A must-have for anyone coming to Mac from Windows, SADFinder is the kind of app you didn’t know you needed until you’ve tried it, and it’s full of thoughtful little features I wish Mac had by default.
Work faster with a better Finder that arranges windows fast with keyboard shortcuts.
A faster Finder for your Mac — the one macOS should've shipped. Start monthly for $5/mo, or buy once for $29.99 and use it forever on 3 Macs.
7 days free. Then $5/mo or $29.99 once.
Muscle memory
You already know how to use it.
Open
Go inside a folder, or open the selected file.
Up a level
Backspace jumps straight to the parent folder.
Del
Trash
The Delete key sends the selection to the Trash.
⌘+R
Rename
Rename in place without the slow double-click dance.
⌘+T
New tab
Open another tab and keep your place.
⌘+X
Cut
Cut files, switch tabs, paste, and they move.
⌘+N
New window
A fresh window whenever you need one.
⌃+⇧+←
Snap
Send the window to any half or quarter.
The walkthrough
Everything that's in it, one step at a time.
The same tour from the video — so you know exactly what you're getting before you download.
01
Navigation
Enter goes in. Backspace goes up.
Make a folder, hit Enter — you're inside it. Press Backspace and you go one level up. The two keys your hands already reach for.
open / go in go up
📁assets
📁components↵
📄index.html
📄README.md
02
File operations
Press Delete — it goes to the Trash.
You press the Delete key and — wow, I know, right? — the file goes straight to the Trash. Exactly what that key should always have done.
move selection to Trash
📄
notes.md🖼️
shot.png🗑️
old.zip📁
drafts🎵
demo.m4a📦
backup → Trash
03
Navigation
A path bar you can type into.
Need to copy-paste a location? Here you go — a real path bar. Click it, type any path, press Enter, and you're there.
~/Documents/Projects
~/Desktop
04
Browsing
Tabs — cut here, paste there.
Constantly moving things around? Cmd-T opens a new tab. Select a bunch of files, Cmd-X to cut, switch to the other tab and paste — they actually move. And Cmd-N gives you a whole new window.
⌘Ttab ⌘Xcut ⌘Nwindow
Projects
Downloads
Photos
⌘Xcut here → ⌘Vpaste in the other tab
05
Editing
Rename with Cmd-R.
Renaming is a single shortcut — Cmd-R — and you edit the name right where it sits in the list.
⌘+R rename in place
📄cover.png
📄quarterly-report
📄todo.txt
06
Search
Search inside the folder you're in.
Want to find something in this exact folder? A quick filter scoped right to where you are — instant, no Spotlight detour.
report ⌘⇧F
📄quarterly-report.pdf
📄bug-report-may.txt
📊sales-report.xlsx
07
Window management
Snap your windows. Quarters, halves, full screen.
Need to organize your windows? One hotkey per layout — and it snaps any frontmost window, not just SADFinder.
SADFinder
⌃⇧↑Maximize
⌃⇧←Left half
⌃7Top-left quarter
⌃⇧→Right half
⌃3Bottom-right quarter
08
The Desktop
Real control over your Desktop.
Your Desktop sits in the sidebar like any other folder. When it's your front view, Delete clears real desktop files to the Trash — even with every other window minimized. Icons line up top to bottom, then left to right.
🖥️ Your real Desktop
📄
📁
🖼️
🎵
📦
⚙️
top ↓ bottom, then left → right
09
Make it yours
Favorites, sizing, and the view.
Favorite the folders you live in — they sit in the sidebar. Hold ⌘ and scroll to flip through six view modes, from a compact list to huge icons. A text-size slider in Settings dials in readability.
Favorites
★Projects
★Screenshots
★Invoices
📁
📄
🖼️
🎵
📦
⌘+ scroll·List → Huge Icons · 6 modes
10
Never stuck
And a cheat sheet, built right in.
