Maybe you’ve noticed a trend recently. Lover and most widely used free Android apps are either going to be paid, sold, go broke or postural decline down spammy techniques. QuickPic. EverythingMe (RIP you beautiful bastard ). Pushbullet. It is really sad, but it makes sense. At first, startups only focus on gaining a buttload of users and nothing else.
But at some point they have on their big boys pants and think of revenue. And every developer is different. Some do it, others do not.
It belongs to the latter category. In the last few months, ES has changed constantly. It started to coat with a half-hearted, not really sensible material design, painting. Then some changes, and finally the hand interface built a “cleaner utility” (read: bloatware) and spam messages.
If you are like me, you have had enough. And you want to move.
1. Sound Explorer
Solid is the best alternative to ES. And in many ways it’s the opposite. It’s built from the ground up on material design. It looks good. And it is not completely free, like IT.
And I’m sure you’ve realized that this is – that’s a good thing. The fact that you can support solid Explorer developers for whom this is a job means that Solid does not go the same way as QuickPic or ES.
I know that ES Explorer hardcore fans could not get “Solid Explorer on the first try”. The interface is very different, and at first glance it might look like you do not have access to powerful features. But they are there, they are only located in different places.
Here are solid explorer features you’ll be interested in.
- Internet storage and root explorer.
- Cloud account support – Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and more.
- Dual-area interface. Easy to copy files between folders and areas.
- SMB and local network support.
- Archiving support.
- Ability to hide files and folders.
- Chromecast support.
- Media Browser.
- Plug-in support for additional features.
Hardcore ES User ES 15 different things can be used with a solid feel. Almost all important functions of the ES are available here. As I mentioned earlier, the app offers a 14-day trial. After that, you can unlock the app with a $ 1.99 in-app purchase.
[appbox googleplay pl.solidexplorer2]
2. FX file explorer
Smart interface, FX file explorer is the closest thing, it is available right now (folder UI, long-press modal popups, navigation bar and more). While the app has material design elements, it does not go all in. And unlike solid focus on lists, FX goes with icons. This means that you get much richer file thumbnails (thumbnails, album art). In addition, you can pinch and pinch to make the folder thumbnails smaller / larger.
FX is free to boot, but you’ll probably want to pay $ 2.49 for FX Plus, which adds cloud sync, FTP, SMB, and media management capabilities. A 7-day trial is available and the add-on root access is available for free, or you could use Lucky Patcher.
FX split view is also pretty cool. We talked about it in detail here.
[appbox googleplay nextapp.fx]
3. File Manager
File Manager is a pleasure.
The case looks so good and is so thoughtfully constructed that it’s hard to say that it’s a file explorer. You know how it is.
File Manager (the free and still in beta, but fully usable) is a minimalist file explorer. The minimalist tag applies to both the user interface and features. File Manager is designed as a pure file explorer. The app that you use will find the folders or files you want, open them in the app of your choice or move some stuff. In case your file explorer keeps opening on its own you can visit our post and find the solution.
File Manager is not loaded with 36 different features. There is no cloud option sync, FTP, local network streaming, app backup or fast wi-fi transfer.
The File Manager UI is really simple. There is no complicated interaction – do not press long menus or gestures. It’s all based on the three dotted menu and toolbar options.
Tap the three dotted menu button next to each folder or a file to show all the actions you can do – copy, move, share, and the like. And moving/copying files is also pretty easy. This is where the Floating Action button becomes the Clipboard button. The navigation bar is also big and clear.
If you’re looking for a basic file manager – easy to open and move files and no extra features – stop looking around and just go with File Manager.
At the moment File Manager is free to use, but you can donate ($ 1 to $ 20) to support further development.
[appbox googleplay com.asus.filemanager]
4. amaze
Amaze is similar to solid Explorer. But it is completely free. Before you jump any conclusions, I’m telling you that Amaze is an open source app. That means the developer of the app codeshares with the internet. If you want, you can contribute to app development on Github ..
Do you know how some free stuff are really good? Amaze is this type of app.
Much like solid, it uses material design guidelines all over. You can switch between topics. Basic functions such as copy and move are particularly strong.
But unlike Cabinet, Amaze is packed with features. App Manager (backup, uninstall), SMB (File Sharing Windows), Root, Explorer, multi-window support, and more.
And in my experience, I have to Amaze as one of the fastest file explorers. On my OnePlus running an Android 5.1 I was blown away by how fast the app launches.
[appbox googleplay com.amaze.filemanager]
You Might Wanna Look For: Best Linux Distro
Which one is for you?
If you are an Android power user, it has been used for the last few years and you are equipped to pay a few dollars for an app, should go and download Solid Explorer – no doubt about it.
But if, for some reason, you are not paying – you should contact us in Amaze. It’s almost as feature-rich as a solid and it’s free and open source.
For occasional users, who want to use a file explorer, as well as a file explorer, and nothing more – to go with Cabinet.
What do you think?
What is your opinion on the whole file explorer debacle? Are you already switching from ES? How were the experiences? Which app did you choose and why? Share with us in the comments below. We look forward to hearing about your explorations.