FTP and SFTP clients move files between your computer and web hosts, servers or cloud storage. Choosing one starts with protocols and operating systems, then licence terms, because several free editions exclude company use.
This guide ranks by what the vendor's own pages show, favouring small independent makers and clear prices over breadth of features alone.
Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. Every vendor link is marked the same, whatever the arrangement behind it. How that works.
In short
What FTP and SFTP clients software does
An FTP and SFTP client is desktop software that connects to remote servers over FTP, FTPS or SSH, lists their folders, and uploads, downloads, edits and synchronises files securely.
To rank FTP and SFTP clients tools we asked, in turn, how much work setup takes, what it truly costs, whether data can be taken back out, whether leaving is possible, and who the product suits. Vendors outside the best-known names fill places 1 to 3 when they exist, and the big brands rank from place 4. Our how we work page explains the choice of these five and why we give no mark out of ten.
Scriptable transfer client under the GNU GPL, with S3 and WebDAV
Ranked #1 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Free tierOpen sourcePublished pricingElsewhere
WinSCP tops this list because the buyer needs nothing beyond a download: the GNU GPL covers use, the project reports 276 million downloads, and six protocols are included.
Scripting, task automation and a .NET and COM library make it suitable for scheduled jobs, not just drag and drop. The cost is dependence on Martin Prikryl, who owns the trademarks, and a site that gives no country or support terms.
What stands out
GNU GPL licence
Scripting and automation
.NET and COM library
Where it costs you
Ownership and trademarks sit with one named individual, which matters for long-term support planning.
No country or paid support option is given anywhere on the vendor's pages.
Right for
Administrators who want scripted, repeatable transfers from a licence they can read in full.
Wrong for
Teams wanting a vendor contract or a published support commitment.
Not stated by the vendorFree, open source under the GNU GPL
Graphical and command-line SFTP client with an FTP-to-SFTP bridge
Ranked #2 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
Bitvise earns its place for locked-down server environments. The client runs graphical and command-line SFTP, emulates a terminal, and bridges FTP to SFTP so older tools can reach an SSH-only host.
Its dynamic port forwarding goes through an integrated proxy. Everything revolves around SSH, SFTP and SCP, and no cloud services are named, which makes it narrower than the multi-service clients below it.
What stands out
FTP-to-SFTP bridge
Dynamic port forwarding
Command-line SFTP
Where it costs you
Nothing beyond SSH-based protocols is offered for object storage.
Its licence terms sit on a separate page that was not read, so confirm them before rollout.
Right for
Teams that live on SSH and need SFTP plus tunnelling without a purchase order.
Wrong for
Anyone expecting Dropbox, S3 or Google Drive in the same window.
Not stated by the vendorFree of charge in any environment; its SSH Server has a separate 30-day trial
GPL-licensed browser for FTP, SFTP and many cloud stores
Ranked #3 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Open sourcePricing on requestElsewhere
Cyberduck is the broadest client here that costs nothing to start. One window reaches FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, SMB, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, Nextcloud and the big cloud suites, and transfers can resume or run recursively.
Passwords go into the system Keychain, and Cryptomator vaults encrypt files before upload. The limits are platform, since only macOS and Windows are listed, and the absence of any stated support price.
What stands out
Cryptomator vaults
macOS and Windows
Previewed synchronisation
Where it costs you
It exists only for macOS and Windows, with no Linux build mentioned.
Mounting remote storage as a disk requires the separate Mountain Duck product.
Right for
Mac and Windows users who reach both SFTP servers and cloud buckets.
Wrong for
Linux desktops, or anyone wanting a network drive in Finder.
Not stated by the vendorOpen source under the GPL; the site shows a Donate link and no prices
Free FTP client with a Pro edition and a separate server
Ranked #4 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
FileZilla is the default many people reach for, and the site backs that with a free client and an open development section covering source, nightly builds and a changelog.
Its weakness in this review is verifiability: the imprint, licence and privacy pages could not be read, and no Pro price is shown. Treat it as a candidate that needs a short legal check, not a ready purchase.
