Dual pane file manager
Two locations open next to each other, split vertically or horizontally. Copy, move or compare without stacking Finder windows.
Free trial for macOS · v4.7.6
ForkLift for MacFiles and Servers Side by Side
A dual pane file manager and FTP client for macOS. Open local folders, SFTP servers, Amazon S3 and Google Drive in one window, then drag files straight across.
$19.95
Lifetime license, free trial first
4.6★
Average from 374 user reviews
200K+
Downloads on MacUpdate
14.6+
Minimum macOS version
What the ForkLift App Does Better Than Finder
ForkLift 4 pairs a familiar Finder-style layout with two panes, remote servers and real sync. Think of it as the macOS file manager power users kept asking Apple for.
Every server in one place
Connect to SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox. Open several at once and drag between them.
One or two-way sync
Compare a local folder with a remote one and spot new, changed or deleted files. Sync with a click, then save the pair as a favorite.
Workspaces and presets
Save a layout with its tabs and locations, then reload it later. Favorite Paths and Multi-Rename presets cut repeat work down to one shortcut.
Menu bar and themes
ForkLift Mini lives in the menu bar and mounts remote servers as drives in Finder. Pick a built-in theme or design your own look.
Safe by design
Activity View shows each copy, rename or delete in real time. Set conflict rules and bandwidth limits, then check the Log View when a job finishes.
Terminal installation
Advanced users can install ForkLift for Mac with a single Homebrew command.
$ brew install --cask forklift
How to open Terminal on Mac
- 1Press ⌘ + Space to open Spotlight search.
- 2Type Terminal into the search field.
- 3Hit Return and a new Terminal window appears.
Installation via Terminal command
- 1Click Copy above to grab the brew command.
- 2Paste it into Terminal with ⌘ + V.
- 3Press Return. ForkLift.app lands in your Applications folder.
No Homebrew? Install it from brew.sh, or grab the official ZIP.
Download ZIPHow ForkLift Works on macOS
Three moves cover most of your day, from tidying a Downloads folder to shipping files to a live server.
Open two places at once
Point the left pane at a local folder and the right at any other. Each side keeps its own tabs, so switching projects takes a single click.
Connect a server once
Add your SFTP, S3 or Google Drive login and save it as a favorite. Next time it opens in one click, synced to your other Macs over iCloud.
Copy, sync or edit live
Drag files across panes, run a saved folder sync or open a remote file in your editor. Hit save and ForkLift uploads the change for you.
One Window. Your Mac on the Left, the Server on the Right.
This is the whole idea behind ForkLift. Select files locally, drop them on a remote folder and watch the transfer run while you keep working.
LOCAL~/Sites/studio-site
assets--
index.html12 KB
styles.css38 KB
app.js64 KB
robots.txt1 KB
SFTP[email protected]:/var/www
assets--
index.html12 KB
styles.csscopying
app.jsqueued
.htaccess2 KB
Copying 2 items to studio.host102 KB
| What you need | ForkLift 4 | Finder |
|---|---|---|
| Two folders in one window | Dual pane | Two windows |
| SFTP, S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive | Built in | Not supported |
| Two-way folder sync | One click | Not available |
| Edit files on a server | Auto upload on save | Not available |
| Git status in the file list | Add, commit, push | Not available |
| Remove an app and its leftovers | App Deleter | Drag to Trash only |
| Price | $19.95 lifetime | Included with macOS |
What Mac Users Say About ForkLift
Web developers, designers and IT folks use the ForkLift app every day. Here is how it fits into their work.
Switched from Finder after years of juggling two windows. ForkLift on my Mac puts Downloads and the project folder side by side, so I just drag across. Small change, big time saver.
Hamza R.
I push client sites over SFTP every week. Saved favorites connect in one click and remote editing uploads my changes the moment I hit save in VS Code.
Lena K.
Our backups live in Backblaze B2 and product assets sit in Amazon S3. ForkLift 4 opens both in tabs next to local folders, so I dropped three separate tools.
Marco D.
Great macOS file manager overall. The sync window took me an evening to learn and I want more keyboard presets out of the box. Still, it replaced two apps on my dock.
Priya S.
Two-way sync between my MacBook and the office NAS used to be a shell script. Now it is a saved favorite I run before heading home.
Tom W.
Renamed 1,200 product photos with a Multi-Rename preset in under a minute. The preview lists every new name before a single file changes.
Ayesha N.
Runs smoothly on my M3 Air. The ForkLift app looks and behaves like a real macOS citizen, with Quick Look, tags and dark mode all where I expect them.
Jonas B.
ForkLift Mini sits in my menu bar and mounts our company server as a drive. Teammates who never open the full window still rely on it daily.
Sara M.
Paid $19.95 once and the version I bought keeps working forever. The trial let me test my whole workflow before spending anything. Fair deal for ForkLift for Mac.
Daniel O.
ForkLift for Mac FAQ
Straight answers about pricing, macOS support and installing the ForkLift macOS file manager.
Is ForkLift free?
ForkLift has a free trial you can download from BinaryNights. A single-user lifetime license costs $19.95 and includes one year of free updates. Family ($29.95) and Small Business ($69.95) licenses also exist, plus two-year update options.
What macOS version does ForkLift require?
ForkLift 4.7.6 requires macOS 14.6 or later. It runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Which servers and cloud services can ForkLift connect to?
ForkLift connects to SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Rackspace Cloud Files, SMB, AFP and NFS. You can open several servers at once and copy between them with drag and drop.
What happens when my ForkLift update period ends?
You keep using the latest ForkLift version released inside your update period, with no time limit. Newer versions run in trial mode until you buy a new license.
How do I install ForkLift via Terminal?
With Homebrew installed, run
brew install --cask forklift. Homebrew downloads the official ZIP from BinaryNights and moves ForkLift.app into your Applications folder. You can also download the ZIP directly from download.binarynights.com.Can ForkLift replace Finder on Mac?
Yes. ForkLift can act as the default file viewer, so most apps that would open Finder open ForkLift instead. Finder still stays on your Mac and you can switch back in settings at any time.
What changed in ForkLift 4?
BinaryNights released ForkLift 4 on September 5, 2023 as a full rewrite. It brought faster folder sync, a modern macOS design with themes, Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive team drive support, plus lifetime licenses.
Where can I download ForkLift for Mac?
Download ForkLift for Mac from the official BinaryNights server or install it with Homebrew using
brew install --cask forklift. Licenses are sold on the BinaryNights store.Get Two Panes and Every Server Today
Try the full ForkLift 4 app free on your Mac. Buy a $19.95 lifetime license only if it earns a spot in your dock.