My point here is this: every IT professional and practitioner needs a good FTP client (and possibly server) in their corner. Whether you’re building a site or sharing files, FTP provides ease and capacity unavailable in simple computer-to-computer transfers. The popularity and long history of this protocol means there are lots of players in the game—FTP clients for Windows, FTP clients for macOS, FTP clients for mobile, free FTP clients and paid FTP clients—and the right one for you depends on the client’s features and your needs. We’re here to help you sort through the clutter with the following list. Don’t have time to read through top FTP programs? My top pick is the SolarWinds® Serv-U® Managed File Transfer Server solution if you need reliable, business-level capabilities.
Here you can jump ahead to FTP Client Software reviews:
What to Keep in Mind When Choosing FTP Client Software
Cute FTP Mac Professional is the most advanced Mac FTP client available. It's Mac OS X Universal ready, has a multi-threaded thin 'Metal' (Cocoa) interface, powerful automation features,.
Fetch is a reliable, full-featured file transfer client for the Apple Macintosh whose user interface emphasizes simplicity and ease of use. Fetch supports FTP and SFTP, the most popular file transfer protocols on the Internet Learn More. Fetch is a reliable, full-featured, easy-to-use file transfer client for the Macintosh Learn More. FileZilla is one of the most popular FTP clients available throughout all platforms. FTP Server lets you run the FTP service on your own computer and you can access the files on the host computer with any standard FTP client such as FileZilla. OS X provides read-only FTP access in Finder, you can press Command-K in a Finder window and enter the FTP URL (something like ftp://192.168.0.100:2121/), and connect to FTP Server.
File Transfer Protocol is necessary when you’re communicating with a server. It’s the FTP client software that initiates the request of the server. That’s typically relevant when you’re building or maintaining a website but could also matter when transferring large files that can’t be stored on RAM. (This latter use has become less popular with the rise of cloud computing.) For smaller data transfers, going machine-to-machine is still fine.
A note on security: FTP was developed before cybersecurity was the concern that it is today, so data is sent unencrypted. That might be fine if you’re just hosting whitepapers for download or transferring non-private information. But if you have any sensitive documents or your industry has privacy regulations, using an unsecured connection could be a PR headache at best and regulatory negligence charges at worst.
That’s why Secure FTP, or SFTP, was developed. (FTPS is another, less common, encrypted form of FTP.) In fact, FTP and SFTP are often used interchangeably now, though you shouldn’t assume this is the case when choosing your client; verify that you’re getting SFTP if you need it.
Why pay for a top FTP program when there are so many popular free versions? As we’ve noted previously in this blog, “Open-source is only free if your time is worthless.” That’s a bit harsh, but the message is important: open-source and free proprietary options aren’t going to provide the support and customization of a paid service and team. You’ll spend a lot of time learning, customizing, and maintaining the program yourself, and it still might fail sometimes. This should be foremost on your mind if regular, secure, and reliable data transfer is mission-critical for your business and not just tangential.
Best FTP Client Overall
With SolarWinds Serv-U Managed File Transfer (MFT) Server, you get all the business-level capabilities you need at the affordable price you’ve come to expect from other Serv-U product offerings like Serv-U File Transfer Protocol (FTP) Server.
Like FTP Server, Serv-U MFT provides total control over your file transfers—even 3GB+ files—within your organization, over both web and mobile devices. It simplifies file transfer for users with single drag-and-drop features. I’d say the real advantage here is the intuitive dashboard that allows central control and customizable automation abilities (and the ability to look over activity logs as needed).
And of course, you get the crucial security features you need and expect for business functions, like Active Directory integration and authentication features. Files can be transferred over FTP, FTPS, SFTP, and HTTP/S protocols, over both IPv4 and IPv6 networks. Designed to deliver reliable and secure file transfers, this file transfer tool focuses on helping you ensure regulatory compliance for PCI DSS, HIPAA, and other standards that require secure data transfers. Serv-U MFT can take loads off your plate and keep your system running smoothly.
Serv-U MFT Server is designed to be easy to install and supports deployment on Windows and Linux® platforms.