What stands out
Nightly builds
Public issue tracker
Pro edition
Where it costs you
No price for FileZilla Pro appears on the pages read.
The licence, privacy and imprint pages were unreadable, leaving ownership unclear.
Right for
Individuals who want the familiar free client with visible development activity.
Wrong for
Procurement teams that must see a licence and legal entity first.
Not stated by the vendorFree client; FileZilla Pro is listed as a separate product
Mac-only client with a one-time price and dual panes
Ranked #5 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Published pricingElsewhere
Transmit is the clearest purchase for Mac users: a printed one-time price, a seven-day trial that includes every feature, and quantity discounts for small teams. Security options include two-factor login, YubiKey support and key management.
The dual panes, batch rename and Panic Sync suit people who handle many sites. The price is only for Transmit 5, and the macOS 13 floor leaves older machines behind.
What stands out
macOS 13 or later
YubiKey support
Panic Sync
Where it costs you
It requires macOS 13.0 or later, which excludes older Macs.
Panic's pages give an address in Portland, Oregon but never name the country.
Right for
Mac users who prefer paying once and want a trial before buying.
Wrong for
Windows or Linux users and Macs that cannot run macOS 13.
Not stated by the vendorPublished one-time price with a 7-day trial; volume discounts by quantity
Windows client with a free LE edition and paid Pro upgrade
Ranked #6 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
Core FTP splits into LE and Pro. LE gives the basics plus SFTP, SSL, TLS and FTPS; Pro adds scheduling, encryption of what you send, email alerts and zip support.
Auto retry, CHMOD and .htaccess editing suit web hosting chores. The warning sign is transparency: the page promises one low price without a figure, and no company name or country can be traced from it.
What stands out
Core FTP LE
Scheduled transfers
Bandwidth control
Where it costs you
The Pro price and billing model are not shown on the page.
No owner, imprint or country is given beside the copyright line.
Right for
Windows users who need scheduled, encrypted transfers and can verify the vendor privately.
Wrong for
Buyers who must see a legal entity and price before shortlisting.
Not stated by the vendorFree LE edition; Pro is a paid upgrade with no price on the page
Ranked #7 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Fetch is a narrow, long-lived Mac tool: the vendor's line is dependable software since 1989, native Apple Silicon support arrived in 5.8.2, and updates cost nothing for licences bought after January 2009.
Everything beyond FTP and SFTP is absent. The page stops at macOS 13 Ventura, offers no trial, and the Mac App Store route is closed, so you buy from the vendor.
What stands out
FTP and SFTP only
Apple Silicon since 5.8.2
Not in the Mac App Store
Where it costs you
Only FTP and SFTP are listed, with no cloud connectors.
The page names support only up to macOS 13 Ventura.
Right for
Mac users with a simple FTP and SFTP workflow who dislike subscriptions.
Wrong for
Teams needing S3, cloud drives or the newest macOS releases.
Not stated by the vendorPaid licence; updates included for licences bought after January 2009; no trial listed
Mounts servers and cloud stores as disks in Finder or Explorer
Ranked #8 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
Mountain Duck suits teams that open server files from Word or Finder rather than upload them in batches. Connect Mode relies on operating system APIs, so no kernel driver or network mount is involved.
Cryptomator vaults encrypt client-side, and Office file locking works on WebDAV servers that support it. You pay for that convenience, and the page publishes neither a price nor the length of the trial.
What stands out
Connect Mode
Cryptomator vaults
Office file locking on WebDAV
Where it costs you
No prices appear on the page; keys are sold through a Buy page.
It mounts storage rather than offering a two-pane transfer window.
Right for
People who want remote servers to behave like folders in daily work.
Wrong for
Anyone who wants a classic dual-pane window for batch uploads.
Not stated by the vendorTrial download on Mac and Windows; licence keys sold on a Buy page, no prices on the page
Network drive mounts with personal, team and enterprise plans
Ranked #9 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
ExpanDrive is the only mount tool here that prints plan prices: nothing for personal use, $29 monthly for ten users, custom terms above.
