ES File Explorer, once the only Android file manager you'd ever consider, has dropped in popularity since it became ad-supported -- invasively so. If you've finally decided to delete it and are in search of a substitute, a few exist that are more than capable of filling the role.

Android: You've probably noticed how easy it is to misplace downloaded files on Android. Auto-Move lets you create download filters so you can automate file organisation.

Android: If you want to browse the file system of your Android device, there are plenty of apps to choose from, but FX File Explorer has a feature set that can stand toe-to-toe with the best of them.

iOS: You'll find a number of apps for managing your files on an iPhone or iPad, but most make it feel like a chore. A new app called Files makes the process so simple and elegant that you'll actually enjoy using it.

Tabs have become a mainstay in web browsers, so much so it's hard to imagine how we managed without them. It's taken a little longer for the interface convention to make its way into other applications. Take Windows Explorer, for example, where it'd see a lot of use. Fortunately, we don't have to wait for Redmond to act -- a third-party app is available that adds this exact feature to the venerable file manager.

Linux is rife with awesome file browsers, so if you don't like the one that came with your distro, you have a lot of choices. Our favourite is the insanely feature-filled Krusader for KDE.

If you've ever imported a couple hundred photos from your camera, you know the most common file names a camera uses are essentially meaningless. If you want a quick and easy way to find and replace specific parts of a file name, FreshBatch is a lightweight tool that does just that.

Belvedere, our automatic file management tool for Windows, has updated with a few new features, like the ability to move folders around and add tracks to iTunes.

iCloud is great for swapping files between Apple-approved programs, but it doesn't do much else. QuasiDisk is a file manager that allows you to store whatever you want on your device and gives you access to iCloud's folders.

If you like the look of Windows 8's new version of Windows Explorer, but don't want to use the developer preview, free app Better Explorer brings some of the perks to your Windows 7 desktop.

While Windows 7 has made some great additions to Windows Explorer, it still isn't nearly as powerful as it could be. Windows Explorer replacement Xplorer2 long ago, and it's only $US15 for the rest of the day (half off its usual $US30 price tag).

Windows/Mac/Linux: Your camera defaults to giving your photos a numbered name, with a file date that can be changed. AmoK Exif Sorter sorts, names and moves your photos however you'd like—by focal length, date taken, aperture, width or other criteria.

You need root access to edit a lot of files in Linux, but terminal work can get tedious. Here''s a simple way to add a shortcut to your applications menu for a root-enabled Nautilus.

Linux only: While lots of people like advanced file browsers like previously mentioned Total Commander or Path Finder, sometimes the explorer can get overwhelmingly complicated. Nautilus Elementary is a mod that compacts and streamlines Nautilus in GNOME to make file browsing easier.

Windows only: Tiny, portable utility Folder Menu adds quick access to your favourite applications and folders through a popup navigation menu—and it even works in those irritating File Open dialogs.

Windows only: If you're prone to leaving files to linger in your designated download folder and never quite getting around to deleting them, Auto-Delete should be your organisation buddy. After selecting a folder to be monitored you are offered a handful of options: age of files to be deleted, inclusion of subfolders, and whether or not the files will be directly deleted or moved to the recycle bin. If you're in the market for a more versatile file janitor that can handle more than one folder, check out Belvedere for Windows and Hazel for Mac OS X. Auto-Delete is freeware, Windows only. Auto-Delete

Windows/Mac/Linux: If you're not a fan of your system's tools for managing files on your computer, check out MuCommander. The free, open source download will run on nearly any operating system, including Windows, Mac OS X and your favourite flavor of Linux, and in 21 different languages. Drag and drop between two panes visually, or hack away in the command shell. It also supports most network file transfer protocols, such as FTP, and will even let you browse the contents of archives like ZIP and disk images like ISO without having to uncompress or mount them, respectively. Pictured is an image file viewed directly from an SFTP server — handy! MuCommander is a free download for all platforms.

MuCommander

Windows/Linux: Open-source file archive manager PeaZip creates and extracts files from a number of the most popular archiving formats, including ZIP, RAR, 7Z, and more. Our nod for file archive managers normally goes to 7-Zip, but with an attractive, user-friendly interface, customizable right-click options, and a standalone portable version you can add to your thumb drive, PeaZip has a charm worth checking out. PeaZip is free, Windows and Linux only.

PeaZip

Mac OS X only: Rename large groups of files—like that batch of photos fresh off your camera's memory card—using simple or complex rules with Name Mangler. Simple options include numbering files sequentially, adding a prefix or suffix, or changing case. In advanced mode, you can script any number of those actions and save them. Name Mangler also produces reusable droplets you can add to Finder; then, whenever you want to batch rename a set of files, simply drag them onto the droplet without even starting up the application. Name Mangler is a free download, donations requested, for Macs running Leopard only.

Name Mangler