Mac file manager comparisonBurrow vs Path Finder
Path Finder is one of the oldest Finder replacements, with two panes, a Drop Stack, folder sync and merge, a Size Browser, a terminal and git. It's the closest of these to Burrow. Burrow adds notes, image tools, a command palette and SFTP servers in a pane, for $19 once rather than a subscription or term license.
Features side by side
| Feature | Burrow | Path Finder |
|---|---|---|
| Panes side by side | ✓Yes Up to four, as a 2×2 grid | ✓Yes Two panes, each a full browser |
| Tabs and saved layouts | ✓Yes Tabs, and workspaces that save tabs and panes | ✓Yes Tabs, with saved tab presets |
| Command palette | ✓Yes ⌘K: every command, folder and setting | ?Not listed Custom shortcuts and Go to Folder |
| Servers: SFTP, FTP and cloud storage | ✓Yes SFTP through your own ssh; SMB, AFP, NFS and WebDAV shares; FTP read-only. No FTP upload, and no S3 or cloud storage APIs | ◐Partly Cloud Uploader: FTP, SFTP, S3, Dropbox, Backblaze B2 |
| Archives | ✓Yes Makes zips; opens zip, tar, gz, 7z and rar; looks inside first | ✓Yes Makes zip (with AES-256 passwords), tar and gzip; extracts |
| Batch rename | ✓Yes Find and replace, regular expressions, live preview | ✓Yes |
| Compare and sync folders | ✓Yes Either way, both ways, or mirror, with one undo | ✓Yes FolderSync one- or two-way; compare and merge folders |
| Disk space map | ✓Yes A treemap of any folder, and every drive | ✓Yes Size Browser, with a chart view |
| Duplicate finder | ✓Yes Grouped by wasted space | ✓Yes |
| Built-in terminal | ✓Yes A real shell that follows your folder | ✓Yes Built in, follows the folder |
| Git | ✓Yes Review, stage, commit, branches, pull, push, history | ✓Yes Status indicators and a Git module |
| Markdown notes | ✓Yes Editor, daily notes, tasks, wikilinks | ◐Partly A text editor with syntax highlighting; Markdown not listed |
| Folders as tables and boards | ✓Yes Table, board, gallery and calendar views | ?Not listed |
| Image tools | ✓Yes Remove Background, Copy Text, convert, resize, @1x–@3x | ?Not listed |
| Finder tags | ✓Yes The same tags Finder uses | ✓Yes Synced with Finder |
| Drop shelf | ✓Yes Hold files while you browse | ✓Yes Drop Stack |
"Not listed" means Path Finder's own site doesn't mention it, not that it's missing. Burrow's column links to the article in its guide.
Price and platform
| Burrow | Path Finder | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19, once | $29.95 a year, or a license from $32.95 |
| What it covers | 2 Macs, a year of updates; keeps working after | License: 3 Macs and updates for 1, 2 or 5 years, keeping the last version after; subscription: 2 Macs |
| Free trial | 14 days, everything included | 30 days |
| Requires | macOS 15 or later, Apple silicon or Intel | macOS 13 Ventura or later, Apple silicon or Intel |
| Where to get it | Download from tryburrow.app | Download from cocoatech.io |
Where Path Finder is stronger
- Years of file operations: folder merge, file diff, secure delete, and sync one way or both.
- Uploads to FTP, Amazon S3, Dropbox and Backblaze B2 with its Cloud Uploader.
- Browses an iPhone connected over USB.
- Runs on macOS 13 Ventura or later, with a 30-day trial, and a license covers 3 Macs.
Where Burrow is stronger
- A ⌘K palette with every command, folder and setting, and up to four panes.
- Markdown notes, daily notes and tasks, and folders as tables, boards and calendars.
- Image tools: Remove Background, Copy Text, convert, resize and @1x–@3x sets.
- Review Changes for git: diffs, staging, commits, branches, pull and push.
- SFTP servers open in a pane through your own ssh config, keys and agent, with a terminal that opens on the server.
- $19 once for 2 Macs and a year of updates, with no subscription.
Which one suits you
Path Finder suits long-time Mac power users who want a deep, mature set of file operations, and don't mind a subscription or a term license.
Burrow suits designers and developers who want notes, image tools and git in one keyboard-driven window, for one small payment. You can try it free for 14 days.
Path Finder's details come only from its own pages, checked on 2 November 2026: Path Finder home page, Path Finder release notes, System requirements, Activations and multiple Macs, Trial and activation. Burrow's come from its guide. If something here is out of date, email [email protected] and we'll fix it.