File Explorer comes with Windows and does the basics well. S Files Pro X is a replacement for people who move a lot of files around, like working from the keyboard, or want their file manager to look the way they like. Here is how they compare, based on File Explorer in Windows 11 and S Files Pro X 3.28.
| S Files Pro X | Windows File Explorer | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 on the Microsoft Store | Included with Windows |
| Tabs | Yes, in every pane | Yes (Windows 11) |
| Several folders side by side | Dual and triple pane, side by side or stacked | Separate windows |
| Column view (Miller columns) | Yes | No |
| Command palette | Yes | No |
| Themes | Light, dark and colorful themes, background images, Mica or Acrylic | Follows the Windows light or dark mode |
| Icon packs | Several, including Windows XP, or your own SVG icons | Windows icons |
| Viewing files | Built-in viewers: text with Markdown preview, images, PDF, audio, video | Preview pane |
| Filter the current folder as you type | Yes | Search box |
| Bookmarks | Multi-level, in folders | Pinned folders in Home and the navigation pane |
| Zip files | Browse, create and extract | Browse, create and extract |
| Shell integration | Its own menus; the Windows context menu is available as an experimental option | Complete: every context menu extension, Send To, and more |
When S Files Pro X is the better fit
- You copy and move files between folders all day. Two or three panes with their own tabs save a lot of window juggling.
- You like the keyboard. More than 40 shortcuts plus a command palette.
- You browse deep folder trees. Column view keeps the whole path on screen.
- You want it to look your way. Themes, backgrounds and icon packs go well beyond light and dark.
- You check files quickly. Press Space to open text, images or PDFs in a built-in viewer.
When File Explorer is the better fit
- You want nothing extra to install or pay for. File Explorer is already there.
- You depend on shell extensions. Some apps add items to File Explorer’s right-click menu or panes that another file manager cannot fully reproduce.
- You rarely manage files. For opening the occasional download, File Explorer is enough.
You do not have to choose only one. You can keep File Explorer for the odd job and use S Files Pro X every day, and you can make S Files the default and switch back at any time.
Speed
This video opens the same text files in File Explorer with Notepad, and in S Files with its built-in text viewer. It was recorded under the app’s earlier name, Shrestha Files.
There are three more side-by-side videos, with Photos, Movies & TV and VLC, on the speed test page.