Server administrators need to balance client capabilities, user interface, and security concerns when choosing the right free FTP software for their business.

It’s no secret that, despite the persistent popularity of file transfer protocol (FTP), the evolution of cybersecurity threats, safety standards, and cloud-based storage systems has changed the file transfer landscape. These elements have fundamentally altered what web developers and server administrators are looking for from FTP software, and clients who haven’t adapted to these needs generally fail to support users’ top priorities: security law compliance and ease of use.

Most internet users won’t need an FTP server to share files with other people, now that cloud-based services are so prevalent and accessible. However, many people still require FTP (or its more secure protocol alternatives, SFTP and FTPS) when carrying out web uploads and large file transfers.

It is a portable and powerful program with low memory and CPU usage. The server is designed for high performance and can handle thousands of simultaneous FTP connections. Xlight FTP Server has many useful features and has free edition for personal use. The program is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 10, 2003, 2008 and 2012. European Union-spondored 'bug bounty' program found some security issues which have promptly been fixed. Read the full news. 2019-07-09 - FileZilla Pro to add new features after recent customer survey. Read the full news. The user interface mentioned in the article will also be available for users of the free.

As FTP is still part of the daily lives of many IT folks and even casual web developers, I’ve rounded up and reviewed the best free FTP clients available. For those who don’t need as many administrative functionalities or security measures, a free FTP client is probably equipped to serve the occasional or moderately sized file transfer, and I’ve included a “best-of” list below. However, for many corporations who need more rigorous encryption, better directory and file visibility, and more intensive management capabilities, paying for an FTP server software is a smart investment (and probably saves money in the long run, considering how expensive compliance violation fines and data security breaches can be).

In terms of paid software, I’d suggest SolarWinds® Serv-U®Managed File Transfer for its scalability, range of supported protocols, and comprehensive security controls.

Best Free FTP Clients

1.FTP Voyager

SolarWinds FTP Voyager is an entirely free FTP client Windows users will love. It supports FTP, FTPS, and SFTP, meaning it meets the security needs of a wide range of organizations. Further, it enables users to connect to multiple servers simultaneously and conduct several transfers concurrently, an important feature for frequent uploaders that other free FTP programs are lacking.

Because SolarWinds designed FTP Voyager with Windows users in mind, the interface will be familiar to veterans of the operating system. Plus, the split screen gives clear visibility into the state of your directories by placing the local and remote servers side by side and automatically synchronizing folders, enabling direct comparison and drag-and-drop file transfer from the Windows desktop. Perhaps most crucially, it automates file transfer with its full-featured scheduler.

Lastly, if your business scales up and requires more extensive file transfer management, you may decide paid software is the best option for your organization. FTP Voyager integrates seamlessly with SolarWinds upgrades to Serv-U FTP Server and Serv-U Managed File Transfer Server.

2. Cyberduck

Cyberduck is another free FTP software respected by industry professionals. Luckily, it’s a free FTP client that can also benefit Mac users. The main advantage of Cyberduck is its widespread applicability: it serves Windows and Mac, and it acts as both server software and storage browser, meaning it supports FTP, SFTP, and WebDAV in addition to Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, Google Drive, and Dropbox.

Users also value its manual editing capabilities, which allow them to change any text or binary file on the server, and its security specs. Interoperable with its Cryptomator tool, Cyberduck is capable of end-to-end encryption, not only encrypting file and directory names but encrypting file content individually and obfuscating the directory tree.

The major downsides of Cyberduck are its lackluster interface (lacking split-screen server juxtaposition), slow transfer speeds, and donation prompt. Each time the program updates, a banner requesting a donation appears—which can be mildly irritating but isn’t a deal-breaker given the client’s utility. Still, if you’re looking for a program capable of transferring large folders, Cyberduck isn’t your best bet. That said, Cyberduck is a great option for occasional, highly secure file transfers.

3. FileZilla

As many people know, FileZilla is the legacy program on this list and has been the go-to free FTP client for years—which makes it well worthy of consideration. It’s open-source, works across operating systems, supports FTP, SFTP, and FTPS protocols, allows multi-threaded file transfer, includes the drag-and-drop feature, and has an easily navigable graphical UI. Other strengths include its directory comparison and directory bookmark features and its remote file search capability.

So, what’s the problem? FileZilla has been mired in controversy one too many times to be considered totally secure. Back in 2014, SourceForge, the software host from which FileZilla was downloaded, was criticized for bundling adware with its installer file, meaning users unintentionally installed additional software. More recently, FileZilla raised alarms for malware in 2018, leading some institutions to ban its use within their organizations as a safety risk.

FileZilla’s features are both useful and convenient, but users can find them in other programs with a strong history of data security, like SolarWinds FTP Voyager.

Best Premium FTP Clients

Serv-U FTP Server

Another tool from SolarWinds, Serv-U FTP Server enables file transfers from the web and mobile devices, has no trouble with large file transfers, and ensures data is never at rest in DMZ networks with a secure gateway. For both Windows and Linux, the Serv-U FTP Server client supports FTP and FTPS over IPv4 and IPv6 networks, making it a versatile, powerful program.

