Open-Source Files App Gains Ground as Windows 11 Rebuilds Explorer

A community-built file manager is getting attention again

For years, Windows 11 users have complained that File Explorer is slow and only partly modernized. Some have given up waiting for Microsoft and switched to Files, a free, open-source file manager built by volunteers. Over the past month, several reviews have recommended it. XDA Developers says Files feels more modern, more polished and lighter than File Explorer in daily use, and that browsing, moving files and managing storage feel faster11. A MakeUseOf writer who replaced several built-in Windows tools with free apps calls Files the File Explorer Microsoft should have built15.

The timing is the story. These reviews are arriving just as Microsoft rolls out its own repair job on the Windows shell. The open-source option is no longer only competing with the old File Explorer. It now has to compete with a rebuilt one.

What Files offers

The developers describe Files as an attempt to build the best file manager for Windows, and they do the work in public. Bug reports and feature requests on GitHub decide what gets built next17. The feature list covers what power users have asked Microsoft for: browser-style tabs, a dual-pane view, colored and named file tags, built-in previews with syntax highlighting, cloud drive shortcuts in the sidebar, and a fully themeable interface21. Files can also take over from Explorer completely. One setting lets it catch system shortcuts like Win+E and open in place of File Explorer, and that can be switched off at any time21.

The project is updated often. Version 4.2.9.0, released in mid-September, lets users calculate folder sizes on demand and keeps the selected item when switching layouts. It also adds a quick way to remove all tags from a file and fixes bugs in tar extraction and thumbnail refreshes21. An earlier update cut the installer package by more than 180 MB and added middle-click scrolling, path hints on tabs with the same name, and 7z compression tuning options21. The bigger 4.0 release replaced the address bar with an "Omnibar." It combines path navigation, search and a command palette in one control, and it separates in-folder filtering from indexed search21.

The project has a large community behind it. A Chinese-language video review of version 4.2.9 says the repository has about 45,000 GitHub stars. Commenters under a MakeUseOf review of a paid rival asked why the article didn't mention that Files is open source and free in both senses: no cost, and freedom to use and change the code28.

Is it actually faster? The reviews disagree

This is where coverage splits. Reviewers say Files feels faster. XDA describes smoother animations and less clutter, and says everyday file work is quicker and more pleasant11. But the FAQ on the TechSpot download page takes a more careful line. It calls File Explorer lightweight, deeply integrated and very stable. It says Files puts usability and modern design first, may use slightly more system resources, and saves power users time through multitasking features1721. The download is listed at 289 MB21.

We think the second view is the more accurate one. Files mostly speeds up the person using it, not the computer. Tabs, dual panes, tags and an omnibar with a command palette cut the clicks and window-juggling that make File Explorer feel slow. That is a real gain. But it is a different claim from saying Files opens folders or uses memory more efficiently than Microsoft's built-in shell.

For users who want raw speed, the paid beta File Pilot is the main alternative right now. MakeUseOf reports that its context menus open instantly and that it loads folders with thousands of files without stuttering18. It is not open source, though. It currently can't reach network storage over a LAN or easily become the default file manager, and once it leaves beta, licenses are expected to cost $50 for a year of updates or $250 for lifetime updates1828. Files is free and can already replace Explorer. That gives it a practical edge, even if it is slower than File Pilot.

Microsoft's overhaul is already arriving

Microsoft's "planned overhaul" is no longer just a plan. Windows 11 version 26H2, also called the Windows 11 2026 Update, became generally available on September 29822. It installs on 24H2 and 25H2 PCs as a small enablement package that needs one restart7. Microsoft's IT documentation says File Explorer Home now opens faster and responds better. The release also adds support for more archive formats, and it keeps View and Sort preferences when apps open folders like Downloads directly1.

Outside reporting places this inside a wider program. BetaWiki says the shell work is internally codenamed Windows K2 and was a response to criticism of constant Copilot integration and web-based shell parts. It says Microsoft is moving the Start menu, Explorer and taskbar from a React-based stack to WinUI 38. Gadget Review also uses the K2 label, but notes that Microsoft's consumer messaging talks about quality, reliability and performance rather than a codename10. The two sources describe the work in roughly the same way. They differ in how much of the framing comes from Microsoft itself.

Some concrete changes have shipped. With 26H2, a File Explorer preloading feature is on by default. It keeps explorer.exe running in the background so windows open instantly, and users can turn it off in Folder Options3. A Microsoft design lead told Insiders that testers could feel better responsiveness in experimental builds, and said more improvements would reach everyone in the fall910. Experimental builds keep adding small fixes, such as using "~" in the address bar to jump to your user folder56. BetaWiki notes that a WinUI 3 rewrite of the file properties dialog has started but is turned off by default8.

The two paths are heading in different directions

Microsoft is mainly fixing speed. Some reports describe lower RAM use after the 26H2 update and a "race to sleep" CPU profile that makes Start and app launches feel snappier. WinCentral, however, warns that the memory savings vary from PC to PC and are not guaranteed4. Microsoft is also adding more AI to File Explorer, including Copilot summaries of OneDrive and SharePoint documents, AI image actions, and an "Ask Copilot" quick action for work and school accounts27.

Files is going the other way. It focuses on layout, organization and user control, and its roadmap is shaped by GitHub issues rather than a product strategy17. XDA's review shows why that appeals to some people: the writer says they switched partly to get away from apps they felt were weighed down with extras they never asked for11.

There is also an argument for caution. File Explorer is still the most stable and best-integrated option, and Microsoft has had serious recent update problems elsewhere in Windows. Its September cumulative update quietly broke File History backups for many users, and the fix came only in a later optional update25. Running a third-party shell replacement adds another layer that has to keep working through those Windows updates.

Our take

The old reason to install Files was that File Explorer was slow. That reason is getting weaker, because 26H2's preloading and launch work go after the startup lag people complained about most13. The newer reason is stronger. File Explorer still has no dual panes or tagging, and Microsoft's new File Explorer features are mostly AI actions rather than file-management tools221. Microsoft is making its file manager quicker. The volunteers behind Files are making theirs more useful. Many Windows users will end up using both: a faster File Explorer for system dialogs and quick tasks, and Files for heavier work.