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.

FTP Manager Pro provides you a fast way to transfer and share your files. This app provides reliable file transfer between various devices and cloud storage, directly from your computer. File transfer between multiple devices Move files or entire directories between any combination of FTP servers, PC folders, Android mobile devices and cloud. Changing the behavior of new windows January 26, 2018. Customize new windows in Transmit. Automatically restoring your Transmit workspace January 26, 2018. Using state restoration in Transmit 5. Advanced preference settings January 26, 2018. How to access Transmit 5's advanced settings for troubleshooting purposes. Microsoft Azure January 26, 2018.

Here you can jump ahead to FTP Client Software reviews:

What to Keep in Mind When Choosing FTP Client Software

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.

Transmit Ftp For Windows

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 – 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 – 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 – Time to update your strategy for log management? Here’s our list of tools with suggestions for every budget.

Transit Ftp

Generally speaking people use a FTP client to upload files from computer to remote website or FTP server, or download files and data from web server to local computer. Check out this guide to connect to FTP server using FileZilla, the best free FTP client tool. However the latest computer and mobile phones allow us to directly connect to a web server through FTP without a FTP client or software. For example you can use Samsung phone to connect to FTP server and then download files from web server to mobile phone or upload files from our cell phone to FTP server. On Windows computers, you can also do the same thing. Windows OS has support FTP server connection for very long time. You can add FTP server or website to the Windows Explorer or File Explorer in Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and now the Windows 10. In this article, we will show you how to connect to FTP site or web server using the File Explorer for Windows 10. After that you will be able to open your website files and pages via the default file explorer on Windows PC. You can access FTP server just like you open any other folders on local hard drive. You can copy files from your computer hard drive to FTP server or the other way around easily.

Transmit For Mac

Connect to FTP site server using File Explorer for Windows 10

Open the File Explorer on Windows 10 computer. Click on “This PC” from the left navigation panel in Windows explorer, then click on Computer from the top, after that you will open the ribbon menu, choose ‘Add a network location‘. You can also quickly right click on “This PC“, then choose ‘Add a network location‘ from the jump-down context menu.

Transmit Mac Ftp

To add FTP server to Windows 10 file explorer, you will firstly have to input your website address or FTP server address in the “Specify the location of your website” >> “Internet or network address” box. It could be your FTP server address or domain name. If you do not have a FTP server or FTP account, you can refer to this tutorial to create a FTP account in cPanel hosting here. Click Next button.

Then you need to specify a username and password if required. Most FTP servers allow users to log on anonymously with limited access to the server. We recommend you to create a normal FTP account in your hosting control panel and access the FTP server with the username and password. Uncheck the “Log on anonymously” option, then input your FTP username, and click Next button to proceed.

Transmit For Windows

Now you need to give the FTP server, website or network location a name. It could be your domain name, server IP, site name or else. Click Next button and follow on-screen tips to finish adding FTP server to file explorer in Windows 10.

Now you can open the File Explorer on PC to quickly open your website directory or FTP server just like you open local hard drives or folder on your computer. You can then copy files from your computer hard disk to your web server or the other way around. By doing so, you can easily upload files to FTP server or download website files from FTP server to your computer through File Manager on Windows PC. No FTP client required any more!

Update Jan 2018: added ftp connection method through free FTP client FileZilla.