Beyond transfer specs, Serv-U FTP Server offers a host of compliance and management benefits. First, the Gateway add-on allows users to comply with PCI DSS and other industry regulations. Free download opm pathways recent graduates program programs. Second, its security goes beyond smudging file directories and encrypting the content—it empowers users to limit concurrent sessions, block IP addresses when sessions time out and define access rights for users and groups. Its other management controls include transfer quota settings and automated file movement and deletion after transfer, functions which keep the directory organized and protect performance.

While the Serv-U FTP Server client is a premium option, it’s fairly inexpensive per server compared to other software and offers a fully functional 14-day free trial.

Serv-U Managed File Transfer Server

For those whose needs exceed the capacity of free tools, Serv-U Managed File Transfer Server is the client I’d recommend above every other. Not only does it have all the features included in SolarWinds Serv-U FTP Server, but it builds upon them to provide even more centralized file transfer management, automation, and oversight capabilities.

This managed file transfer (MFT) server program executes transfers supported by FTP, FTPS, SFTP, and HTTP/S over IPv4 and IPv6 networks while assisting with compliance demonstration for PSI DSS, HIPAA, FISMA, SOX, and other regulatory frameworks. This means file transfer is both safe and simple. With ad-hoc peer-to-peer file sharing, users can send or request files large and small from their browsers or their phones.

Serv-U Managed File Transfer Servereasily integrates with existing infrastructure like Active Directory and LDAP servers, so users can sync accounts to simplify authentication and customize limits and permissions by user, group, domain, or server. Further, Serv-U Managed File Transfer provides unparalleled monitoring capabilities, allowing users to track file server startup, configuration, and domain activity logs in the management console. This helps administrators troubleshoot with real-time updates while also creating a thorough record to satisfy internal vetting and external auditing.

Finally, its security measures once again level up with automated processes—sending emails, deleting files, or writing log messages—that take place when triggered by defined events. Serv-U Managed File Transfer Server also offers a two-week free trial with complete functionality.

Modern FTP Clients for Secure File Transfer

Organizations have many options when it comes to FTP clients and the right tool for each will vary with its file transfer, security, and budgetary needs. When choosing the FTP program that suits your organization, keep in mind any trade-offs between command lines and file editing and user interface, as well as any security sacrifices you make for ease of use or cost.

Because of the safety concerns that have plagued some open-sourced tools, it’s important to ensure your organization has powerful data protection and can demonstrate compliance when audited. For organizations with needs beyond simple transfers, a paid software can marry the FTP, management, and monitoring capabilities that free alternatives simply can’t.

Serv-U FTP Server and Serv-U Managed File Transfer Server are two premium offerings with superlative graphics UIs, operability across protocols and operating systems, safe and easy file transfers, and access rights management. I found these two SolarWinds products to offer the best balance of intuitive interface and comprehensive FTP and security functionalities, so, if you’re not sure yet about paying for an FTP client, it’s worthwhile to download the free trial and test the software for fit.

Digest:

Given the importance of data security, it’s vital that IT administrators manage their Active Directory to have a thorough understanding—and control—of who has access to assets across enterprise networks. This is particularly useful when it comes to centralizing permissions and compliance reporting.

On the data storage note, it’s also good to know how to centralize and secure a database using management system software. This guide will walk you through database types, database management system (DBMS) functions, and a handful of DBMS tools.

zFTPServer has an amazing user interface since the management controls run in your web browser. Just install the server and log in with the admin password through the web link you’re given.

Every window you open through the management console can be dragged around on the screen and used simultaneously, much like if it were running on your desktop.

You can enable FTP, SFTP, TFTP, and/or HTTP access, as well as watch server activity live, set up automatic server updates, throttle connection speed, ban IP addresses, and generate random passwords for users.

Below are some more options and features you can use with zFTPServer:

• Timeout after so-many seconds
• Speed schedules that apply only to certain days of the week or times of the day
• Case sensitive username
• IP-based connection control
• Windows authentication integration
• WebDAV
• Users can be given admin privileges
• Disallow new connections but keep existing ones
• Per-user restrictions and options like account expiration, bandwidth control, concurrent login limit, protocol access, denied login, Windows login, storage limits, event and stat information, and more
• Specific settings for the log file

The free edition of zFTPServer is only free for private, non-commercial use. All of the same features enabled in paid versions are available in the free one except that only a maximum of three connections can be made to your server at once. More »

FileZilla Server is an open source and completely free server application for Windows. It can administer a local server as well as a remote FTP server.

You can choose which ports the program should listen on, how many users can be connected to your server at once, the number of CPU threads the server can utilize, and timeout settings for connections, transfers, and logins.

Some other features in FileZilla Server include:

• Passive mode FTP
• The ability to adjust the transfer and socket buffer size
• Logging to a custom LOG file
• Bandwidth control to limit bandwidth usage
• File transfer compression with per-IP address compression exclusions

Some security features include auto-banning an IP address if it fails to successfully login after so-many attempts, an option to enable FTP over TLS with the ability to disallow unencrypted FTP, and IP filtering so that you can prevent certain IP addresses or even IP address ranges from connecting to your FTP server.

