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NextExplorer

NextExplorer is a modern, self-hosted web-based file explorer with secure access control and a polished UI.

  • Cloud
  • Tools & Utilities
NextExplorer is a modern, self-hosted web-based file explorer with secure access control and a polished UI. It provides fast previews for images, videos, and PDFs, a built-in code and text editor with syntax highlighting, link-based file sharing with read-only or read-write permissions, ripgrep-powered search across filenames and content, and multiple view modes. Security features include local users and groups, optional OIDC single sign-on, account lockout policies, and session management.

Platform availability

Available on 3 of 6 install platforms

Also on Docker Hub

Health score

77/100 Good

Maintained
98last commit 4 days ago
Popular
611,166 GitHub stars
Easy to install
553 install platforms, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
No data

Based on 3 of 4 factors.

How is this calculated?

A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today, links checked 9 days ago

GitHub stars
1,166
Open issues
67
Last commit
2026-10-05
Latest release
v3.1.0
License
GPL-3.0
Activity
rising

Checked yesterday - source: GitHub (nxzai/NextExplorer)

Resources & Compatibility

ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is supported.

Checked 10 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Deployment Requires Docker Engine 24+ and Docker Compose v2 or later. Deploy via Docker Compose for reproducible self-hosted workflows. source

Fetched yesterday - each note links to its source

Alternatives (12)

  • Directory Opus - Explorer replacement offering dual-pane navigation, folder tabs, advanced search, built-in viewers, metadata editing, archive support, and…
  • Dolphin File Manager - Usability-focused file manager with tabbed browsing, dual panes, remote protocol support, archive browsing, integrated renaming, and file t…
  • Double Commander - Double Commander is a free, cross-platform, open-source dual-panel file manager inspired by Total Commander.
  • Explorer++ - Explorer++ is a free file manager for Windows.
  • Files - Files is a modern, user-friendly replacement for Windows File Explorer.
  • Fossify File Manager - Open-source, ad-free file manager for Android prioritizing privacy, offline access, no registration, secure file protection, ZIP support, c…
  • FreeCommander - Dual-panel manager with tabbed interface, built-in viewer, ZIP/RAR/7z archive support, folder sync, batch rename, search and customizable s…
  • GNOME Files - GNOME Files, formerly known as Nautilus, is the official file manager for the GNOME desktop, giving the user a simple way to navigate and m…
  • MCEdit
  • OneCommander - Dual-pane Windows file manager with Miller Columns view, tabs, customizable themes, long path support, regex renaming, image converter, met…
  • Spacedrive - Spacedrive is a universal file manager that organises all your data in one place.
  • Total Commander - Comprehensive file manager with built-in FTP, file compare, archive navigation, multi-rename tool with regular expression support, and side…

Checked 7 days ago - source: AlternativeTo

Common questions

Which persistent directory should I back up?

Back up the /config directory. The /cache directory does not need backup, but it holds the search index and folder sizes.

How do I fix OIDC redirect errors?

Make sure your identity provider uses ${PUBLIC_URL}/callback or OIDC_CALLBACK_URL as the redirect URI.

Is there an iOS client for NextExplorer?

A Reddit thread discusses an open-source native iOS client for NextExplorer.

What deployment model does NextExplorer use?

NextExplorer uses a Docker-first deployment.

Answers sourced from explorer.nxz.ai, explorer.nxz.ai, github.com, www.reddit.com

Community

Collected 5 days ago - public community threads