FTPShell Client is a Windows file-transfer client that handles plain FTP, FTPS (explicit and implicit SSL/TLS) and SFTP over SSH in one tabbed window. Beyond moving files, it compares and synchronizes folders, searches servers, shows and merges line-level differences, edits files in place, and runs transfers and scripts on a schedule, with a console client for batch jobs. Every new installation starts as a 30-day Enterprise trial and then becomes the free Personal edition, so nothing stops working when the trial ends.
What FTPShell Client does
Connects to any server, secure or classic. Open an FTP, FTPS Explicit, FTPS Implicit or SFTP session in its own tab; the port is filled in, encryption is negotiated automatically, and passive mode with an automatic PORT/PASV switch gets through routers, NAT and firewalls. Paste an ftp:// link anywhere in Windows and a session opens on it.
Moves files reliably, hands-off. A transfer queue collects work from several folders and runs it as one batch: resume for interrupted files, duplicate rules by size or date, automatic retry and reconnect after network drops, keep-alive on idle sessions, and a transfer summary when the run finishes.
Keeps a website and a local copy in step. Compare and synchronize local and remote folders by size or date, see every difference with the amount it differs by, exclude patterns such as logs, and preview every planned transfer and delete before anything runs.
Finds and fixes files on the server. Recursive remote search with wildcards, a side-by-side difference viewer with merge buttons, and the FTPShell Editor that opens a server file and uploads it again when you press Save.
Lets the computer do the recurring work. Schedule uploads, downloads, zip-and-upload, download-and-unzip or whole queue runs, one-time or repeating; write multi-step jobs in FTPShell Script with retry, error handling, sync, backup, email and PGP; run both from batch files with the console client.
Keeps many servers straight. Favorites in nested folders remember each site's protocol, options, folders and sort order; several sessions run side by side with status icons; a colour-coded log and per-site log files show exactly what the server said.
Editions and licensing
The Personal edition is free for non-commercial use and keeps FTP, FTPS and SFTP sessions, the transfer queue, favorites, the editor and logging. Professional adds scheduled tasks, folder compare and sync, remote search, upload-to-all-sessions, manual transfers and server-to-server (FXP) transfers. Enterprise adds FTPShell Script and the console client. Licenses are perpetual and include about a year of updates. See the edition comparison, the free edition, or download the 30-day trial.
Runs on the Windows you have
One lightweight application covers Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 and 11 and Windows Server 2003 through 2025, 32- and 64-bit, installed from a standard MSI with settings shared by every user on the PC. Details for Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Also from FTPShell: a simple FTP server
FTPShell Server is a Windows service for FTP, FTPS and SFTP with SSH2 shell and Telnet access. It authenticates against local accounts, Active Directory or NTLM, runs as a service that starts with Windows, and has a free Personal edition for non-commercial use with up to two simultaneous connections.
Questions people ask
Is FTPShell Client free?
The Personal edition is free for non-commercial use and never expires. Every download starts with 30 days of the full Enterprise feature set, then continues as the Personal edition. Business use needs a Professional or Enterprise license.
Does FTPShell Client support SFTP and FTPS?
Yes, in every edition. SFTP runs over SSH-2 with current key exchange, host-key and cipher algorithms; FTPS runs explicit (AUTH TLS) or implicit on port 990 with the data channel encrypted too. Password, keyboard-interactive and, in scripts, public-key and client-certificate logins are supported.
Can FTPShell Client schedule or script transfers?
Professional and Enterprise schedule any transfer or queue run as a one-time or repeating task; a logon helper starts FTPShell minimized when a task is due. Enterprise adds FTPShell Script for conditional, multi-step jobs and the ftpshellc console client with exit codes for batch files.
Which versions of Windows does it run on?
Windows Vista through Windows 11 and Windows Server 2003 through 2025, on 32- and 64-bit systems, with modest requirements: a Pentium-class CPU, 16 MB of RAM and about 5 MB of disk.