When comparing FX File Explorer vs Total Commander, the Slant community recommends Total Commander for most people. In the question“What are the best file explorers on Android?” Total Commander is ranked 3rd while FX File Explorer is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose Total Commander is:
Supports plugins for compression, file system, and file types.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Plus add-on for network browsing
FX File Explorer has a paid Plus add-on that add more functionality to the app such as network file browsing and a built in text editor. It costs $2.99 and has a 24 hour return policy.
Pro Material Design
FX File Explorer utilizes the Material Design guidelines set forth by Google.
Pro PRO SMB2 support
Pro Supports many compression and uncompression file formats
FX File Explorer features numerous compression file formats such as .zip or .tar as well as a .rar decompression tool.
Pro Root add-on
There is a free root user add-on that allows root file editing and viewing.
Pro Plugins
Supports plugins for compression, file system, and file types.
Pro Can replace a lot of utility tools
There are a lot of built-in utility tools and plug-ins. There's multi-file renamer, verify file checksum to ensure download content integrity, sync directory tool, etc.
Pro Life-time license
Once purchased you can use it as long as you like and never have to pay again.
Pro Layout increases productivity
The dual-pane layout makes normal file operations (like move & copy) easy.
Pro Useful multiple advanced options
Show hidden files, show differences between directories, FTP connections, coding and decoding (MIME, l).
Pro Very customizable
Total Commander is extremely flexible, with plenty of customizable options such as changing the color scheme, customizing menus, and editing shortcuts.
Pro Works even when Windows is very unstable
Pro Productive
Even if you have not learned the keys from DOS NortonCommander, learning them now will make you more productive when dealing with files.
Pro Powerful file search
The file search has many features, like using regular expressions to find the file names or even inside the content of the files. It can filter by file size, date and others, or even find duplicate files.
Pro Compare files and show differences
Can compare and show text file differences (diff) line-by-line, even character-by-character. Very useful for programmers. Can compare binary files, telling if files have the same content or not.
Pro Batch-rename files and folders
Sometimes you want to rename a bunch of files for some reason.
Eg:
file1-useless info blah blah.mp8
file2-useless info blah blah.mp8
file3-useless info blah blah.mp8
file4-useless info blah blah.mp8
file5-useless info blah blah.mp8
At once you can remove the "-useless info blah blah" in all file names. Or you could change the "file" to "my_super_file" to all at once.
The possibilities are endless.
Pro Saves time
Pro Cloud plugin
Pro Customizable tabs
Allows renaming tabs and setting maximum tab text length, which is very convenient. You can also lock tabs in two modes: a) change dir not allowed and b) change dir allowed (but it would return to the original path once you browse another tab). It doesn't allow assigning different colors to each tab, though.
Pro On copy/move it can both avoid overwrite the destination file AND losing the copied file at the same time
Sometimes you need to copy/move a bunch of files to a folder that already has files. During the copy when Total Commander encounter files in the destination folder that has the same name of the copied files, it allows you to choose auto-rename the copied files or the destination files. It's beautiful.
Pro Convenient
Pro Free
Pro Easy for language translation
Pro Forget about the mouse
The total commander is convenient to use both with the mouse and exclusively using the keyboard.
But using only the keyboard gives it a big increase in the speed of work because you do not aim at your mouse. You need some time to get used to it, but it's really worth it.
Cons
Con SMB where?
Unable to find the option to connect to an SMB server without upgrading to "pro" version. Can it even be done in the free version?
Con Dreadful interface
A great example of what happens when a developer puts form before function. Pretty to look at but awkward and unintuitive to use.
Con New Material Design look is not that great
FX File Explorer use to have a better design to it before the Material Design overhaul.
Con Cannot display background colors for file names
While it can display different colors (even based on filters) for the text color of those file names, but not for the background color.
Con Very slow on loading network shares
Con Proprietary
Total Commander offers a free 30-day trial, after which the cost of the program is $44.
Con Classic Interface
Con Need to spend a lot of time for custom configuration
Need to spend a lot of time for custom configuration, many features of the steps are very cumbersome to reduce operating speed.