Best Free FTP Client for Windows
WinSCP is like the Honda Civic of FTP clients—ubiquitous, relatively reliable, and affordable (free, in fact, because it’s open-source), all-in-all a decent option for a variety of users. It supports the SFTP protocol for added security and supports SCP (as the name suggests), as well as WebDAV and Amazon S3. WinSCP has an integrated text editor and allows for remote editing, which is then uploaded to the server automatically when saving, making editing a snap. And there are three portable versions, including one for Linux.
A few drawbacks: it’s built on Windows, so Mac users are out of luck. And if you use UNC to organize files on a LAN, WinSCP isn’t compatible with that either. Plus, some users criticize WinSCP’s odd keyboard command layout and the inability to customize shortcuts. (A minor gripe, but I bet it will annoy you after a while.)
Runner-Up, Best Free FTP Client for Windows
FileZilla might be the undisputed champ of open-source FTP clients if not for some unfortunate moves and PR. It works for Windows, macOS, and Linux, has drag-and-drop, tabbed interface, bookmarks, and remote editing as well as file search. Out since the early 2000s, FileZilla has racked up thousands of happy users and supporters.
But the program’s host, SourceForge, earned some ill will when it started bundling FileZilla downloads with adware or using deceiving tactics to get users to download unwanted programs. Some users even claimed malware was loaded onto their computers. Current versions still contain ads on update pages, so be careful. And in 2014, it was revealed that fake versions of FileZilla were loaded with malware that was stealing login credentials, so you should make sure you are downloading a legit version.
Best Free FTP Client for macOS
At first glance, Transmit might not seem like a standout. Like other competitive FTP clients, it supports FTP, FTPS, SFTP, Amazon S3, or WebDAV protocols, and integrates easily with Amazon Drive, Backblaze B2, DreamObjects, Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft OneDrive for Business, OpenStack Swift, and Rackspace Cloud Files cloud storage accounts. Transmit is also great for automated syncing.
What makes Transmit special? It does all this for macOS. In a field dominated by Windows FTP clients, this is easily the best FTP client for macOS. And as proprietary freeware, you get the updates and guidance of a paid service without spending a dime.
Runner-Up, Best Free FTP Client for macOS
Cyberduck is another big name among the best free FTP clients, especially among FTP clients for macOS. (There is also a Windows version, but because Cyberduck was built on macOS, its features are macOS-leaning.) It supports FTP and SFTP, WebDAV, OpenStack Swift, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, and Microsoft Azure. Users love its simple and friendly graphic interface with drag-and-drop (for bookmarks too) and its support of dozens of languages. Cyberduck doesn’t have a built-in text editor but integrates with whichever your favorite is. And it allows for remote previewing of some files without downloading them.
However, that simple and easy user interface might not be sufficient for some power users. And though this is a free open-source program, it will prompt you for donations until you donate, which can get irritating.
Honorable Mentions
FireFTP is unique in that it’s not a standalone desktop program, but an add-on for the Mozilla Firefox browser (although the creators now recommend using Waterfox). This adds a lot of convenience for Firefox power users, but not much advantage for everyone else. If you prefer trees of directories and lists of files to a more dressed-up user interface, FireFTP’s two-pane display is for you.
CuteFTP is one of the most popular paid FTP clients on the web. Reviews tout its ease of use and simplicity. Standouts include the automation of file transfers and the built-in editor (Scintilla). Thanks to a feature called Tappin, you can easily share files between desktop and mobile devices. Available for Windows, CuteFTP is free to try and costs $59.99 standalone, with an additional $30 for a year of maintenance and support.
CloudMounter works a little differently because it’s not exactly an FTP client. It’s more like a direct connection to your FTP server as if the server were a removable drive. So instead of complicated software and interfaces, all you have to do is open up Finder. Few other FTP clients can say that they make it as easy as plugging in a thumbnail drive. CloudMounter is free to try and costs $29.99 (or an additional $10 for a “lifetime upgrades guarantee”). It’s primarily known for its macOS version but is also available for Windows and Linux according to its website.
