Alternatives to WinSCP

A Windows file manager for remote servers, covering SFTP, FTP, FTPS, SCP, S3 and WebDAV, with scripting built in. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

  • WinSCP

    A Windows file manager for remote servers, covering SFTP, FTP, FTPS, SCP, S3 and WebDAV, with scripting built in.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as WinSCP.

  • FileZilla

    The long-standing free FTP, FTPS and SFTP client, with a matching server for Windows.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    FileZilla runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with FTP, FTPS and SFTP, but lacks SCP, and its cloud back ends require the paid Pro edition.

  • Cyberduck

    A server and cloud storage browser for Mac and Windows that speaks FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, SMB and every major object store.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSCommand line

    Cyberduck runs on Mac and Windows with broader cloud storage support such as OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox, plus a CLI, but lacks WinSCP's scripting library.

  • SmartFTP

    A Windows client for FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, SSH and cloud storage transfers.

    PaidProprietaryWindows

    SmartFTP is a paid, closed-source Windows client with FTP, SFTP, WebDAV and cloud storage support, plus a built-in SSH terminal and automated transfers.

  • Core FTP LE

    A free Windows FTP client with SFTP, FTPS, transfer resume and site-to-site transfers.

    FreeProprietaryWindows

    Core FTP LE is a free, closed-source Windows client with FTP, SFTP and FTPS, no ads, and site-to-site transfers, with advanced features in the paid Pro edition.

  • Xftp

    A Windows SFTP and FTP client from NetSarang for moving files between local and remote hosts.

    PaidProprietaryWindows

    Xftp is a paid Windows SFTP and FTP client from NetSarang with scheduled transfers, synchronized browsing across two servers and reusable authentication profiles.

  • termscp

    Move files between local and remote systems in a terminal interface.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    termscp is an MIT-licensed terminal interface for Windows, macOS and Linux that supports several transfer protocols and remote storage services.

  • muCommander

    An open-source, cross-platform dual-pane file manager with remote filesystem, cloud storage and archive support.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    muCommander is a free, open-source dual-pane file manager for Windows, macOS and Linux that browses FTP, SFTP, SMB, S3 and cloud storage.

  • Filestash

    Self-hosted web client that connects to S3, SFTP, NFS and more.

    FreemiumOpen sourceLinuxWebSelf-hosted

    Filestash is a self-hosted web client over S3, SFTP, NFS and more, reachable from any browser, with some back ends in the paid enterprise edition.

Also worth comparing

These listings name WinSCP as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Classic FTP

    A simple FTP client for Windows and Mac for uploading and maintaining website files.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOS

    WinSCP is free, open source and covers SFTP, SCP, S3 and WebDAV with scripting, but it runs only on Windows and has a dense interface.

  • CS Browser

    A Windows client for Amazon S3 and S3-compatible storage, formerly called S3 Browser.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindows

    WinSCP stays on Windows, is free and open source, and adds scripting and a .NET library, but its S3 support sits alongside SFTP and FTP rather than bucket permission tools.

  • LFTP

    A command-line file transfer program for FTP, HTTP, SFTP, FISH and BitTorrent, with mirroring and job control.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinuxCommand line

    WinSCP moves to a Windows graphical client with scripting from batch files and a .NET library, plus directory synchronisation.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.