vim-dirvish VS vim-vinegar

vin-dirvish fits your requirements.

I use vim-dirvish(you probably want to pair this with vim-enunch), it's a more minimal version of Netrw.

Oh neat! I use dirvish, but I'll have to check out oil.

There is the built-in file browser, netrw, but I switched from that to vim-dirvish to lir.nvim to oil.nvim. These are file browsers, not file trees, and my preference for them is probably because I became accustomed to netrw after using it for so long.

vim-dirvish (great NetRW alternative)

file managers or project/directory viewer

vim-dirvish

There's also a minimal alternative if you're interested lir.nvim. Although I still use vim-dirvish because it meets all my needs.

I use dirvish, but netrw is often sufficient

I just recently got into the "plugin frenzy", and since I was already using netrw, I ignored all the tree-style options and just installed the tpope's vim-vinegar to extend it.

Netrw + vim-vinegar works for me. In conjunction with harpoon and a bufferline and maybe vim-eunuch, it works out pretty well

I think you might be looking for netrw (:Ex brings it up). It is the default file explorer and can be used in many cool ways. There are extensions for it, like (vim-vinegar, and :help netrw is your friend :)

Plain `netrw` with a few options changed and tpope's vim-vinegar for easy access

I use Vinegar but should try Oil. https://github.com/tpope/vim-vinegar

Hijacking netrw to prevent disruptive "project drawer" style plugins as mentioned in the vim-vinegar readme is important to me.

I use vim-vinegar - tried using other plugins with a drawbar style navigator but always find netrw + vinegar the most intuitive to use :)

When you understand the default file explorer, you'll probably appreciate https://github.com/tpope/vim-vinegar

ThePrimeagen suggests pv as the mapping to see the folder, but - comes from me being used to https://github.com/tpope/vim-vinegar some time ago. Choose your's to your liking.

Netrw, vim’s built in file explorer is pretty solid if you’re looking to understand the topology of a project. I really like the pattern of browsing the file tree in the window pane where the file will open. vim vinegar is a great plugin for refining the netrw experience and making it a little more seamless. Takes a minute to learn the keybindings, but I find it much lighter and less intrusive than nerd tree or it’s offshoots.