Finder has been a default file manager on macOS for years, but it struggles with complex workflows. Although it handles basic tasks mostly fine, it lacks features like a dual-pane view, and some of the behaviors are a bit unusual if you're coming from a different operating system.

Many Finder alternatives exist, but they often come with a hefty price tag, and not everyone wants to spend a buck on something Apple should have fixed ages ago. XtraFinder stands out as a free tool that adds those essential features that Finder should have. With that said, here are six reasons why you should use XtraFinder on your Mac.

Right off the bat, one of the biggest, yet smallest reasons to use XtraFinder is the fact that it basically fixes keyboard navigation in Finder. One of the most frustrating things about Apple's solution is that it doesn't work with some keyboard shortcuts you're probably used to on other platforms. For example, if you're browsing your files with your keyboard and you press Enter to open a folder, Finder tries to rename it, rather than open it.

XtraFinder fixes these problems. With this tool, you can make it so that pressing Enter over a selected file or folder will always open that item, rather than attempt to rename it. Another very useful change has to do with cutting and pasting content. XtraFinder makes it so that you can cut a file or folder using the Command + X shortcut, equivalent to Ctrl + X on Windows, which makes it much easier to move files around without having to worry about duplicates.