Files, backup and storage6 picks
The best file management apps for Mac
Hazel is the file app most Mac users should buy, and Keka is the best free one for archives.
HazelPick it if bills and scans pile up in Downloads and you want them renamed and filed automatically.$42 onceHazel files, renames and cleans up your folders by rules you set once, even reading the text in scanned PDFs, for $42 once. Keka is free from its developer and opens 30+ archive formats. The rest fix different file chores: Yoink and Dropzone make dragging easier, ForkLift adds 2 panes and servers, and Clop shrinks files.
How we chose
- 1Rules that sort files for you
- 2Opening RAR, 7z and other archives
- 3Fewer trips between Finder windows
Compare at a glance
Tap a name to jump to its write-up.
| App | Price | How you pay | Mac | iPhone | iPad | App Store | Developer | Setapp | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hazel | $42 once | Pay once | Too few ratings | ||||||
 Keka | Free | Free | Too few ratings | ||||||
 Dropzone | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | Too few ratings | ||||||
 Yoink | $8.99 once | Pay once | 4.7 | ||||||
 ForkLift | $19.95 once | Pay once | Too few ratings | ||||||
 Clop | Free to start | Free, with paid upgrades | Too few ratings |
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The picks, in order
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Pick it if bills and scans pile up in Downloads and you want them renamed and filed automatically.
If your Downloads folder fills with invoices, statements and screenshots, Hazel files them using rules you set up once. It reads the text inside scanned PDFs, so a bank statement gets renamed by date and moved to the right folder, and version 6 can undo any change from Finder. Finder's smart folders only show files and never move them, but Hazel costs $42, and after the trial its demo mode watches just 1 folder.
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Pick this if you keep receiving RAR or 7z files, or need password-protected archives, for free.
More than 30 archive formats open in Keka, from RAR and 7z to ISO and even Windows EXE and MSI files. Drop files on its Dock icon to compress them, lock a 7z with AES-256 or split a huge file into email-sized parts. The free download is the same app as the $6.49 Mac App Store version, so paying only supports the developer, and The Unarchiver is simpler if you never compress anything.
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Pick it if you move, AirDrop or upload files many times a day and want actions waiting mid-drag.
Moving a file usually means opening 2 Finder windows or hunting through the Share menu. Dropzone puts a grid of actions at the top of the screen the moment you drag, so you drop the file to move, AirDrop, resize or upload it. The free version covers the basics; S3 and SFTP uploads need Pro, $35 once from the developer or $34.99 on the Mac App Store, so skip the $19.99 yearly plan.
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Pick this if you drag files between full-screen apps and want a shelf to park them on.
For $8.99 once, after a 28-day trial, you get a shelf that slides in at the screen edge whenever you start dragging, so you can park files and text, switch apps or full-screen spaces and drop them later. It also keeps a clipboard history and passes files to Yoink on iPhone and iPad, which costs a separate $5.99. Dropzone is the stronger pick if you want drag targets that upload or run actions.
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Pick it if you upload to servers or move files between cloud drives and find Finder slow for that.
If you move files between your Mac, a server and cloud storage every day, a 2-pane file manager saves real time over juggling Finder windows. ForkLift opens SFTP, S3, Google Drive, Dropbox and network shares like local folders, syncs folders, batch renames files and uploads remote edits on save. $19.95 covers 1 Mac with a year of updates, after which you keep your version but pay for new ones, and Setapp subscribers already have it.
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Pick this if your files are fine where they are but too big to upload or send.
Copy a huge screenshot and paste a much smaller file, or stop a screen recording and get it back already compressed, with Clop working in the background. It also shrinks PDFs and audio, and can squeeze a file under a set size when an email attachment keeps bouncing. Free ImageOptim handles images you drop on it by hand, while Clop needs macOS 14 or later and puts batch mode behind a €15 Pro license.
