DevToys vs Files
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A desktop bundle of small tools for everyday developer tasks like encoding, formatting and converting.
Open source · MIT
A modern Windows file manager for organizing files and folders.
The short answer
Choose DevToys if you need…
- Developers who often decode, encode, or format small pieces of data
- People who prefer not to paste data into unknown online websites
- Users who want a single app with many small utilities
Choose Files if you need…
- Windows users who want a more modern alternative to File Explorer
- People who manage many folders and want a tabbed or organized browsing experience
- Developers interested in contributing to a WinUI or C# desktop app
- Beginners looking for an open-source, free file manager
Side-by-side
| DevToys | Files | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 32.2k | 46.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Download the app | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | C# | C# |
| Last code update | 38 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
DevToys
DevToys is a desktop app that bundles many small utilities for quick developer chores, such as decoding text, formatting JSON or SQL, or compressing an image. It is meant to replace trips to many separate online tools, and its Smart Detection picks a relevant tool based on what is on your clipboard. More tools can be added through extensions.
Files
Files is an open-source file manager for Windows, built with C# and the WinUI framework and styled with Microsoft's Fluent design. It is meant to be a more modern replacement for the standard Windows file explorer, helping people browse and organize their files and folders. The project is MIT licensed and has a large community of users and contributors.
Best for
DevToys
- Developers who often decode, encode, or format small pieces of data
- People who prefer not to paste data into unknown online websites
- Users who want a single app with many small utilities
Files
- Windows users who want a more modern alternative to File Explorer
- People who manage many folders and want a tabbed or organized browsing experience
- Developers interested in contributing to a WinUI or C# desktop app
- Beginners looking for an open-source, free file manager
Strengths
DevToys
- Covers many common small tasks in one app
- Works offline for the tools listed in the README, since it runs locally
- Open source under the MIT license
Files
- Open source under the MIT license, so the code can be inspected and reused
- Actively maintained, with a recent push date in the metadata
- Built on a widely used Microsoft UI framework and Fluent design language
Not ideal for
DevToys
- People who need a command-line-only tool, since this is a graphical desktop app
- Users who need a platform other than those the README describes, as the README does not detail platform support beyond the topics listed
Files
- Users on macOS or Linux, since the project is built for Windows (reason: its stack is WinUI and Windows-specific)
- People who need a stable, fully polished release, since the latest release listed has no downloadable binaries (reason: install path is unclear from the metadata)
Trade-offs
DevToys
- The README is truncated and does not list system requirements or full platform support
- Feature list is a summary; individual tool behavior is not described in detail
- Some tools are only available through extensions
Files
- The latest listed release has no binaries, so installing may require building from source
- Windows-only, so it does not help users on other operating systems
- The README was truncated here, so details on features and setup are limited
Getting started
DevToys
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/DevToys-app/DevToysFiles
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/files-community/FilesFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between DevToys and Files?
DevToys: A desktop bundle of small tools for everyday developer tasks like encoding, formatting and converting. Files: A modern Windows file manager for organizing files and folders. DevToys suits developers who often decode, encode, or format small pieces of data, while Files suits windows users who want a more modern alternative to file explorer.
Are DevToys and Files free?
DevToys: Free and open source. Files: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, DevToys or Files?
DevToys is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Files is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is DevToys or Files more popular?
Files has more GitHub stars (46.4k) than DevToys (32.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to DevToys and Files?
Other options people compare them with include PowerToys, Calculator, UniGetUI, Notepads, Yazi.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.