There's a lot more in here. Whenever you want to refresh your memory, the full shortcut cheat sheet is one click away — right inside the app.
? Cheat sheet — always one click away
Open / go inside
Up one level
New tab⌘ T
Rename⌘ R
Snap left half⌃ ⇧ ←
Themes
Make it readable. Make it yours.
Ten built-in looks, from bright daytime palettes to low-glare dark themes, plus Large Text and High Contrast for serious readability.
SADFinder theme preview
Light, dark, and colorSwitch palettes without leaving Settings.
Large Text includedBigger labels and controls when readability matters.
High Contrast readySharper edges and stronger text for low-vision workflows.
Under the hood
More power. Less clutter.
Useful extras stay tucked away until you need them.
Small details, not another control panel.
The main flow stays clean. The extra tools sit in menus, shortcuts, and right-click actions.
Themes + large textLight, dark, high contrast, and 85-160% scaling.
Dropbox actionsOffline, online-only, share link, version history.
Undo and redoCopy, move, rename, trash, and new folder.
Real replacement modeFinder handoff, global hotkey, menu bar access.
Power toolsZip, unzip, Get Info, Terminal, VS Code.
Folder detailsSizes, hidden files, thumbnails, copy full path.
Private by defaultYour files stay on your Mac.
Automatic updatesNew fixes install when enabled.
Human supportMessage me directly when something breaks.
Testimonials
Mac switchers get it immediately.
A few words from people who wanted Finder to feel faster, more natural, and less in the way.
When I switched from Windows to Mac, Finder just didn’t click for me - literally. No clicking into folders, no backspace to go back, all the little shortcuts I took for granted were just… gone. I kept reaching for my mouse like it was 2005. SadFinder fixed that. Now navigating feels fast, natural, and honestly kind of satisfying. Wish I’d found it on day one.
Finder alternative
Is SADFinder a Finder alternative?
Yes — SADFinder is a Finder alternative for macOS: Enter opens, Backspace goes up a level, Delete sends to the Trash, and Cmd+R renames in place. Native SwiftUI, keyboard-first, no Electron — for people who find Finder limiting.
| What you do | SADFinder | Finder |
|---|---|---|
| Open a folder or file | Enter | Enter renames instead |
| Go up a level | Backspace | No shortcut |
| Send to Trash | Delete | Needs Cmd+Delete |
| Type a path | Editable path bar (Cmd+L) | Go-to dialog only |
| Tabs | Yes — reopen last closed | Yes — no reopen-closed |
| Filter the current folder | Quick filter (Cmd+Shift+F) | Spotlight only |
| Window snapping | Halves & quarters, built in | None |
| Themes & big-text mode | 10 themes + Large Text & High Contrast | Light / Dark only |
| Open a folder in Terminal / VS Code | One right-click | Needs Automator or extensions |
| Undo a move, rename, or delete | Cmd+Z across operations | Limited |
| Price | $5/mo or $29.99 once · 3 Macs | Free (built in) |
Prefer a dual-pane power suite like Path Finder or ForkLift? SADFinder is the opposite bet — deliberately lean and keyboard-first, so it gets out of your way immediately. See the Compare with Finder, Path Finder, ForkLift, Commander One, or browse all Finder alternatives. See the FAQ.
Pricing
Subscribe monthly or buy once.
Choose $5/month if you want flexibility, or pay $29.99 once and use SADFinder forever on up to 3 Macs.
Monthly
$5/ month
Try it month to month. Cancel anytime.
- Constant updates and improvements
- Use it on up to 3 Macs
- Email support
Best value
Lifetime3 Macs
$29.99 once
No subscription — pays for itself in ~6 months.
One-time purchase. Use forever on up to 3 Macs.
- Constant updates and improvements
- Use it on up to 3 Macs
- Email support
No card required7 days free
Lifetime option$29.99 once
Three MacsIncluded on both options
14-day refundFirst-time purchases