3 Best NTFS File Explorer for Mac Free Download in 2024

Today, this post will walk readers through the three best and free NTFS file explorers for Mac. 

Do you often transfer files between Windows and Mac computers? 

If yes, then you probably want to know whether you can mount NTFS drives on Mac. Then, the answer is yes.

You can mount Windows NTFS drives on Mac but in read-only mode. Mac users can read NTFS files on macOS but can't write or edit them in any way. That is because NTFS, aka New Technology File System, was developed by Microsoft. MacOS doesn't support the NTFS file system. 

Here many people format NTFS to a FAT file system to run the external disk on both Windows and Mac. But we won't recommend it because the NTFS file system has way more benefits than FAT, such as: 

• Separate file permissions to provide better security. 
• Compress files to increase free storage space. 
• It comes with an encryption feature to protect data from unauthorized users. 
• It can support large files and partitions.
• NTFS maintains records for the modified files on a drive and more. 

All in all, NTFS is a great file system, except for limited MacOS support. But that can be fixed. 

Yes, using the robust NTFS file explorer for Mac, one can effortlessly read-write NTFS files on macOS. Let's find the best NTFS file explorer for Mac!

3 Best NTFS File Explorer Solutions for Mac in 2024 (Free) 

NTFS write support might be disabled by Apple for macOS, but can enable it using these solutions:

Solution 1. Download NTFS for Mac Reader Software - EaseUS NTFS for Mac

The best option to read and write NTFS drives on Mac is to download an NTFS for Mac reader software. This software will open an NTFS file explorer to read, write and edit NTFS content on Mac. 

Among all the available NTFS reader software for Mac, EaseUS NTFS for Mac is one of the best and free tools. The software is compatible with macOS 11 to MacOS 10.13 devices along with M1 Mac devices. 

It helps mount and unmount Windows NTFS volumes from Mac's status bar and edit the NTFS files on Apple devices. Without any terminal commands, this NTFS file explorer will open NTFS files with a click. 

EaseUS NTFS for Mac Features 

• It can quickly save or copy NTFS files between an external disk and Mac. 
• Highly safe NTFS file explorer for Mac with a seamless interface. 
• Fully compatible with macOS Big Sur and older macOS versions. 
• The program supports several other file formats, including HFS+, APFS, FAT, exFAT, etc.
• EaseUS can connect different NTFS devices to a Mac, including hard drive, SSD, USB drive, SD card, and others.

Pros 

• One-click NTFS files read-write access. 
• Open all NTFS external drives.
• View NTFS files without enabling write access.
• Safely eject NTFS drive.
• 7 Days free trial.

Cons 

• Not completely free. 

Steps to Use EaseUS NTFS for Mac 

Here's how EaseUS NTFS file explorer can view and edit NTFS on Mac:

Step 1. Launch and activate EaseUS NTFS for Mac. Click "I already have a license" to unlock this software.

Step 2. Connect an NTFS drive to Mac, EaseUS NTFS for Mac will automatically detect the device. Select your drive and you'll see it's now marked as 'Read-only". Click "Enable Writable" to add read and write rights to the drive.

Step 3. When the state of NTFS drives turns into "Writable".

Step 4. EaseUS NTFS for Mac will pops up a window to help Mac get access to the NTFS drive:

1. 1. Select "Full Disk Access", click the Lock icon and enter admin password to unlock it.
2. 2. Select the two icons of NTFS for Mac.
3. 3. Drag them to the "Full Disk Access" list.
4. 4. Click " Quit & Restore" to re-launch EaseUS NTFS for Mac.

Step 5. When EaseUS NTFS for Mac restarts, you can then open to check, read, write, and even modify saved data on the NTFS device.

Solution 2. Run NTFS-3G to Explore NTFS File on Mac

NTFS-3G is an open-source and secure software to read-write Microsoft NTFS files on a Mac. It is free software that often uses the FUSE file system, which can run unmodified on different operating systems. 

NTFS-3G File System Driver Features 

• Supports all sizes of files to create, modify, delete or move on NTFS file partitions. 
• This solution offers high system-level encryption.
• Allows compressing files to free up space for external storage devices. 
• It can make chunk-deduplicated, system-compressed, and OneDrive files.
• It provides complete support for partial NTFS journaling.

Pros 

• Secure to use. 
• 100% free. 
• Open-source solution. 
• Compatible with numerous operating systems. 

Cons 

• Complicated to use. 
• Not good for beginners. 

Steps to Use NTFS-3G

Here are the detailed steps to use the NTFS-3G file system driver to mount NTFS drives on Mac:

Step 1. If you are using macOS 10.13 or higher, Disable SIP that can put your Mac in danger. 

Step 2. Go to GitHub.com to download and install FUSE for Mac.

Step 3. Next, download and install Homebrew on Mac. 

Step 4. Click on the Go from the upper right corner of the desktop, select Utilities > Terminal. 

Step 5. Enter brew install ntfs-3g in the command prompt and press Enter to install NTFS-3G from Homebrew. The password needs to be entered when a prompt asks for it. 

Step 6. Enter sudo mkdir /Volumes/NTFS in the Terminal and press Enter to create an NTFS mount point.

Step 7. Next, enter diskutil list to open up the list of volumes connected to the Mac. 

Step 8. Finally, enter sudo /usr/local/bin/ntfs-3g /dev/disk3s1 /Volumes/NTFS -olocal -oallow_other and press Enter. Now, you will see the NTFS volume mounted on thev desktop in read-write mode. 

Solution 3. Use Terminal to Enabling NTFS File Exploring Feature on Mac 

Mac might not yet support the NTFS writing ability, but it is in the experimental phase. That means the NTFS writing feature is just disabled by default. So, using the command lines in Terminal, NTFS file explorer for Mac can be enabled. 

Though, NTFS writing support isn’t still stable on Mac, so use this solution very carefully. If you accidentally press any wrong keys in Terminal, it can damage NTFS drives or lose data from them. 

Pros 

• Totally free. 
• No need to download any third-party software. 

Cons 

• Highly complicated. 
• Extremely risky. 

Steps to Enable NTFS File System in Terminal 

We don't recommend using this method, but if users follow our instructions precisely, they can safely enable NTFS file explorer in Terminal. Follow these steps very carefully:

Step 1. Launch the Terminal program from the Applications > Utilities > Terminal. 

Step 2. Type sudo nano /etc/fstab to edit the fstab file and provide the password.

Step 3. Enter LABEL=VOLUME_NAME none ntfs rw,auto,nobrowse in the editor window and hit Control + O to write.

Step 4. Press Enter and then Control + X keys to exit. 

Step 5. Remount NTFS drive to Mac.

Step 6. From the top of the desktop, click on the Go and select Go to Folder.

Step 7. Enter /Volume in the Go to Folder field. 

Step 8. Navigate to the NTFS drive and drag it to the sidebar.

Sum Up 

After exploring all three NTFS file explorer solutions for Mac, all our readers must have selected a suitable way to access NTFS files. 

But if you ask for an expert’s recommendation, we will suggest using EaseUS NTFS for Mac. That is because it is an easy to use, less complicated, and powerful solution than NTFS-3G or Terminal. 

However, the program might not be 100% free, but you can use a 7-day free trial. Also, the software price isn’t high compared to the features offered. So, go for EaseUS NTFS to easily access NTFS on Mac.