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FTP & File Transfer Applications

AbleFtp

Company Page Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Commercial; $69.95

Current Version: 8.03 (April 30, 2008)

Written in Java, AbleFtp is an unusual, cross-platform FTP client, providing a unique feature set that places an emphasis on automating common FTP tasks. Distinguishing features include:

  • Helps create advanced FTP tasks that can be scheduled to automatically or to run manually.
  • Automate FTP to/from an intranet or Internet server. Schedule FTP of files between your PC and the server; and automatically rename the files based on current month, day or time if needed. FTP supports wildcards (*). Transfer multiple files at once. Supports subdirectory transfers.
  • Remote FTP directory monitor can detect directory change and trigger FTP, zip, copy, delete tasks. It can also detect file size, total files, file modification dates and then trigger other tasks, if required.
  • FTP Command task can run RFC FTP commands in sequence.
  • Scheduler software is very easy to use, yet has very powerful scheduling, tasking and automation capabilities.
  • Email Notification of task failure, based on task exit code.
  • Local directory monitor works similar to the Remote FTP directory monitor.
  • Zip and copy files and directories using wildcards on a schedule.
  • Delete files on schedule, based on wildcards.
  • Multiple Connections: unlimited simultaneous threads and unlimited FTP browsers can be opened.

Version 8.03 adds/changes the following:

  • FTP-j task - Maintain timestamp did not work for GET option.
  • Data conversion error from 6.x - extra schedules are lost if one task had multiple schedules.
  • SubDirectory Loop task added to Task Type tree.
  • Task and Schedule information windows provide more details and can be saved to file.

User Reviews

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Captain FTP

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Shareware; $25

Current Version: 5.2217-080331 (April 1, 2008)

Captain FTP is a new FTP client specifically designed for Mac OS X, designed to be similar in operation to the OS X Finder. Captain FTP includes segment downloading and a copy manager, among many other features.

While no information is available regarding what's new in version 5.2217 (presumably, it's a bugfix release), version 5.2 added/changed the following:

  • Compare Files.
  • Edit files with Leopard Functionality.
  • Text File handling for SFTP servers.
  • Any editor can now be used to edit text files remotely. This improves on previously only supporting ODB text editors.
  • Import shortcuts from Fetch v.5.x.
  • Alternating colours for browser rows (switchable).
  • Leopard fix: Adding Favorites.
  • Leopard fix: Quick Connect Crash.
  • Leopard fix: Closing the application sometimes caused a crash.
  • Leopard fix: Right-click on a file didn't add it to the Burn Manager.
  • Leopard fix: Slight Interface changes.

User Reviews

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Cyberduck

Home Page Release Notes License:
Open source; $0

Current Version: 2.8.5 (April 7, 2008)

Cyberduck is a free, open source SFTP (SSH Secure File Transfer) and FTP browser licensed under the GPL. It has been built from the ground up with usability in mind, having the same consistent graphical user interface for both SFTP and FTP browsing. Multiple connections are supported. Drag and drop is supported consequently for transferring files between server and client. A transfer queue keeps track of the pending file transfers. A simple bookmark manager ensures manageability. Core system technologies such as the Keychain and Rendezvous are supported. Cyberduck has been translated into numerous languages including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch.

Version 2.8.5 adds/changes the following:

  • [Feature] Added ForgEdit to the list of supported editors
  • [Bugfix] Downloads no longer keep modified date
  • [Bugfix] Leap year bug wen parsing date without year

User Reviews

[2.4b4] "Cyberduck is a full featured open source FTP & SFTP client that's easily the best free FTP program available. It has everything the casual FTP user or those on a a budget need, including the ability to easily edit server files with Tex-Edit Plus, BBEdit and other common text editors. It's under active development, is very stable and has an attractive, highly functional interface. It just keeps getting better with every update."
—Jamie Kahn Genet, 3/10/2005

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Download the Mac OS X (Cocoa / Universal) version for Mac OS X 10.3.9 and later.

Beta:
Version 3.0b3 (Cocoa / Universal, May 5, 2008) is now available, adding/changing the following:

  • [Feature] Activity Window (b3)
  • [Localize] Latvian Localization (b2)
  • [Feature] Quick Look files in browser (b2)
  • [Bugfix] APPE command broken (FTP) (b2)
  • [Feature] Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) support
  • [Feature] WebDAV protocol support
  • [Feature] Search bookmarks
  • [Feature] Bookmark editor inside browser window instead of drawer
  • [Feature] Read trust settings for certificates from Keychain
  • [Feature] Different editors for different file types
  • [Feature] PRET (PRE Transfer) command support for distributed FTP
  • [Feature] Skip option not available in transfer prompt

Envoy

Home Page License:
Shareware; $18

Current Version: 1.0

Envoy is a download manager from Navdeep Bains, author of POPThing, ViaHTTP, and MacDICT. It features the following:

  • Supports HTTP, FTP, and Gnutella.
  • Automatically retries transfers on failure, and will reconnect to the Internet if necessary.
  • Puts peer-to-peer where it belongs; in a full-featured download manager.
  • Envoy can automatically disconnect from the Internet, put the computer to sleep, or shut down the computer after the queue is complete.
  • The queue can be started/stopped at specified times.
  • Multiple download folders for superior organization.
  • Media files, such as songs or movies, can be played while downloading.
  • Includes a Download Log, to keep track of partial transfers and completed downloads.
  • Easy-to-use interface.

