Best FTP and SFTP Clients in 2026
Updated
In short: CrossFTP is ranked #1 of 36 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of Cyberduck and FileZilla Client. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Cyberduck. The lowest first paid tier on this page is FileZilla Pro at €1.08/mo.
When you need to move files between systems, the right client depends on the protocols, platforms, and workflow you rely on. Compare protocol coverage and supported platforms with concurrent transfers, file synchronization, scheduled transfers, and transfer automation. Portable versions, free plans, and paid-from pricing can also help you weigh practical fit. CrossFTP, Cyberduck, and FileZilla Client are among the options to examine; WinSCP and lftp offer further points of comparison. Consider whether you need occasional transfers or repeatable tasks, and which of the listed capabilities matter for managing them.
36 FTP and SFTP clients ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
FTP and SFTP clients, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 12 of the 25 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 CrossFTPFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 CyberduckPaid from $10/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 3 FileZilla ClientFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 WinSCPFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 5 FTP CommanderFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 6 lftpFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 7 FTPShell Client
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 8 Core FTPPaid from $16.95/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 9 FTP RushFree plan
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 10 WS_FTP ProfessionalPaid from $58/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 11 TransmitPaid from $2.08/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 12 SmartFTP
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 13 FlashFXP
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 14 gFTP
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 15 FileZilla ProPaid from €1.08/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 16 sFTP Client
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 17 AndFTPFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 18 FTPieFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 19 CuteFTP
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 20 NcFTP
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 21 Faro
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 22 FetchPaid from $4/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 23 BackendsideFTPFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 24 Serv-U FTP ServerPaid from $4.58/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 25 TurboFTPPaid from $4.16/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Protocol coverage | Supported platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CrossFTP | 8.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-protocol | cross-platform |
| 2 | Cyberduck | 8.5 | Free plan | $10/mo | Yes | $10one-time | multi-protocol | cross-platform |
| 3 | FileZilla Client | 8.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | ftp-ftps-sftp | cross-platform |
| 4 | WinSCP | 8.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, WebDAV and S3 | Microsoft Windows |
| 5 | FTP Commander | 7.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | $49.95one-time | ftp-ftps-sftp | windows |
| 6 | lftp | 7.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-protocol | linux |
| 7 | FTPShell Client | 7.7 | No | — | Yes | $59.95one-time | ftp-ftps-sftp | windows |
| 8 | Core FTP | 7.6 | No | $16.95/mo | Yes | $24.95one-time | multi-protocol | windows |
| 9 | FTP Rush | 7.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-protocol | cross-platform |
| 10 | WS_FTP Professional | 7.3 | No | $58/mo | No | $58one-time | multi-protocol | windows |
| 11 | Transmit | 7.2 | No | $2.08/mo | No | — | multi-protocol | macos |
| 12 | SmartFTP | 7.2 | No | — | No | — | multi-protocol | windows |
| 13 | FlashFXP | 7.0 | No | — | No | — | multi-protocol | windows |
| 14 | gFTP | 6.9 | No | — | Yes | — | multi-protocol | linux |
| 15 | FileZilla Pro | 6.9 | No | €1.08/mo | No | — | multi-protocol | cross-platform |
| 16 | sFTP Client | 6.9 | No | — | Yes | — | multi-protocol | cross-platform |
| 17 | AndFTP | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-protocol | — |
| 18 | FTPie | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multi-protocol | windows |
| 19 | CuteFTP | 6.8 | No | — | No | — | multi-protocol | windows |
| 20 | NcFTP | 6.8 | No | — | Yes | — | ftp-only | cross-platform |
| 21 | Faro | 6.6 | No | — | — | — | multi-protocol | cross-platform |
| 22 | Fetch | 6.5 | No | $4/mo | No | $29one-time | ftp-ftps-sftp | macos |
| 23 | BackendsideFTP | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | ftp-ftps-sftp | windows |
| 24 | Serv-U FTP Server | 6.5 | No | $4.58/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 25 | TurboFTP | 6.4 | No | $4.16/mo | No | $49.95one-time | ftp-ftps-sftp | windows |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which FTP and SFTP client is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
CrossFTP is ranked #1 of 36 with a score of 8.6. Cyberduck is second and FileZilla Client third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, FileZilla Pro has the lowest first paid tier we found: €1.08/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.