Yazi

What Yazi is

Yazi is a free terminal file manager for Linux, macOS and Windows. Written in Rust and based on asynchronous I/O, it combines file navigation and operations with a task system that reports progress in real time. Users can select multiple files for copy or cut operations; tasks can be cancelled or given a priority. Search by file name uses fd, while content search uses rg, and operations can be carried out on results. Navigation includes tabs and quick movement with fzf and zoxide.

Yazi supports archives, batch renaming and cloud storage access. Image previews use built-in support for several terminal image protocols, with Überzug++ available on X11 or Wayland. Preview support is guaranteed only for recent versions of terminals and multiplexers such as tmux and Zellij, and some terminals have limitations. Lua plugins can add functions, previewers or preloaders, though the plugin feature is beta. A required file utility detects file types; optional command-line tools add capabilities such as video thumbnails, archive and PDF previews, and file searching. Drag and drop between Yazi and other apps depends on terminal support for the Drag and Drop protocol. The Flatpak edition has sandbox-related limitations, and the documentation recommends that power users consider another installation route.

Who it suits

Yazi suits people who prefer managing files in a terminal and want tabs, search, batch operations and task controls across Linux, macOS or Windows. It also fits users who are comfortable setting up optional command-line tools or choosing a suitable terminal for previews and drag and drop.

Limits

Yazi is free. Lua plugins are beta, some capabilities require optional command-line tools, and image previews are guaranteed only on the latest versions of supported terminals and multiplexers. The Flatpak edition has limitations due to sandboxing.

Getting started

1. Visit the Yazi website and open its installation guide.
2. Choose a package or binary for Windows, macOS or your Linux distribution, or build from source.
3. Install the required file utility for file-type detection.
4. Add optional command-line tools for capabilities such as video thumbnails, archive or PDF previews, and file searching.
5. Use a compatible terminal for image previews or drag and drop where needed.

Verdict

Choose Yazi if you want a free, terminal-based file manager with tabs, task controls, search and file operations across the major desktop systems. Look elsewhere if you need a fully mature plugin feature or guaranteed previews regardless of terminal choice.