Envoy is shareware, and will expire after 30 trial uses.

User Reviews

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Fetch

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Shareware; $25

Current Version: 4.0.3 (December 10, 2002) / 5.0.5 (January 3, 2006) / 5.3 (November 14, 2007)

Fetch, like Interarchy, is a powerful FTP tool with a great interface. Fetch was one of the first Mac FTP clients available, and it remains a favorite of many web site authors due to is simplicity. Version 4 added a number of new features, including mirroring, remote editing, and server-to-server transfers, along with a clearer, updated user interface (check out the new circular progress bar . . . WOW!). Version 5.0 - for Mac OS X 10.2.4 and later - was probably the single most significant update to Fetch since its introduction, offering an overhauled interface and stupendously increased functionality.

Version 5.3 - the latest release for Mac OS X 10.3.9 and higher - makes the following additional enhancements and fixes:

  • Updated appearance for Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
  • Support for Leopard technologies including code signing and the application firewall
  • Copy-Paste uploads
  • A preference for disabling all file decoding

Since the latest "Universal Binary" versions of Fetch require Mac OS X 10.3.9 and later, version 5.0.5 remains available for users of Mac OS X 10.2.4 and higher.

Fetch 5 is shareware, $25 (available for immediate online purchase), and multi-user discounts are available.

Fetch 4.0.3 (which is the last version to run on "Classic" Mac OS) is also shareware, $25 (available for immediate online purchase), and multi-user discounts are available. Fetch 4.0.3 is a free upgrade for customers who have licensed 3.0.3, 4.0 or later from Fetch Softworks; the serial numbers for those releases will also work in 4.0.x.

User Reviews

[3.0.3] "After much frustration with my ISP's advice on maintaining my Home Page files, along came Fetch! For a non-techie, this is the best and easiest way to update my Web files I have come across. It's quick, doesn't take up a lot of disk space and the price is right. I agree - an essential!"
—Peter P. Huang, M.D.

[3.0.3] "I recently began uploading files to a remote web server and Fetch was easy to figure out within 5 minutes without reading anything. A user friendly product to get up and running without having to figure out all the features right away."
—Jim Conrey, Kentucky Country Day School

[3.0.3] "I live in a house where we have one phone line, and I always have someone pick up the phone while I am downloading. With Fetch's feature of being able to resume transfers after getting disconnected, I try to use Fetch for any big downloads so I don't have to start over."
—Derik DeLong

[3.0.3] "What can I say? First used it years ago as an idiot newbie to pull mail attachments off a UNIX mail server, have run various fairly complicated websites with it since (altho' I'm still an idiot!). One of those apps that has remained perfect while the entire fabric of the Internet reinvents itself every six months!"
—Michael Jardine

[4.0.3] "Absolutely reliable, stable, easy to use, very mature FTP client with some unique features (for Mac FTP clients anyway) like Kerberos support. If you want Kerberos, Fetch is the only way to go, and that's not such a bad thing. For despite its lack of SFTP support and rather old fashioned interface it's a top notch workhorse FTP client. In fact, I probably shouldn't put down the interface, as that's part of what makes it such an easy program to get the hang of. Nothing wrong with an old interface if it's still highly functional. I've used far prettier programs unable to do half as good a job as Fetch. Plus you get a cool running dog cursor - can't beat that! :-) Fetch also has a great help file that covers all the basics as well as an active user help forum where the program's authors will answer any technical support queries they're able to. Likewise free email support. Not only that, Fetch has a toll free tech support phone line (with a minimal one-off charge for solving your problem). I can't think of any other FTP client, or shareware in general with such well rounded, professional support."
—Jamie Kahn Genet, 3/10/2005

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FileZilla

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Open source; $0

Current Version: 3.0.9.3 (May 7, 2008)

FileZilla, a long-time favorite open source FTP client for Windows and Linux, is finally available for the Macintosh, making it the first true cross-platform (non-Java) FTP client that is available for Windows, Linux, and Macintosh.

Although FileZilla's user interface still has its roots in the Windows world, those who are fond of the software and who are seeking a consistent, familiar experience across platforms will certainly enjoy FileZilla for the Mac.

