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Midnight Commander vs The Great Suspender

Professional comparison and analysis to help you choose the right software solution for your needs.

Midnight Commander icon
Midnight Commander
The Great Suspender icon
The Great Suspender

Midnight Commander vs The Great Suspender: The Verdict

⚡ Summary:

Midnight Commander: Midnight Commander is a visual file manager and shell for Unix-like systems. It allows you to easily manage files and folders, copy/move files, view file contents, and run shell commands. Useful for power users who want an efficient file manager.

The Great Suspender: The Great Suspender is a free open-source Google Chrome extension that helps improve browser performance and decrease memory usage by automatically suspending unused tabs. It has customizable suspension and whitelisting options.

Both tools serve their respective audiences. Compare the features, pricing, and user ratings above to determine which best fits your needs.

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature Midnight Commander The Great Suspender
Sugggest Score
Category File Management Productivity
Pricing Open Source Open Source

Product Overview

Midnight Commander
Midnight Commander

Description: Midnight Commander is a visual file manager and shell for Unix-like systems. It allows you to easily manage files and folders, copy/move files, view file contents, and run shell commands. Useful for power users who want an efficient file manager.

Type: software

Pricing: Open Source

The Great Suspender
The Great Suspender

Description: The Great Suspender is a free open-source Google Chrome extension that helps improve browser performance and decrease memory usage by automatically suspending unused tabs. It has customizable suspension and whitelisting options.

Type: software

Pricing: Open Source

Key Features Comparison

Midnight Commander
Midnight Commander Features
  • Two panel interface for easy file management
  • Built-in text editor and file viewer
  • Shell access from within the program
  • Navigation via keyboard shortcuts
  • Support for archives like tar and zip
  • Plugin system for extensibility
  • Available for Linux, BSD, and other Unix-like systems
The Great Suspender
The Great Suspender Features
  • Automatically suspends unused tabs to free up system resources
  • Whitelist tabs to prevent them from being suspended
  • Customize tab suspension and unsuspension rules
  • View current tab suspension stats
  • Cross-device syncing of whitelist and settings

Pros & Cons Analysis

Midnight Commander
Midnight Commander

Pros

  • Lightweight and fast
  • Very efficient for power users
  • No mouse needed for navigation
  • Extensible via plugins
  • Cross-platform - works on many Unix systems

Cons

  • Steep learning curve
  • Not as intuitive as GUI file managers
  • Limited support for non-Unix systems
The Great Suspender
The Great Suspender

Pros

  • Frees up memory and improves browser performance
  • Easy to customize suspension rules
  • Lightweight extension with minimal impact
  • Open source and transparent codebase

Cons

  • May cause tabs to require reloading when unsuspended
  • Requires some trial and error to configure properly
  • Synced settings require separate account creation
  • Development is inactive since 2019

Pricing Comparison

Midnight Commander
Midnight Commander
  • Open Source
The Great Suspender
The Great Suspender
  • Open Source

Ready to Make Your Decision?

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