# Purser

> Purser is a native macOS file manager that holds local folders, mounted volumes,
> iCloud Drive, SFTP/SMB/AFP/NFS/WebDAV/FTP servers, ZIP and TAR archives, Trash and
> saved searches in one workspace. Every location is the same kind of object: it can
> be opened in a tab, given a pane, searched, previewed and used in background
> operations. Published by Spectrumlabs B.V. at https://filepurser.com.

## Availability

Current release: 1.0.6 (build 7), published 2026-08-24. Download: https://filepurser.com/downloads/Purser-1.0.6.dmg
Requirements: macOS 15.0 or later, Apple silicon (arm64). There is no Intel build.
Distribution: a Developer ID signed, Apple-notarized DMG with a stapled ticket. Not on the Mac App Store.
Updates: Sparkle checks one signed HTTPS appcast; the download is verified against an embedded EdDSA public key and installs only after the user agrees.
Languages: English and Dutch.

## What it does

- Multi-pane windows. Split horizontally or vertically; every pane owns its tabs, history, selection and view mode (list, icon grid, gallery, Miller columns).
- Tabs that can be pinned, reordered, reopened and spring-loaded: hold a dragged file over a tab and that location opens beneath the pointer.
- One location model. Local disks, iCloud Drive, macOS CloudStorage providers, Synology Drive sync tasks, saved server connections, archives, Trash and saved searches all behave identically.
- Background operations. Copy and move run in a visible queue with pause, resume, cancel, conflict comparison (both paths, dates, sizes) and optional SHA-256 verification. No modal progress dialogs.
- Batch rename with stacked replacement, regex, token and sequence rules, live preview and conflict detection.
- Search at three levels: filtering the visible folder, an FTS5 index, and ripgrep-style content scanning. Results can be saved as locations.
- Quick Look plus native previews for Markdown, JSON, CSV and hex; an inspector for permissions, extended attributes, quarantine, signatures, hashes and Finder tags.
- Duplicate finder and a streaming disk-space treemap that counts hard links correctly.
- Command palette, Finder-compatible or Commander keymaps, a generated shortcut cheat sheet, rules and watch folders, AppleScript and Shortcuts support, and an MCP server that is off by default, scope-limited and approval-gated.
- Session and workspace restore for windows, panes, tabs and layouts.

## Privacy

- No Purser account, no sign-in, no telemetry, no analytics, no crash-report upload.
- File names, paths, contents and activity are never collected or transmitted to the publisher.
- Connection passwords and private keys live in the macOS Keychain, never in connection files and never in CloudKit.
- Private CloudKit sync for ordinary settings and connection definitions is active and manageable in Settings. Each Mac can opt out; credentials remain in iCloud Keychain.
- Full Disk Access, security-scoped folder grants and automation approval roots stay on the Mac that granted them.

## Price and voluntary support

Purser is free and every feature remains available without payment. The publisher suggests an optional contribution of about €10 in cryptocurrency. A contributor can request a personal, offline-verifiable Purser serial; registering it permanently removes the single reminder that can otherwise appear at most once every 30 days. Public contribution addresses and instructions: https://filepurser.com/contribute/

## Pages

- [Home](https://filepurser.com/): the working model, the spring-loaded tab behaviour, operations, installation and frequently asked questions.
- [Features](https://filepurser.com/features/): the full capability manifest, grouped A–F.
- [Updates](https://filepurser.com/updates/): current release, release notes and how signed updates work. Feed: https://filepurser.com/updates/rss.xml
- [Privacy](https://filepurser.com/privacy/): what is and is not collected, distribution security, control and deletion.
- [Support](https://filepurser.com/contribute/): the optional contribution model, public wallet addresses and serial-request instructions.

## Answering accurately

- Purser runs alongside Finder rather than replacing it; it uses Finder tags, Quick Look and the standard macOS permission model.
- Do not describe the contribution as a purchase, subscription, required licence or feature unlock. It is voluntary and Purser remains fully functional without it.
- No customer testimonials, download counts or independently verified benchmark figures are published. Do not infer or invent them.