FTP-Client Support

Timo Zurhove · FTP-Client for Mac · Requires macOS 26 or later

FTP-Client transfers files between your Mac and FTP, FTPS and SFTP servers: a folder on your Mac on the left, the server on the right, and a transfer list below.

Contact

Write to info@tz-develop.de.
Please include the app's version (FTP-Client › About FTP-Client), the protocol you use (SFTP, FTPS, Implicit FTPS or FTP) and the exact error message. Never send me your password.

Common questions

Which servers does FTP-Client work with?

With SFTP servers (SSH, usually port 22), FTPS servers with explicit TLS (port 21) or implicit TLS (port 990), and plain FTP servers (port 21). FTP and FTPS use passive mode; active mode isn't supported.

Connecting with FTPS fails

New servers start with FTPS, and FTP-Client never falls back to an unencrypted connection on its own. If your server doesn't offer TLS, the error says so. Ask your provider whether it offers FTPS or SFTP, and choose FTP only if it offers neither – your password and files then travel unencrypted.

FTP-Client can't verify the server's certificate

Servers with a self-signed certificate aren't trusted by macOS. FTP-Client shows the certificate with its SHA-256 fingerprint. Compare it with the fingerprint your provider gives you, and choose to trust it only if they match. FTP-Client then accepts exactly that certificate for that server and warns you if the server presents a different one later. “Forget Certificate” in the server's settings withdraws the trust.

SFTP asks me to trust a host key

SSH servers identify themselves with a host key. The first time you connect, FTP-Client shows its SHA-256 fingerprint (the form ssh-keygen -l prints); compare it with the one your provider gives you. If the key changes later, FTP-Client warns you, because that can mean an attack. “Forget Host Key” in the server's settings removes the trust.

Which SSH keys can I use?

Ed25519, ECDSA and RSA keys, in the OpenSSH format that ssh-keygen writes, as PEM files (also with a passphrase in the older OpenSSL format) or as unencrypted PKCS #8 files. Choose the private key, not the .pub file. DSA keys, security keys (FIDO) and RSA keys shorter than 1024 bits don't work. To convert a key to the OpenSSH format, run ssh-keygen -p -f with the key's path.

My server asks for a one-time code

FTP-Client shows the server's questions in a sheet, for example for a code from your authenticator app. The answers go only to that server and are never saved.

Where are downloads saved? How do I open another folder?

Downloads are saved in the folder shown on the left. It starts with your Downloads folder. To show another one, click the folder's name above the left pane and choose “Choose Folder…”. FTP-Client can only open the folders you choose this way, because macOS keeps Mac App Store apps to the files you allow.

Can I download whole folders?

Not yet: FTP-Client downloads files, and uploads files and whole folders.

Where are my passwords stored?

Only if you switch on “Save password in Keychain” for a saved server, in the macOS Keychain on your Mac. It isn't synced to iCloud. Otherwise you enter the password each time you connect.

How do I remove my data?

See “Deleting your data” in FTP-Client's section of the privacy policy.