Its Server Edition runs headless, re-shares over SMB on Windows and configures a fleet from one licence key, driven by the exfs CLI. Files.com is the builder, so it is a product of a larger file platform, and the personal plan excludes commercial use.
What stands out
Server Edition
exfs command line
Built by Files.com
Where it costs you
The free plan is limited to personal use.
A Business trial is not described; the 7-day trial is requested from a command line.
Right for
Small teams on three operating systems that want shared drives plus a price list.
Wrong for
Commercial solo users on the free plan, or teams above ten.
Not stated by the vendorFree plan for personal use, a monthly business plan for up to 10 users, custom enterprise terms
Transfer client for FTP, SFTP, WebDAV and cloud stores
Ranked #10 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
SmartFTP looks complete on paper: a wide protocol list, managed file transfers, backup and synchronisation of local and remote files, and Windows 11 support. The gap is commercial.
Editions and Buy Now links lead elsewhere, no amount is shown, and no trial is mentioned beside the Download button. That makes it hard to compare against Transmit or ExpanDrive, which print their terms.
What stands out
Backup and synchronisation
Terminal client
Windows 11 support
Where it costs you
The home page gives no prices, plan names or trial.
Terms, privacy and about pages were not read, so ownership stays unconfirmed.
Right for
Windows users wanting backup, sync and a terminal inside one client.
Wrong for
Buyers who need visible prices before a purchase request.
Not stated by the vendorPaid editions; the page shows no prices or trial
NCH Software client, free for non-commercial use only
Ranked #11 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Free tierPublished pricingElsewhere
Classic FTP keeps to basics: drag-and-drop transfers, a Synchronize tool comparing local and remote folders, and FTP with SSL. It runs on Windows 7 through 11 and macOS 10.5 or later, a long span.
The licence is the catch for work use, since the free copy is non-commercial, and the vendor shows no Professional price and no trial. SFTP is missing from the listed protocols.
What stands out
Non-commercial licence
Windows and macOS
Folder comparison
Where it costs you
SFTP is not listed, only FTP and FTP over SSL.
Commercial users must buy Professional, whose price is not shown.
Right for
Home users moving files between a PC or Mac and a plain FTP host.
Wrong for
Businesses and anyone whose servers accept only SFTP connections.
Not stated by the vendorFree for non-commercial use; paid Professional edition, price not shown
Mac dual-pane client with Git, workspaces and folder sync
Ranked #12 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Pricing on requestElsewhere
For transfers, ForkLift's draw is editing: choose a remote file, work in your usual editor, and it uploads when you save. Sync compares source and target folders in one or two directions, and workspaces, tabs and Git support help with repeat tasks.
It is a file manager first, so judge it against Transmit. The trial exists but its length is unstated, and macOS 14.6 is required.
What stands out
Workspaces
One- and two-way sync
macOS 14.6
Where it costs you
The page shows neither a price nor whether the licence is one-time.
It needs macOS 14.6, which excludes older Macs.
Right for
Mac users who edit remote files locally and keep folders in sync.
Wrong for
Windows users and Macs stuck on an older macOS release.
Not stated by the vendorLicence bought through the vendor's store; trial download of unstated length
Mac dual-panel manager with FTP, SFTP and cloud connectors
Ranked #13 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Pricing on requestNorth America
Commander One reaches FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, S3 and many cloud stores from a dual-panel Mac window, and it also mounts MTP, iOS and Android devices and opens RAR, 7-Zip, ZIP and Tar GZ archives.
Transfers are one feature among many. The page gives no price or trial and mentions no sync, and macOS 10.13 or later is required.
What stands out
Integrated terminal
Device mounting
Archive handling
Where it costs you
Folder synchronisation is not described on the page read.
No price or trial is mentioned; a Pricing link leads to an unread page.
Right for
Mac users who also want archives, a terminal and phone mounting.
Wrong for
People who need scheduled or synchronised transfers as the main job.
United StatesSold through the Mac App Store or direct download; no prices on the page read
Remote connection manager that includes FTP, SFTP and SCP
Ranked #14 of 14 in Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026.
