Mac file manager comparisonBurrow vs QSpace Pro
QSpace Pro is a multi-pane Finder replacement with twelve layouts, deep customisation, and paid extensions for servers, batch renaming and a shelf. Burrow has fewer layouts but builds in git, Markdown notes, image tools and disk-space tools.
Features side by side
| Feature | Burrow | QSpace Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Panes side by side | ✓Yes Up to four, as a 2×2 grid | ✓Yes 12 layouts and custom splits |
| Tabs and saved layouts | ✓Yes Tabs, and workspaces that save tabs and panes | ✓Yes Tabs in each pane, pinnable |
| Command palette | ✓Yes ⌘K: every command, folder and setting | ?Not listed |
| 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 | ✓Yes Server Connections extension: FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, SMB, NFS, AFP, Dropbox, OneDrive, S3 and more |
| Archives | ✓Yes Makes zips; opens zip, tar, gz, 7z and rar; looks inside first | ✓Yes Opens nested archives like folders; extracts 20+ formats; makes zip and 7z |
| Batch rename | ✓Yes Find and replace, regular expressions, live preview | ✓Yes Advanced Batch Rename extension: regex, live preview, presets |
| Compare and sync folders | ✓Yes Either way, both ways, or mirror, with one undo | ✓Yes Folder Sync |
| Disk space map | ✓Yes A treemap of any folder, and every drive | ?Not listed |
| Duplicate finder | ✓Yes Grouped by wasted space | ?Not listed |
| Built-in terminal | ✓Yes A real shell that follows your folder | –No Opens Terminal, iTerm, Warp and others |
| Git | ✓Yes Review, stage, commit, branches, pull, push, history | ?Not listed |
| Markdown notes | ✓Yes Editor, daily notes, tasks, wikilinks | ◐Partly Text and Markdown editing in the preview |
| 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 | ◐Partly Convert, rotate, flip, make PDFs, Remove Background |
| Finder tags | ✓Yes The same tags Finder uses | ✓Yes |
| Drop shelf | ✓Yes Hold files while you browse | ✓Yes Stash Shelf extension |
"Not listed" means QSpace Pro'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 | QSpace Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19, once | Pro $29.99, once ($13.99 on sale when checked) |
| What it covers | 2 Macs, a year of updates; keeps working after | Up to 2 devices at once; servers, batch rename and the shelf are paid extensions |
| Free trial | 14 days, everything included | 30 days (Pro); none in the App Store |
| Requires | macOS 15 or later, Apple silicon or Intel | macOS 10.15 or later, Apple silicon or Intel |
| Where to get it | Download from tryburrow.app | Download from qspace.awehunt.com, or the Mac App Store |
Where QSpace Pro is stronger
- Twelve preset layouts plus custom splits, and tabs inside each pane.
- Server Connections (an extension) adds FTP upload and cloud storage services such as Amazon S3, Dropbox and OneDrive, alongside the SFTP servers and SMB, NFS and AFP shares Burrow also opens.
- Archives open like folders, nested ones too, with 20+ formats to extract.
- Lots to customise: shortcuts, Windows key bindings, context menus, the toolbar and colours.
- Runs on macOS 10.15 or later, with a 30-day trial and a lower price.
Where Burrow is stronger
- A ⌘K palette with every command, folder and setting.
- SFTP built in, through your own ssh config, keys and agent, with a terminal that opens on the server.
- Git review: diffs, staging, commits, branches, pull and push.
- Daily notes, tasks and wikilinks, and folders as tables and boards.
- Copy Text from images, @1x–@3x image sets, and photo metadata removal.
- A disk-space treemap, a duplicate finder and a built-in terminal, with no extensions to buy.
Which one suits you
QSpace Pro suits people who want many panes in many arrangements, cloud storage access, and a Finder they can customise down to the toolbar.
Burrow suits designers and developers who want git, notes and image tools built into one keyboard-driven window. You can try it free for 14 days.
QSpace Pro's details come only from its own pages, checked on 2 November 2026: QSpace home page, QSpace pricing, QSpace changelog, App Store and Pro differences, QSpace in the Mac App Store. Burrow's come from its guide. If something here is out of date, email [email protected] and we'll fix it.