When did the last time you use FileZilla? If it’s been a long time enough ago, you might haven’t known about this. Your favorite free FTP client is now bundled with a third-party app (Opera). Although Opera is a well-known enough web browser, some users consider it malware when bundled in the installer file of FileZilla. Or at least think about this. Do you really need it (Opera) installed on your computer?
Monetizing a free product by partnering with another company is definitely not a problem at all, but trying to force users to install an app they never use is not a good practice.
You can actually still find the FileZilla installer that is not bundled with Opera, but if what FileZilla did makes you upset, there are several alternatives you can use out there. The following are the free FTP client you can use to replace FileZilla.
1. WinSCP
WinSCP is another popular free FTP client other than FileZilla and it is not bundled with a third-party app. At least at the time of writing. WinSCP is actually an open source software, but the binary file is only available for Windows. You can download the source code of this app and compile it yourself if you want to install WinSCP on other platforms. While you can download WinSCP for free, the paid version is also available via Microsoft Store. The paid version allows you to automatically get the latest version of the app once available.
The interface of WinSCP is divided into two panels just like the vast majority of FTP clients. The left panel for local files and the right panel for remote files. If you want to download a file from your server, you can simply drag it from the right panel and drop it to the left panel, and vice versa. WinSCP allows you to save sessions so you don’t need to enter both the hostname and FTP username over and over every time you want to connect to the server. WinSCP supports SFTP and other file transfer protocols like SCP, WebDAV, and Amazon S3.
2. Classic FTP
Classic FTP is one of the products of NCH Software. You can use it for free but only for personal use. You are not allowed to use Classic FTP for commercial use unless you buy the paid version. The features offered by the free version of Classic FTP are not plenty enough like WinSCP’s. Classic FTP also already supports SSH (SFTP) for securer file transfer. It also comes with dual-panel interface with a drag-and-drop feature to allow you to transfer files between local computer to server effortlessly. Classic FTP can run all Windows versions, including Windows 10.
3. CoreFTP
CoreFTP doesn’t restrict you to use it. You can use this tool whether for personal use or commercial. Just like the two first tools above, CoreFTP also comes with a dual-panel interface, making it easy for you to upload files from the local computer to the server or vice versa, download files from the server to the local computer. The site manager feature is also available, allowing you to save sessions. CoreFTP also supports SSH for a securer file transfer. The pro version of CoreFTP is also available in case you need more advanced features. Some features offered by the pro version of CoreFTP are:
- ZIP compression/decompression
- Scheduling of transfers and templates
- Auto uploading of files
- Templates for common or repetitive tasks
4. FTP Rush
FTP Rush is a great FTP client if you have several servers you need to take care of. This FTP client comes with a tabbed interface, allowing you to connect to several servers at once in different tabs. This feature is especially great to handle monthly backup since you can perform the backups of several servers simultaneously. FTP Rush can also be used for any purpose, including commercial.
The operation of FTP Rush is a bit different to the three FTP clients above. First, it doesn’t support drag-and-drop functionality. To download/upload a file, you can right-click and select Transfer. Second, your local files lie on the right panel instead of left. The rest, there are no significant differences between FTP Rush and other FTP clients above. This FTP client also has a site manager feature and also supports SSL. Rush FTP can be installed on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. There is also Linux version if you have a Linux computer and want to install an FTP client on it.
5. CrossFTP
CrossFTP is an FTP client that is built in Java. You need to have JRE installed on your computer in order to able to use it (the JRE installer is available on the download page of CrossFTP). CrossFTP itself is a cross-platform FTP client. The Windows version can run on all Windows versions, including Windows 10. You can use CrossFTP for free with an option to upgrade to premium in case you need more features. CrossFTP also comes in a dual-panel interface like other FTP clients above. At the time of writing, CrossFTP doesn’t support drag-and-drop functionality. The operation of this FTP client app is pretty similar to FTP Rush whereby you can right-click the files/folders you want to transfer and select Transfer/Copy to download/upload.