Published pricingElsewhere
Royal TSX is included so buyers can see the alternative: one document holding RDP, SSH, VNC, web, FTP, SFTP and SCP connections, with credentials inherited from parent folders and sensitive data encrypted.
A built-in SSH-based Secure Gateway supports tunnelling. Its transfer side is thin next to dedicated clients, and the macOS price, trial and country are not on the page read.
What stands out
Connection manager
Credential inheritance
Secure Gateway tunnelling
Where it costs you
File transfer is a side feature of a much wider connection tool.
The page prices the Windows edition but gives no macOS price.
Right for
Administrators who manage many servers and want transfers inside the same tool.
Wrong for
Anyone who simply needs a queue-based file transfer window.
Not stated by the vendorWindows edition prices published; macOS edition price not shown
An FTP and SFTP client is desktop software that connects to remote servers over FTP, FTPS or SSH, lists their folders, and uploads, downloads, edits and synchronises files securely. Work through these questions in order; they separate the products better than a feature matrix does.
01
Work out how much a sales call is worth to you
The split is 8 published against 6 quoted. If you want to compare numbers first, start with WinSCP, Bitvise SSH Client, FileZilla, Transmit, Core FTP, ExpanDrive, Classic FTP, Royal TSX.
02
Look at where the vendor sits
2 regions are represented (Elsewhere 13, North America 1). A vendor outside your own legal area is not a problem as such, but it changes who can compel it to hand over data.
03
Consider whether you want the source
Open source here means WinSCP, Cyberduck. The price of self-hosting is the time your team spends maintaining it.
Match the protocol list to your servers before anything else
FTP, FTPS and SFTP are three different conversations, and clients do not all speak all of them. WinSCP lists FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, WebDAV and S3. Bitvise SSH Client is built around SSH, SFTP and SCP, and bridges FTP to SFTP. Fetch handles FTP and SFTP only, while Core FTP names SFTP, SSL, TLS, FTPS and HTTPS. Classic FTP lists FTP and FTP over SSL, with no SFTP mentioned.
If a hosting provider has switched off plain FTP, a client lacking SFTP is useless to you, however pleasant its interface. Write down what each server accepts, including any object storage bucket that needs S3, then remove every candidate whose own page leaves a required protocol out. Do this before comparing prices, because a cheap tool that cannot connect costs more than a dearer one that can.
Record which protocol each server accepts today
Remove clients whose page omits a required protocol
Ask whether cloud buckets need S3 in the same window
Operating system limits narrow the field quickly in this market
Mac-only and Windows-only products dominate, so the platform question removes half the names at once. Transmit needs macOS 13.0 or later. Fetch's page stops at macOS 13 Ventura. ForkLift requires macOS 14.6, and Commander One lists macOS 10.13 or later. Cyberduck and Mountain Duck cover macOS and Windows, ExpanDrive adds Linux, and Classic FTP names Windows 7 to 11 plus macOS 10.5 or later.
A designer on an older Mac may find the newest clients refuse to install, while an updated Mac may find an old client unsupported. List every machine that will run the client, note its operating system version, and compare that against each vendor's stated minimum. Do the same for Windows laptops and any Linux workstation, since few of these vendors name more than one or two systems.
List every machine and its operating system version
Compare against each vendor's stated minimum release
Check Apple Silicon support if you use newer Macs
Read the licence wording before a free client reaches company machines
Free does not mean free for everyone in this category. Classic FTP restricts its free version to non-commercial use. ExpanDrive's free plan is for personal use, with Business priced monthly for up to ten users. Core FTP separates the free LE edition from a paid Pro upgrade, and FileZilla lists FileZilla Pro as a separate product.
WinSCP and Cyberduck are under the GPL, and Bitvise permits its client at no charge in any environment. Print the licence line for each shortlisted tool, and ask the vendor in writing whenever the page is silent about commercial use. A short email now is cheaper than replacing a client that staff have already spread across a team.
