I uploaded the same site three times using the different FTP clients to the same server, one by one using the max amount of threads the server would let me use. For all three tests, I just dragged the files and folders of the root to the FTP client and let it deal with the rest. The ones initiating the process, the client computers, usually already have the FTP client software. FTP is made through work sessions, and it supports text mode and user authentication, allowing users to operate the file system. One of the best features in FTP is the possibility of a binary connection. May 22, 2020 macOS TFTP server Simple command line TFTP server for macOS. What is TFTP? Current FTP sessions support a lot of different commands. While logged in to an FTP server, users can usually list, delete, rename, upload, or download files and change directories. Nov 06, 2019 Here you can jump ahead to FTP Client Software reviews: SolarWinds Serv-U Managed File Transfer Server WinSCP – Free FTP Client Tool for Windows FileZilla – Free FTP Client Tool for Windows Transmit – Free FTP Client Tool for Mac Cyberduck – Free FTP Client Tool for Mac FireFTP – Paid FTP Client.

File Transfer Protocol, better known as FTP, has been around for nearly 50 years. It has evolved over the years, but at its core, it still does exactly what it did when it was first conceived. It lets you transfer files from your local PC to a remote server, like a web host.

If you need to transfer files using FTP, you need FTP client software running on your computer. There are quite a few FTP apps for Mac OS X ranging from the old-fashioned command line interface (CLI) running in Terminal to typical Mac apps that look and work like most software you’re familiar with.

Let’s look at the best FTP clients for Mac OS X and how to choose the one that’s right for you.

A Brief History of FTP Security

FTP was designed in April 1971 to run on the Network Control Protocol (NCP) which was the predecessor of TCP/IP, the standard used for the modern internet. At the time, security was not as important as it is in today’s world. There were so few computers at the time that any machine connected to the internet was trusted.

This resulted in relatively simple security standards for FTP. You do need to log in using a username and password, but this information transmits to the server unencrypted. This leaves it open to a sniffing attack, especially if you’re connecting on a public wifi connection.

Newer protocols like SFTP (Secure FTP) and FTPS (FTP Secure) have extended its capabilities to work over encrypted SSH connections. You don’t need to know how this works to use it, but you should make sure you choose a Mac FTP client that supports the encrypted protocols.

Features to Look for in Mac FTP Clients

Every FTP client supports the basic function of transferring files. That’s what FTP is, after all. There are a variety of extra features that these applications offer, however. Some are useful for virtually everyone while others have more specific uses.

Some of the feature that almost everybody will benefit from include:

Drag and drop transfers.
Support for cloud storage services like Amazon S3, Microsoft OneDrive/Azure, Google Drive, and Dropbox.
Remote file editing.
SFTP and/or FTPS support.

Drag and drop works exactly the same as it does in the Finder except you’re dragging files between a folder on your Mac and a directory on a remote server. Almost all Mac FTP clients support it, including the ones we’re going to look at.

Support for cloud services means you can use your FTP client to transfer files to or from them. These services don’t use the standard FTP protocol, and each has its own proprietary system, so the FTP client has to support it.

Remote file editing lets you make changes to a file on the server using your FTP client, or sometimes an external editor, and save the changes back to the server. This lets you skip the steps of downloading the file and uploading it again after you make the changes.

We’ve already discussed SFTP and FTPS protocols and why you would want to use them over FTP. Almost every FTP client supports them, but you should always double-check if you’re looking at a new app.

The Best FTP Clients for Mac Users

We’re going to look at 5 FTP clients for Mac OS X:

FileZilla
Fetch
Forklift
Cyberduck
Transmit

Each of them has its pros and cons so let’s look at each one so you can choose the best Mac FTP client for your needs.

FileZilla

FileZilla is the most widely-used FTP client, for a couple of reasons. First, it’s multi-platform, so people use it on Mac OS X, Windows and Linux. Second, it’s open-source software that licensed under the GNU Public License (GPL), so it’s completely free.

FileZilla supports various connection types, including SFTP and FTPS, so you can transfer files to your server securely. It also supports IPv6, the latest version of the Internet Protocol (IP). This doesn’t affect how it works from your perspective, but it means it will work with servers running on the new version of IP.

FileZilla FTP also supports remote file searching, bookmarking and remote file editing. These features can all be helpful if you manage a lot of remote files.

The main disadvantage of FileZilla is its interface. It’s a bit dated-looking, and it’s not as Mac-like as most of the other clients we’ll look at. This is because it’s written to be cross-platform, so it doesn’t use some of the Mac OS features that make Mac apps look the way they do.

Note: There is also a paid version called FileZilla Pro that adds more supported protocols like cloud storage from Amazon S3, Google Drive and Microsoft Azure.

Fetch

The Fetch FTP client is designed for Mac OS X, so it looks more like what you expect a Mac app to look like. There is a trial version available that lets you test it out for free, but it is a paid app.

Fetch is designed to be simple and easy-to-use. It supports FTP and SFTP protocols but doesn’t support any cloud storage options at all. It will sync your shortcuts between Macs using Dropbox, but it doesn’t support file transfers to Dropbox.

Fetch has a unique feature called Droplet Shortcuts that can be a time-saver if you upload files to the same server on a regular basis. This feature creates a shortcut to a server in your Mac’s dock. When you drag and drop a file on the shortcut, it gets uploaded to the server automatically. There’s no need to enter your FTP password or open the Fetch app to transfer the file.

Fetch supports remote file editing and lets you synchronize folders, only transferring files that have changed since the last transfer. It also supports auto-resume for any transfers that failed for some reason, saving you from having to restart the transfer from scratch.

Fetch has a couple of disadvantages, the first being it’s a paid app. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but if you’re looking for the cheapest FTP client, Fetch won’t fit the bill. The second disadvantage, which is the more critical one, is that Fetch doesn’t get updated as often as most of the other paid apps. This means it often doesn’t support new features in the latest versions of macOS for quite some time after they’re released.

Forklift

Forklift is one of the more powerful FTP clients for the Mac. It’s billed as a dual-pane file manager and FTP client, meaning it has some extra features that you can use locally on your Mac. It’s the only Mac FTP client that serves these dual purposes.

You can use the dual-pane, drag and drop interface to manage files on your Mac or on a remote FTP server. The same interface works for both, making it easy to switch back and forth.

The Forklift FTP client supports SFTP as well as a number of cloud storage services including Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, and Google Drive. It also supports Dropbox, making it easy to copy links to any files stored in a Dropbox folder.

Forklift lets you mount remote servers, which means they will appear on your desktop and in your Finder windows the same as any local drives. You can drag files to and from the mounted server the same way you would on a local drive.

Forklift also supports remote file editing, directory syncing, remote file searching, and resuming failed transfers.

On top of these FTP features, it also includes a couple of useful tools for use locally on your Mac. It includes an “app deleter” that will remove any random files that an application installs if you delete the application from your Mac as we

Best Ftp Client For Macos