A FTP customer is a very useful multi-use software for owners of websites or servers.
The main interest of an FTP is to transfer files From a computer to a site or server (and vice versa). This can be used to modify a site or to manually make a backup of the latter.
Here is a selection of the 6 best free and accessible FTP customers on Windows, Mac or Linux.
The tools of this article were selected by our team and are not sponsored. Discover how Sponsor your tool.
Filezilla – The best FTP Windows and Mac customer
Fringeilla is undoubtedly the best known and most used FTP customer, its presence here is therefore not surprising.
Accessible and very customizable, it allows transfer quickly and secure Large quantities of files to a website or server.
Cyberduck – Windows and Mac
Cyberduck is one of the best alternatives to Filezilla.
This free software has all the expected features of this kind of tool: it notably supports a multitude of protocols (FTP, SFTP, Webdav, Amazon S3, etc.).
Note: although it is available both on Mac and Windows, CyberDuck has more advanced features on the Apple operating system.
Winscp – Windows
Winscp is an FTP customer available exclusively on Windows and one of the most popular among users of this system.
In addition to being cut for Microsoft's OS, Winscp has the advantage of offering an executable “portable” version from a USB key, for example. Very practical if you work on many different computers.
Coffeecup Free FTP – Windows
Free FTP is reliable and accessible software, while being quite customizable.
If it does not have extremely extensive features, it has everything you need to allow you to quickly make file transfers on a daily basis.
FTP Voyager – Windows
FTP Voyager is another free FTP customer, available only on Windows.
Simple and effective, it will satisfy users want a basic solution to transfer files. FTP Voyager supports FTP, FTPS and SFTP protocols.
GFTP – an excellent FTP customer for Linux
For Linux users, gftp is a simple and effective open source solution.
It supports FTP, FTPS, HTTP, HTTPS, SFTP and FSP.
Why administer your site from an FTP client?
Using an FTP customer to administer their site has several advantages that save time. Unlike online administration interfaces often limited by the CMS or bridled by the host, the FTP allows direct access to all server and site files.
This allows in particular:
- to quickly modify HTML, CSS, PHP or JavaScript files;
- to correct errors or bugs without having to go through a CMS;
- to restore a previous version of a file if an error occurs;
- Install or update plugins, themes or libraries manually.
The FTP customer is also very useful for developers or webmasters who wish to automate certain tasks, such as the online posting new versions of a sit, the synchronization of whole directories or the mass launch of images for example.
The risks of manipulating your site via FTP
Although effective and sometimes compulsory, the use of an FTP client has certain risks, especially if it is poorly controlled.
Here are the main dangers to know:
- Deletion or accidental modification of critical files, which can make a site unusable.
- Unsecured transfer: if you use the simple FTP protocol (without encryption), your identifiers and data can be intercepted. It is therefore strongly recommended to use SFTP or FTPS.
- Poorly configured permissions: Changing file access rights without understanding their role can expose your site to safety flaws.
- Lack of backup: Any error may be irreversible if you do not have a prior security copy.
It is therefore essential to train well, to work cautiously, and to always make a backup before any modification via FTP. You can also call on a Freelance web developer On Codeur.com if you need to intervene on your site via an FTP customer but you are not sure how to do it.