FileZilla's main features include:

  • Ability to resume Uploads/Downloads (if the server supports it)
  • Custom Commands
  • Site Manager with folders
  • Keep Alive system
  • Timeout detection
  • Firewall support
  • SOCKS4/5 and HTTP1.1 Proxy support
  • SSL secured connections
  • SFTP support
  • Upload/Download Queue
  • Drag & Drop
  • Multi-language support
  • GSS authentication and encryption using Kerberos

Version 3.0.9.3 makes the following changes:

  • Fix rare race condition in IO thread leading to data loss. Was possible to lose up to 3*65536 bytes at the beginning of a download.
  • *NIX: Renaming local files did not change local filelist
  • OS X: Deleting non-empty local directories did not work in all cases
  • MSW: Program could become unresponsive if update available dialog appears while a menu was opened
  • MSW: Update wizard should use correct download location on Vista to save installation files
  • Fix possible duplication of queue items on shutdown
  • Cap input length of speedlimit edit controls
  • Fix crash if getting disconnected while remote directory creating dialog was open
  • Quickconnect bar did not handle URLs with trailing paths
  • Update menu and toolbar state after clearing private data
  • *NIX: Filetype column was empty on some filetypes

One thing I have noticed in my brief period of testing, however, is that FileZilla doesn't appear to use Mac OS X's built-in ssh configuration to manage SFTP connections. Let's hope that this is something that changes in the near future. Other than that, FileZilla is a well-built, if not awkward, FTP client that is more than worthy of consideration.

User Reviews

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Flow

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Shareware; $29

Current Version: 1.0.1 (April 25, 2008)

Flow is a new FTP client built exclusively for Mac OS X Leopard. Flow streamlines both transferring and editing files by leveraging your high-speed connection. Key features include:

  • QuickLook - Just like the Finder, Flow can QuickLook pretty much any file - images, movies, music, PDFs, text documents and even web-pages.
  • Dropmarks - Drag a bookmark to your desktop to create an Instant Droplet. Drop a file on its icon and watch as your file is quickly uploaded in Finder-like copy-window.
  • Solid Connections - Support for FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, .Mac, and Local Connections, concurrently to allow multiple transfers and editing sessions to take place at the same time.
  • Editing - Edit in the sleek internal editor (with tabs, syntax coloring, live previewing, and code sense), or with another editor of your choice.
  • URL Copying - URLs to your remote files can be copied instantly, even automatically after uploading. We promise that once you use this, you'll never be able to live without it again.

Version 1.0.1 adds/changes the following:

  • Droplets can now automatically copy URLS. This will only occur if (a) you re-create any previous droplets that originated before this release and (b) the "Automatically Copy URL To Clipboard After Uploading" option is enabled for the bookmark the droplet is created from
  • Fixed a myriad of directory listing issues for FTP and SFTP users.
  • Fixed issues with Editor inappropriately saving "blanks".
  • Editor no longer attempts to *ever* render PHP locally.
  • Fixed issues with Base URLs, and editing locally.
  • Fixed issues with remotely previewing with base URLs determined from bookmarks.
  • Fixed behavior of attempted connections to hosts which refuse.
  • Restored remote-listing and bookmark filtering functionality.
  • You can now enter a .Mac e-mail address in the username field.
  • Fixed issue the path control had with directories which had spaces in their names.
  • You can now QuickLook PSD (Photoshop Document) files from Flow.
  • Connect, Disconnect, New Folder, New File, Edit, Move, and Delete toolbar icons replaced with Olivier Charavel's replacement set, with permission. Thanks Olivier!
  • Fixed issues with sidebar hiding.
  • "View" menu's items now use Safari-style labelling. No more checkmarks, we change the title. ("Hide Sidebar", "Show Sidebar").
  • "Toggle Transcript" toolbar item has an icon again.
  • Action toolbar item is reasonably sized.
  • Refined behavior of "Back" menu item.
  • Fixed an issue where editing (both internally and externally) could potentially upload an empty copy of your file.
  • You can now click-to-rename bookmarks and bookmark folders.
  • Open Bookmark In New Tab/Window now appropriately disabled when bookmark folders are selected.
  • Fixed issues with cached directory listings. No more jumping!
  • Fixed issue with WebDAV/.Mac uploading
  • Fixed issues with disconnecting while transferring files.
  • Fixed issue with WebDAV/.Mac and directories with multi-word names.
  • All "Action" (gear) buttons now behave as other action buttons do in Mac OS X.

Flow is distributed as a 15-day fully featured trial, and is available for purchase for $29.

