Secure FTP Client

A Secure FTP Client is a program that provides an interface which enables the user to transfer files to a remote computer via the Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). Most web administrators use it to transfer files for their websites. Other people simply prefer it as a method of transferring files knowing that it is fast and secure.

There is a Secure FTP Client for each major operating system. In fact, some of them are cross-platform enabled. A complete listing of both free and paid Secure FTP Clients cannot be accommodated in this single page. Hence, we shall only mention a few of them.

For Windows, you can use WinSCP2, SSH Secure File Transfer Client, and Core FTP Lite. For Macintosh users, there’s Nifty SSH/SCP, Filezilla Open Source FTP / SFTP Client, and Cyberduck. Finally, if you’re a Linux user, you can check out FTPCube, gFTP, and IglooFTP.

Most power users prefer a Secure FTP Client with a character user interface (cui) as they find it faster to issue commands that way. On the other hand, if you’re just a casual user, you can opt for one with a graphical user interface (gui) complete with drag-and-drop features. Among the features of a typical Secure FTP Client are: support for FTP, SFTP, IPV6, remote file editing, and resume capabilities.