FileZilla

FileZilla has been moving files between computers and servers since 2001, when Tim Kosse started it as a student project, and it keeps the job by staying focused. The free, open-source client speaks FTP, FTPS (FTP over TLS) and SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) from a single window: local files on the left, the remote server on the right, drag from one side to the other. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and version 3.71.1 (August 2026) is a 12.1MB download on Windows - smaller than most photo apps.

The Site Manager keeps every server you use in one place. Each entry remembers its protocol, logon type, default local and remote folders, and transfer speed limits, so reconnecting takes one double-click. Bookmarks mark deep folders on both sides of the connection, synchronized browsing keeps the local and remote trees in step as you navigate, and directory comparison highlights files that differ by size or modification date before you push an update. Tabbed browsing lets several servers stay open at the same time.

Transfers run through a queue you can pause, reorder and save for later, and interrupted uploads or downloads resume where they stopped instead of starting over - including files larger than 4GB. Filename filters hide the clutter, remote search finds a file buried somewhere on the server, and remote editing opens a file in your local editor, then offers to upload it again when you save. A network configuration wizard helps when firewalls or routers break passive-mode FTP, and there is support for SOCKS5 and FTP proxies, IPv6, keep-alive, and per-site speed limits. A live message log shows exactly what the server answered, which saves real time when a login fails for a cryptic reason.

Two honest caveats. The Windows installer from the official site is ad-supported and may show optional third-party offers during setup; every one can be declined, but you have to read the screens instead of clicking through. And cloud storage protocols - Amazon S3, Google Drive, OneDrive and friends - are reserved for FileZilla Pro, the paid sibling. The interface also looks like what it is: a hard-working tool from the two-pane era, not a design showcase.

For plain FTP, FTPS or SFTP work, though, FileZilla remains the reference client: free, actively maintained, translated into dozens of languages, and available from exactly one address worth trusting - filezilla-project.org. Download it there and nowhere else, because the name attracts ad-stuffed clones.