FTP: Free Clients and Alternative Connection Methods

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ftp tools

FTP (File Transfer Protocols) is probably the most generally used approach when it comes down to multiple (or massive) file transfers over the the internet. Whether it’s a paid FTP software or a free one, the ultimate goal is to have a stable software to perform file transfer over the Internet efficiently and secure. FTP applications on the internet varies from functions, some (most) comes with resume capability, some does reporting after transmission, some supports SFTP, etc.

If you are using paid FTP softwares (I’m using Transmit) you should also be alert or at least keep few of the free ones in bookmark; just in case your primary FTP prog fails on critical situation. Here are some of the most commonly use free FTP applications and some alternative methods you can transfer files via FTP without any application.

Multiple Platforms FTP Clients

  1. FileZilla [Download]

    One of the most commonly used FTP tool, supports SSH.

    Platform: Windows, Linux, Mac

    filezilla

  2. i.FTP [Download]

    Little graphical FTP/SFTP client

    Platform: Windows, Mac

    iftp

FTP Clients For Windows

  1. WinSCP [Download]

    Free SFTP, FTP and SCP client for Windows

    winscp

  2. Smart FTP [Download]

    With its many basic and advanced features SmartFTP also offers secure, reliable and efficient transfers that make it a powerful tool.

    smartftp

  3. Staff FTP [Download]

    Staff-FTP, among standard, options like upload, download, query, sitemanager, browse-able windows and almost every other options you will find in other FTP clients.

    staff ftp

  4. Free FTP Manager [Download]

    Fast and reliable FTP and SFTP client that allows to easily view, download and upload files to FTP folders.

    free ftp manager

  5. CoffeeCup Free FTP [Download]

    It uploads, it downloads, it keeps all your FTP Servers settings in one place. Make CoffeeCup FREE FTP your choice for a no-cost, highly effective tool to compliment your webmaster suite.

    coffecup free ftp

  6. Go FTP [Download]

    GoFTP is the fastest FTP program on the planet. Easy to use and has all of the basic features you need plus many advanced features that make this the best FTP client on the net.

    go ftp

  7. CoreFTP [Download]

    Features like SFTP (SSH), SSL, TLS, IDN, browser integration, site to site transfers, FTP transfer resume, drag and drop support, file viewing & editing, firewall support, custom commands, FTP URL parsing, command line transfers, filters, and much more.

    coreftp

  8. FTP Surfer [Download]

    Yet another free FTP clients for Windows.

    ftp surfer

FTP Clients For Mac

  1. Cyberduck [Download]

    Open source FTP and SFTP (SSH Secure File Transfer) browser licensed under the GPL with an easy to use interface, integration with external editors and support for many Mac OS X system technologies such as Spotlight, Bonjour, the Keychain and AppleScript.

    cyberduck

  2. OneButton FTP [Download]

    OneButton FTP is a graphical FTP client for Mac OS X with a strong emphasis on simplicity, drag and drop usability, and file queuing. It allows you to easily transfer files to and from remote servers, such as the ones hosting your website, simply by dragging files to and from your computer.

    onebutton ftp

  3. Fugu [Download]

    Fugu is a graphical front end to the command line Secure File Transfer application (SFTP) built into Mac OS X.

    fugu ftp

  4. RBrowser [Download]

    rbrowser

    RBrowser is a full featured graphical FTP/SCP/SSH/SFTP client, originally written for Mac OS X Server (and OpenStep), and now available for Mac OS X.

Other Alternative Methods

    If you are only using FTP for light usage and not planning to install any external softwares for internet file transfering, here’s how you can turn your operating system or existing programs into an FTP tool.

  1. Firefox FireFTP [Download]

    A Firefox plugin that does the FTP files transfer within your browser tab.

    fireftp

  2. Windows Explorer

    You can use windows explorer as FTP tool. Just insert the details according to the following format:

    ftp://username:password@ftp.server.com/

    windows explorer

  3. Internet Explorer

    The above way may seems a little unsecured as your username and password are exposed; here’s another way you can insert with your username and password remain hidden. Works on Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer. Insert the following in the address bar:

    ftp://ftp.server.com

    A dialogue box will prompt up, enter the username and password and you’ll be connected.

  4. DOS Command Lines

    Window’s Command Prompt does support FTP. It doesn’t comes with a nice GUI but still does the job if you prefer doing the typing. Here’s how you get connected to FTP via Window’s DOS Command Prompt:

    1. Click Start on Desktop, select Run
    2. Type in "cmd" and hit enter.
    3. In Command Prompt, type FTP.
    4. Connect to your site with: open ftp.server.com
    5. Enter username and password.

    Getting connected via Command Prompt is a no-brainer but if you are unfamiliar with the commands, you’ll find yourself having hard time transferring files. To know more DOS FTP commands, type HELP in the command prompt, or learn more here.

    dos command ftp

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Posted by hongkiat in Tools , at 02.25.08

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Comments

  1. Felix February 25th, 2008

    Me so sad, you didn’t mention the mighty http://cyberduck.ch/ :’(

    Reply
  2. Felix February 25th, 2008

    Me happy :) Cyberduck is there actually :)

    Reply
  3. Jon Chase February 25th, 2008

    FTP’s nice, but there’s also at least one other option – using one of the various web sites out there for large file transfer.

    http://www.howtosendlargefiles.com lists every site out there for sending large files.

    Not to say FTP is bad or anything:).

    Reply
  4. Carbono February 25th, 2008

    Wow, it’s a great tip. Very people manage your files on the web using FTP Client.

    Nice post kiat.

    Reply
  5. hongkiat February 26th, 2008

    Felix: How can I forget cyberduckie :-) One of my fav free FTP tool.

    Jon: That could be one way, but I’ll rather keep my files private, using online services to send my files feels rather insecure.

    Carbono: FTP is good, but if there is an option, you should go for SFTP, more secure.

    Reply
  6. BoltClock February 26th, 2008

    All hail FileZilla.

    Reply
  7. Syahid A. February 27th, 2008

    FileZilla for FTP. WinSCP for all SSH related file transfer. Nice list HK!

    Reply
  8. Jawwad February 27th, 2008

    Nice list. BTW Smart FTP is NOT for free and Core FTP should be Core FTP Lite (free edition)

    Reply
  9. reivaj March 30th, 2008

    ok

    Reply
  10. FanatiPhone April 7th, 2008

    Nice story, but I miss the online FTP-clients. These are also useful. The one I use is Loelink. You can find it on http://www.loelink.com

    Reply
  11. Richard Simon December 23rd, 2008

    you may use http://www.ftp4net.com too. With ftp4net.com, you can access any FTP account through a Web interface – no matter whether there is a firewall or not. You can use ftp4net for the complete administration of your homepage, downloading files or just making small changes.Its a total web based ftp solution.

    Reply
  12. Mario Loredo May 11th, 2009

    I don’t know how to connect wordpress to my FTP client?.. i use file zilla? What is wordpress.com’s FTP url? What do i use as the FTP url?..

    Reply
  13. Alex May 27th, 2009

    There is a new solid FTP client CrossFTP available for SFTP, FXP, WebDav, and S3. Its basic version is free and works on multiple platforms. You can find it at http://www.crossftp.com/

    Reply
  14. shannon August 22nd, 2009

    Online storage services are way better than FTP apps these days. I use http://contentcube.com . It’s like visual ftp without needing any desktop software. Creates great looking thumbnails and previews of files as well. I’ll never use FTP again. Xdrive and dropbox are cool as well.

    Reply

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