": "iknowstuff", "date": "2026-03-20", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Entirely embarassed by File Pilot", "excerpt": "Oh, someone's feeling the heat of MacBook Neo and getting pressured by their hardware partners. > More taskbar customization, including vertical and top positions: Pfft. Still slow, react-based, and ad-riddled > reducing unnecessary Copilot entry points, starting with apps like Snipping Tool, Photos, Widgets and Notepad. Must have failed to meet the metrics goals > Reducing disruption from Windows Updates You can bet", "context": "", "use_case": "file manager", "switched_from": "", "story": "Our Commitment to Windows Quality"}, {"id": 751121649, "item_id": 46945103, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46945103", "by": "nananana9", "date": "2026-02-09", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "modern desktop UI applications with all the modern desktop UI application bells and whistles", "excerpt": "You're clearly well-traveled, but it's unfortunate that none of the frameworks you listed follow the only UI paradigm I actually find enjoyable to work with. Look Immediate Mode UIs when you have some time to kill. It's a famous paradigm in videogame UI development, so unfortunately most publicly available IMGUI libraries are tailored for use in game engine editor tooling (not very style-able, simple layout algorithm", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "A Broken Heart"}, {"id": 751023728, "item_id": 46938983, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46938983", "by": "Lammy", "date": "2026-02-08", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "And File Pilot :)", "excerpt": "And File Pilot :) https://filepilot.tech/ (t. FP Pro license holder)", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Voidtools Everything \u2013 Locate files and folders by name instantly"}, {"id": 749819472, "item_id": 46863717, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46863717", "by": "embedding-shape", "date": "2026-02-02", "version": null, "stance": "warn", "quote": "That's only for Windows though, it seems?", "excerpt": "> You don't need to use microsoft's or apple's or google's shit UI frameworks. E.g. see https://filepilot.tech/ That's only for Windows though, it seems? Maybe the whole \"just write all the rendering yourself using metal/gl/dx\" is slightly harder than you think.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Codex App"}, {"id": 749805376, "item_id": 46862836, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46862836", "by": "incr_me", "date": "2026-02-02", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "So I know quality when I see it (File Pilot).", "excerpt": "How is File Pilot for accessibility and for all of the little niceties like native scrolling, clipboard interaction, drag and drop, and so on? My impression is that the creator is has expertly focused on most/all of these details, but I don't have Windows to test. I insist on good UI as well, and, as a web developer, have spent many hours hand rolling web components that use <canvas>. The most complicated one is a sp", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Codex App"}, {"id": 749799824, "item_id": 46862489, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46862489", "by": "OlympicMarmoto", "date": "2026-02-02", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "E.g. see https://filepilot.tech/", "excerpt": "This is another common excuse. You don't need to use microsoft's or apple's or google's shit UI frameworks. E.g. see https://filepilot.tech/ You can just write all the rendering yourself using metal/gl/dx. if you didn't want to write the rendering yourself there are plenty of libraries like skia, flutter's renderer, nanovg, etc", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "The Codex App"}, {"id": 748816480, "item_id": 46801030, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46801030", "by": "smusamashah", "date": "2026-01-28", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Its like explorer but so much faster in every single way.", "excerpt": "Please try https://filepilot.tech/ Its like explorer but so much faster in every single way. I have it pinned on the taskbar, it launches quickly than a new explorer window. Main one is no-multiline support atm. Which means that the icon view does not show full file name, list view etc are perfectly fine though. Current problems I have with it are no native zip support, which means you must use 7-zip, winrar etc and ", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows file manager", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft forced me to switch to Linux"}, {"id": 748781200, "item_id": 46798825, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46798825", "by": "benhurmarcel", "date": "2026-01-28", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "version of explorer that's so fast", "excerpt": "> version of explorer that's so fast https://filepilot.tech/", "context": "", "use_case": "Windows file browser replacement", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft forced me to switch to Linux"}, {"id": 743179504, "item_id": 46448719, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46448719", "by": "mananaysiempre", "date": "2025-12-31", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "File Pilot[1] does have reskin the old menu with some success", "excerpt": "Right, that\u2019s the strange part. I originally thought that the split was caused by the old shell APIs requiring honest-to-goodness HMENUs with all that implies, but File Pilot[1] does have reskin the old menu with some success so evidently that\u2019s not completely impossible. [1] https://filepilot.tech/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "2025 was a disaster for Windows 11"}, {"id": 743149312, "item_id": 46446832, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46446832", "by": "dundarious", "date": "2025-12-31", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "filepilot is a very snappy and feature-rich alternative to the native file explorer.", "excerpt": "filepilot is a very snappy and feature-rich alternative to the native file explorer. I wish there was a runner alternative. I love tofi on linux where a tiny bit of config makes it show up with dynamic yet deterministic results in a couple frames (at 60Hz).", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "2025 was a disaster for Windows 11"}, {"id": 738037105, "item_id": 46127319, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46127319", "by": "abnercoimbre", "date": "2025-12-02", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Notable examples include File Pilot [0]", "excerpt": "Handmade Cities founder here. We never associated with Bun other than extending an invitation to rent a job booth at a conference: this was years ago when I had a Twitter account, so it's fair if Jarred doesn't remember. If Handmade Cities had the opportunity to collaborate with Bun today, we would not take it, even prior to this acquisition. HMC wants to level up systems while remaining performant, snappy and butter", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Anthropic acquires Bun"}, {"id": 736398656, "item_id": 46024916, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46024916", "by": "user____name", "date": "2025-11-23", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Using File Pilot [0] really drives home how abysmally slow explorer.exe has become.", "excerpt": "Using File Pilot [0] really drives home how abysmally slow explorer.exe has become. [0] https://filepilot.tech/", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Microsoft Will Preload Windows 11 File Explorer to Fix Bad Performance"}, {"id": 732697888, "item_id": 45793618, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45793618", "by": "abnercoimbre", "date": "2025-11-02", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "take a look at this indie dev blowing the default explorer out of the water", "excerpt": "And there really is no excuse, take a look at this indie dev blowing the default explorer out of the water: https://filepilot.tech", "context": "", "use_case": "fast file search and browsing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Linux gamers on Steam cross over the 3% mark"}]}