It's no secret that Finder in macOS isn't particularly great for file management, so much that I've talked about a few alternatives to it before, with ForkLift being one of my favorites. One option I didn't include on that list was XtraFinder, but after it was recommended to me by one of our readers, I had to check it out.

XtraFinder isn't a Finder replacement, but rather, it modifies Finder itself to add new features and capabilities that make it far better for managing files, especially for people coming from Windows such as myself. It can be a more elegant solution than installing a separate app, though there is some risk involved in using it, so it's not for everyone.

Fixing the problems with Finder

Opening folders works as it should

There are a few problems with Finder, especially if you're coming from a platform like Windows. For some reason, pressing Enter over a file or folder doesn't open it, it renames it. XtraFinder lets you fix some of these annoyances. Through the app's settings, you can enable pressing Enter to open a file, which makes things feel much more natural. Another big change you can enable this way is using a Command + X shortcut for cutting items out to paste in a different location, which is much closer to the equivalent shortcut on Windows 11. These two things alone make XtraFinder a very nice tool to have.

Of course, there's more to it. XtraFinder also enables dual-pane navigation in Finder, so you can see two folders side-by-side. This is a fairly common feature in Finder alternatives, and it's great to see it here, though it works a little differently. These two tabs panes aren't completely independent with their own set of tabs. Instead, you can opt to open one of your tabs as a separate pane. This gives you a little more flexibility with how you combine your open tabs to see them side-by-side, so you can more easily hop between different views, though it can take some getting used to.

XtraFinder also modifies the placement of Finder's tabs, so they're at the top of the window, which is more in line with what you'd expect, since most web browsers have always done it this way. Overall, the experience is just more friendly and capable.

It's very customizable

Change behaviors, shortcuts, and more

Beyond just fixing some of the more basic problems with Finder, XtraFinder offers a ton of modifications that can improve your file management experience, and it's all heavily customizable so you can get it just right. If you dive into the settings, you'll find plenty of options for customizing Finder, starting with the icons and options available in the toolbar. You can add a button for quickly viewing hidden files, a button to fresh the contents of a folder, and more. You can also modify the context menus to add things like a "Move to..." button to easily move files to a specific location, or the option to copy the path to a selected file.

Even that's just scratching the surface of the available features. You can modify the keyboard shortcut for renaming files, configure shortcuts for entering dual-pane view, customize the colors and appearance of some icons, and much more. One potentially useful setting is the ability to save your tabs for the next time you launch Finder, in case you want to quickly get back to where you were.

The dual-pane view has some nice customization options. You can choose to have duplicate sidebars for each pane, or you can also put the sidebar in the center so it's between the two panes. There's a lot to dive into here.

It's a security risk

Setting up XtraFinder requires some tinkering

As nice as XtraFinder is, there is a reason I didn't initially include it in my list of Finder replacements. XtraFinder doesn't launch as a separate app, it directly modifies macOS Finder in a way that's not meant to be done. What that means is that in order to inject the XtraFinder features into Finder, you need to disable System Integrity Protection on your Mac.

How much of a risk this is will depend on how you your Mac and the kinds of apps you install on it. Malicious apps could potentially take advantage of this security gap and cause damage to your data or your Mac, but if you're careful and conscious of the apps you install, you might be able to get by fine without any problems.

Still, for a lot of users, that risk will be too high, and possibly not worth it when there are other file managers out there to replace Finder.

XtraFinder is interesting, but not for everyone

While I do like the changes XtraFinder makes to Finder, I don't feel fully comfortable recommending it to most people. Having to disable System Integrity protection makes this a little more cumbersome to set up and potentially problematic in the future, plus it feels a little less natural to use compared to a third-party app that's designed to have these features from the get-go.

That being said, seeing as XtraFinder is completely free, I can see it as a much more tempting alternative than many of the rapid solutions out there such as PathFinder or HiFile. But if you're comfortable spending some money, those options may be a bit better.