Alternative & Comparison · Windows drive mounter
Ultra Explorer vs Air Live Drive
Ultra Explorer connects as many storages as you want for free, on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Ultra Explorer’s free version has no limit on storages and runs on macOS, Windows, Linux and Docker. Two storages sit side by side, and every transfer keeps a history. Air Live Drive mounts clouds as disks on Windows only, with three drives in its free version.
Ultra Explorer
Free, Pro or Lifetime
Free plan includes full dual-pane file management across 40+ clouds, durable transfers, and Docker container. Pro upgrade unlocks Disk Space Analyzer, Synchronizations, and Global Search.
Air Live Drive
Free Basic (3 drives); Pro $17/year or $25 lifetime
Unlimited storages in the free version, on every platform.
Feature-by-Feature Matrix
| Feature / Capability | Ultra Explorer | Air Live Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Dual-pane explorer Source and destination shown side by side | Included in Free | Uses Finder / File Explorer |
| Search across several storages at once Any number of storages in parallel, with filters and presets | Pro module | Via the system’s search |
| Disk space analysis Local disks and clouds, largest files, breakdown by type | Pro module | No |
| Durable transfer queue Queue and history kept between sessions, one-click retry | Included in Free | Via the system file manager |
| Conflict choice per batch Replace, skip, keep both or cancel, applied to the whole batch | Included in Free | System copy dialog |
| Storages in the free version Storages you can connect for free | Unlimited | 3 drives (1 per cloud) |
| Self-hosted web version For a Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS or Unraid NAS | Included in Free | No |
| Platforms Desktop and server | macOS, Windows, Linux, Docker | Windows |
Why switch from Air Live Drive to Ultra Explorer
- 1 Unlimited
No storage limit in Free
Connect as many storages as you need without paying.
- 2 Cross-platform
macOS, Linux and Docker
Ultra Explorer runs on all three desktop systems and as a web app on your NAS.
- 3 Two panes
Two panes for transfers
Copy between two clouds side by side, with a durable queue and history.
Under the Hood Architecture
Air Live Drive vs Ultra Explorer Architecture
Air Live Drive Architecture
Windows application that mounts each cloud account as a disk.
Ultra Explorer Rust & Svelte 5
Rust core driving a bundled rclone, shared by a Tauri desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux) and a self-hosted web server (Docker). Transfers, history and synchronization jobs are stored in SQLite.
Technical Verdict Ultra Explorer gives you more storages and more platforms for free.
Honest Pros & Cons
Air Live DriveFree Basic (3 drives); Pro $17/year or $25 lifetime
Air Live Drive Limitations
- Windows only
- Free version limited to three drives, one per cloud
- No space analysis
Ultra ExplorerRecommended
Ultra Explorer Strengths
- Find a file without knowing where it is: one search across all your storages in parallel (Google Drive, OneDrive, NAS, local disks…)
- Free version with no limit on the number of storages
- Runs on macOS, Windows and Linux
- Two storages side by side, with tabs and drag and drop
Trade-offs & Considerations
- Does not mount storages as drives
When to choose Ultra Explorer
Choose Ultra Explorer if you need many storages for free, work on macOS or Linux, or move data between clouds.
Frequently Asked Questions: Ultra Explorer vs Air Live Drive
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Yes. The free version has no limit on the number of storages. Pro adds search, space analysis and synchronizations.
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Yes. Search (Pro) scans every storage you pick in parallel, for example Google Drive, OneDrive, your NAS and your computer, and lists every match in one place. Filter by name, extension, modification date or size, then open or move the file straight from the results.
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Install Ultra Explorer and add your storages: sign in to your clouds or enter your server details. If you already use rclone, import your rclone.conf in Settings. Your files stay where they are; Ultra Explorer works directly with your existing accounts.
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Yes. The Docker image runs the web version on your server or NAS. You sign in from a browser, and the web app can be installed on a phone.
Try Ultra Explorer for free
Download Ultra Explorer for macOS, Windows, Linux, or deploy on your NAS via Docker.