Find the commercial use clause on each licence page
Count users against plan caps such as ten seats
Keep the vendor's wording on file for audits
Decide between a transfer window and a mounted drive
Two designs compete here. Transmit with its dual-pane interface and Commander One with its dual panels give you two views to move files between, which suits deliberate uploads. Mountain Duck and ExpanDrive mount storage as a disk, so any application can open remote files, and Mountain Duck says Connect Mode uses operating system APIs without a driver.
Cyberduck sits between them, with previewed synchronisation, and Royal TSX treats transfers as one connection type among many. Mounts are convenient but hide latency, since an application may block while a remote file loads. Pilot both styles with a real project folder and a slow connection before committing licences, and let the people who will use it daily choose.
Test a mounted drive over a slow connection
Check whether sync shows a preview before it deletes
Confirm queued, resumable transfers for large uploads
What goes wrong most often when buying FTP and SFTP clients software
Assuming a free client may be used at work, when Classic FTP and ExpanDrive limit their free versions to non-commercial or personal use.
Buying a Mac client without checking its macOS minimum, since ForkLift asks for 14.6 and Transmit for 13.0.
Picking a tool that lacks SFTP for servers that accept only SFTP, such as Classic FTP, whose page lists FTP and FTP over SSL.
Treating a mounted drive as a backup, when Mountain Duck and ExpanDrive present remote files without promising local copies.
07
Frequently asked questions
7 answers
What is the best FTP and SFTP clients in 2026?
First of 14 on this page is WinSCP. WinSCP credits Martin Prikryl as developer and copyright holder, and it is distributed under the GNU GPL. It copies over FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, WebDAV and S3, and adds an integrated text editor, scripting and task automation.
The trade-off is concentration: one named person owns the trademarks, and the pages read state no country, support contract or paid edition for businesses that want one.
Which FTP and SFTP clients tools publish their pricing?
The ones that do, with the model each states:
WinSCP: Free, open source under the GNU GPL.
Bitvise SSH Client: Free of charge in any environment; its SSH Server has a separate 30-day trial.
FileZilla: Free client; FileZilla Pro is listed as a separate product.
Transmit: Published one-time price with a 7-day trial; volume discounts by quantity.
Core FTP: Free LE edition; Pro is a paid upgrade with no price on the page.
ExpanDrive: Free plan for personal use, a monthly business plan for up to 10 users, custom enterprise terms.
Classic FTP: Free for non-commercial use; paid Professional edition, price not shown.
Royal TSX: Windows edition prices published; macOS edition price not shown.
The other 6 quote per organisation.
Is there a free FTP and SFTP clients tool?
WinSCP, Bitvise SSH Client, FileZilla, Core FTP, ExpanDrive, Classic FTP come with a no-cost entry point, a free plan or a self-hosted edition.
Where are these FTP and SFTP clients vendors established?
In 2 countries across 2 regions: Elsewhere 13, North America 1.
WinSCP: Not stated by the vendor.
Bitvise SSH Client: Not stated by the vendor.
Cyberduck: Not stated by the vendor.
FileZilla: Not stated by the vendor.
Transmit: Not stated by the vendor.
Core FTP: Not stated by the vendor.
Fetch: Not stated by the vendor.
Mountain Duck: Not stated by the vendor.
ExpanDrive: Not stated by the vendor.
SmartFTP: Not stated by the vendor.
Classic FTP: Not stated by the vendor.
ForkLift: Not stated by the vendor.
Commander One: United States.
Royal TSX: Not stated by the vendor.
Which FTP and SFTP clients tools are open source?
WinSCP, Cyberduck.
What should you use instead of WinSCP?
Bitvise SSH Client and Cyberduck are the next two on this page.
Bitvise SSH Client is for teams that live on SSH and need SFTP plus tunnelling without a purchase order.; Cyberduck is for Mac and Windows users who reach both SFTP servers and cloud buckets..
Who should not buy WinSCP?
Teams wanting a vendor contract or a published support commitment.. Ownership and trademarks sit with one named individual, which matters for long-term support planning..
Your FTP and SFTP clients product is not among these 14? Tell us what it is for and who it serves, and we will consider it. The decision is editorial, and the ground rules are set out under software advice.