One More Time: The Best FTP Client
The best FTP software depends all on your needs and budget, but I highly recommend looking at paid services to ensure regulatory compliance, security, and reliability. Check out SolarWinds Serv-U MFT for the most reliable option—and with all the security issues that can arise with transfers, you shouldn’t take that reliability lightly.
Related Articles
Best SIEM Tools 2020 – the best FTP Client software can support sending server logs to SIEM tools for help with deeper security analysis and compliance reporting. Check the list of best SIEM software.
Best Website Monitoring Tools 2020 – If you’re reading this article, you likely have a website to run. Monitoring is another important part of that and has a similar cost/benefit analysis between free and paid software.
Best Log Management Software 2020 – Time to update your strategy for log management? Here’s our 2020 list of tools with suggestions for every budget.
Connecting to every server. With an easy to use interface, connect to servers, enterprise file sharing and cloud storage. You can find connection profiles for popular hosting service providers.
Cryptomator. Client side encryption with Cryptomator interoperable vaults to secure your data on any server or cloud storage. Version 6
Filename Encryption
File and directory names are encrypted, directory structures are obfuscated.
File Content Encryption
Every file gets encrypted individually.
Secure and Trustworthy with Open Source
No backdoors. No registration or account required.
Edit any file with your preferred editor. To edit files, a seamless integration with any external editor application makes it easy to change content quickly. Edit any text or binary file on the server in your preferred application.
Share files.
Web URL
Quickly copy or open the corresponding HTTP URLs of a selected file in your web browser. Includes CDN and pre-signed URLs for S3.
Distribute your content in the cloud. Both Amazon CloudFront and Akamai content delivery networks (CDN) can be easily configured to distribute your files worldwide from edge locations. Connect to any server using FTP, SFTP or WebDAV and configure it as the origin of a new Amazon CloudFront CDN distribution.
Amazon CloudFront
Manage custom origin, basic and streaming CloudFront distributions. Toggle deployment, define CNAMEs, distribution access logging and set the default index file.
First class bookmarking. Organize your bookmarks with drag and drop and quickly search using the filter field.
Files
Drag and drop bookmarks to the Finder.app and drop files onto bookmarks to upload.
Spotlight
Spotlight Importer for bookmark files.
History
History of visited servers with timestamp of last access.
Import
Import Bookmarks from third-party applications.
Connect To Ftp Mac
Browse with ease. Browse and move your files quickly in the browser with caching enabled for the best performance. Works with any character encoding for the correct display of Umlaute, Japanese and Chinese.
Quick LookQuickly preview files with Quick Look. Press the space key to preview files like in Finder.app without explicitly downloading.
AccessibleThe outline view of the browser allows to browse large folder structures efficiently. Cut & paste or drag & drop files to organize.
Transfer anything. Limit the number of concurrent transfers and filter files using a regular expression. Resume both interrupted download and uploads. Recursively transfer directories.
Download and UploadDrag and drop to and from the browser to download and upload.
SynchronizationSynchronize local with remote directories (and vice versa) and get a preview of affected files before any action is taken.
Integration with system technologies. A native citizen of Mac OS X and Windows. Notification center, Gatekeeper and Retina resolution.
KeychainAll passwords are stored in the system Keychain as Internet passwords available also to third party applications. Certificates are validated using the trust settings in the Keychain.
BonjourAuto discovery of FTP & WebDAV services on the local network.
FinderUse Cyberduck as default system wide protocol handler for FTP and SFTP. Open .inetloc files and .duck bookmark files from the Finder.
Notifications in system tray (Windows) and the Notification Center (Mac).
WindowsReads your proxy configuration from network settings. Encrypts passwords limiting access to your account.
We are open. Licensed under the GPL.
Come in. You can follow the daily development activity, have a look at the roadmap and grab the source code on GitHub. We contribute to other open source projects including OpenStack Swift Client Java Bindings, Rococoa Objective-C Wrapper and SSHJ.
International. Speaks your language.
Ftp For Mac Os Catalina
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