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It’s also really easy to take your server offline or quickly lock the FTP server with one click, to ensure that no new connections to your server can be made until you unlock it.

You also have full access to the creation of users and groups with FileZilla Server, which means you can throttle bandwidth for some users and not others and provide select users with permissions like read/write, but others with only read access, etc.

The FileZilla Server FAQ page on their official website is the best place for answers and help if you need it. More »

Xlight is a free FTP server that’s a lot more modern looking than FileZilla’s and also includes tons of settings that you can modify to your liking.

After you create a virtual server, just double-click it to open its settings, where you can modify the server port and IP address, enable security features, control bandwidth usage for the whole server, define how many users can be on your server, and set an explicit maximum login count from the same IP address.

An interesting feature in Xlight is that you can set the maximum idle time for users so that they’ll get kicked out if they aren’t actually communicating with the server.

Here are some other unique features you can toy with that aren’t found with FileZilla Server and other servers:

• Server banner message
• Email notifications
• Execute a program after a user logs in
• Execute a program when a file is uploaded, downloaded, or deleted
• Auto-delete partially uploaded files
• Upload SFV check
• Send deleted files to the Recycle Bin
• Access control list for directories and files
• Anti-leech protection

The Xlight FTP Server can use SSL and can require clients to use a certificate. It also supports ODBC, Active Directory, and LDAP authentication.

Xlight is free for personal use only and works with Windows, both 32-bit and 64-bitversions.

You can download this FTP server as a portable program so that it doesn’t need to be installed, or you can install it to your computer like a regular application. More »

Complete FTP is another free Windows FTP server that supports both FTP and FTPS.

This program has a full graphical user interface and is really easy to use. The interface itself is pretty bare but all the settings are hidden away in the side menu and are simple to access.

One thing unique about this FTP server is that after changing one or more settings, they aren’t applied to the server until you click the APPLY CHANGES button.

Here are some things you can do with Complete FTP:

• Enable/disable FTP and/or FTPS
• Enable anonymous logins
• Choose how many anonymous users can log in at the same time
• Show hidden files and folders
• Allow backslash separators
• Adjust timeout settings for logging in, stalled transfers, passive FTP, and idle sessions
• Define how many login attempts can be performed before the user is kicked off
• Enter a custom welcome message
• A whole “Monitoring” section of the server lets you watch real-time logging, configure the log file, watch connections as they happen, and ban users

Step-by-step guides are built-in to the Complete FTP install, so you can click Step-by-step guides at the top of the program at any time to learn how to use the different features and options.

This program installs as a trial of the professional edition. See the instructions on the download page to learn how to activate the free edition of Complete FTP (all the features above are in the free version). More »

Core FTP Server is an FTP server for Windows that comes in two versions.

One is a very minimal server that’s simple to understand and easy to set up in about a minute. It’s 100% portable and just has you choose a username, password, port, and root path. There are a few other settings as well if you want to configure them.

The other version of Core FTP Server is the full-fledged server where you can define the domain name, have it auto-start as a service, add multiple user accounts with detailed access permissions and restrictions, designate access rules, etc.

On the download page, choose one of the upper links to get the full program; the portable, minimal FTP server is available toward the bottom of that page.

Both versions of this FTP server come as 32-bit and 64-bit versions for Windows. More »

War FTP Daemon was a really popular FTP server program for Windows after its 1996 release, but since then has been overtaken by newer and better applications like the ones above.

This FTP server still has an old look and feel to it but it’s definitely still usable as a free FTP server and lets you do things like add users with special permissions, run the server as a service, write events to a log, and adjust dozens of advanced server properties.

To get this server to run, you must first run the server file and then open the War FTP Daemon Manager to administer to it to add users, adjust server settings, etc.

Both the server and the manager are portable, so neither are actually installed to the computer. More »

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vsftpd is a Linux FTP server that claims security, performance, and stability are its core selling points. In fact, this program is the default FTP server used in Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS, and other similar OSs.

Best Ftp Software Free

vsftpd lets you create users, throttle bandwidth, and encrypt connections over SSL. It also supports per-user configurations, per-source IP limits, per-source IP address configurations, and IPv6.

Check out the vsftpd manual if you need help using this server. More »

proFTPD is a good option for Linux users if you’re looking for an FTP server with a GUI so that it’s easier to use than messing around with command line commands.

The only catch is that after installing proFTPD, you must also install the gadmin GUI tool and connect it to the server.

Here are some features you get with proFTPD: IPv6 support, module support, logging, hidden directories and files, can be used as a standalone server, and per-directory configurations.

proFTPD works with macOS, FreeBSD, Linux, Solaris, Cygwin, IRIX, OpenBSD, and other platforms. More »

This Windows FTP server is very lightweight, completely portable, and can get up and running in mere seconds. Just unzip the program from the download and click Start.

The only downfall with this program is that any settings adjustments you want to make have to be done through the RebexTinySftpServer.exe.config text file.

This CONFIG file is how you change the username and password, set the root directory, change the FTP port, auto-start a program when the server starts, and adjust security settings.

After extracting the contents of the ZIP file you download through the link above, use the “RebexTinySftpServer.exe” file to open the program. More »