Imperium

Windows Explorer's features are not powerful enough for expert users, so alternatives are more than welcome. Imperium is one such option, especially suited for those who prefer minimalism over fancy GUIs.

The overall feel of this application is user-friendly and minimalist, as even beginners can understand how to navigate directories on their PC.

One of the major flaws of Windows Explorer is that it does not support tabs, so it makes sense for Imperium to remedy this issue by allowing you to open multiple folders in dedicated tabs.

Once you created a tab, you can lock it, rename or duplicate it by accessing its corresponding right-click menu. If a tab is locked, you can still move its position, but all sub-folders you try to open will automatically generate a new tab.

Another handy feature of Imperium is that it automatically displays a preview of the selected file, provided it supports its format. Alternatively, you can right-click the item and open it with the associated software.

When you are not interested in the preview function, you can use the second panel to open another folder, so you can explore two directories side by side. You can move items from one location to the other using only drag and drop.

If you need to quickly find a file, you can simply start typing its name and all matching items are displayed.

What makes Imperium truly shine is its support for hotkeys. Basically, all the actions you can perform with this application can be completed much faster using hotkey combinations.

Moreover, you can replace the default ones with custom variants, so you can avoid all potential conflicts.

Imperium can become your standard file manager if you often rely on your keyboard to complete tasks, rather than the mouse. Due to its dark theme and tabbed GUI, it is bound to blend in any desktop.