User Reviews

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ForkLift

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Shareware; $29.95

Current Version: 1.2 (October 23, 2007) / 1.5.2 (April 25, 2008)

ForkLift is an FTP and SFTP client for the Mac that features a tabbed dual-pane view that provides live previews, spring loaded folders and any-to-any workflows. Features include:

  • Dual-pane view
  • Any-to-any - Copying between local hard drives, iPod, FTP, archives even your mobile phone
  • Tabs
  • Live preview & thumbnails
  • Edit - Edit your files with your favorite applications even on an FTP server
  • Application Deleter - Completely remove applications with a mouse click
  • Spring-loaded folders
  • Filters
  • Spotlight integration
  • Favorites
  • Smart folders
  • FTP, SFTP, FTP/TLS
  • Amazon S3 support
  • Bluetooth
  • Archives - Zip, GZip, Tar, Rar - as if they were folders
  • Leopard ready
  • Growl support

Version 1.2 - the latest version for Mac OS X 10.4 - adds/changes the following:

  • WebDAV - ForkLift now connects to WebDAV servers and iDisk. Copy, move, rename, preview, remote view, remote edit. Connect to WebDAV servier or iDisk from the Go menu.
  • Select Panel - Select items using a filter string or select files with matching/different filenames in the two panels. The select checks only the filename and extension, not the size nor the date of the file. Access the panel from the Edit/Select... menu.
  • SFTP text encoding - setting different encoding now works
  • Leopard fixes - ForkLift 1.2 is ready to run on Leopard
  • A couple of small bug fixes

Version 1.5.2 - the latest version for Mac OS X 10.5 - adds/changes the following:

  • Local path setting for remote connections - This new option will bind a specific local folder to a remote connection. This means that Favorites can now load a remote target folder, and a local source folder in the two panes in just one click. You can enter the path to the local folder on the Options tab of the Connect... panel.
  • URL copy - This feature has been requested by many users, and now, here it is. The feature allows you to copy the full URL pointing to a file stored on a remote server to the clipboard. This will allow to easily share the files stored on your FTP server or S3 account with your friends. Settings are located on the Options tab of the Connect... panel, the feature is accessed from the right click context menu in the file list.
  • QuickLook - Will now work on all remote connections including Amazon S3, iDisk, FTP, SFTP, even on your Bluetooth mobile phone.
  • Autoparsing URL - You can now paste URLs into the server field of the Connect... panel, and the corresponding fields will be auto-filled.
  • Fixed some issues with SMB and other shared resource connections.
  • Fixed the problem where the file list failed to refresh after deleting from shared resources and FAT volumes.
  • Keyboard navigation should work more reliable in the activity window.
  • Minor fixes and updates on the WebDAV module.

User Reviews

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Fugu

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Open source; $0

Current Version: 1.2.0 (May 3, 2005) / 1.2.0 "Universal" (January 10, 2006)

Fugu is a graphical front end to the command line Secure File Transfer application (SFTP) built into Mac OS X. SFTP is similar to FTP, but unlike FTP, the entire session is encrypted, meaning no passwords are sent in cleartext form, and is thus much less vulnerable to third-party interception. Fugu allows you to take advantage of SFTP's security without having to sacrifice the ease of use found in a GUI. Features include:

  • Drag and drop upload and download of files.
  • Directory upload (not natively supported in SFTP).
  • Permissions, owner and group modification.
  • Directory histories.
  • Support for international characters, including Chinese and Japanese glyphs.
  • A Console, which may be used like a command line SFTP session.
  • Support for Public Key Authentication.
  • Support for connections to alternate ports.
  • Full Aqua interface.
  • SCP support.
  • Ability to create SSH Tunnels.
  • Keychain support.

Version 1.2.0 adds/changes the following from version 1.1.3, the previous release:

  • New: promised file drags (drag and drop from remote pane to Finder)
  • Update: additional FAQ entries
  • Fix: valid paths for alternative OpenSSH installations

See the changelog for more details.

User Reviews

"Very good product, terrific for tunneling but, most importantly, for using SFTP to securely connect to our university's distributed file system, where all students have file space (it's installed on all Mac OS X machines in all the public labs). No more passwords in the clear! Great interface, very Apple-like."
—Noah Abrahamson

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Goliath

Home Page

Current Version: 1.0.1 (April 8, 2004)

Please note: This is a specialized file transfer program, and not a true FTP client. But since it is used for uploading files to web sites (as FTP is so often used for) - and as of mid 2001 it is being widely discussed and scrutinized as a strong candidate for replacing FTP in the updating of web sites - I feel it deserves a listing here. Goliath is a client application for creating and editing collections of files that reside on a remote server via the open WebDAV protocol (frequently called Web Folders) that makes it possible to make changes to files stored on web servers that support WebDAV. It was the first application to implement WebDAV on the Macintosh. Goliath exposes functionality similar to that found in the Windows version of Internet Explorer 5 plus many other features that are unique to the Mac. With Goliath, users can:

  • View the contents of a web site in a Finder-like fashion (including size, modification date and type)
  • Upload new files to a website
  • Create new folders in web sites
  • Delete files and folders on a web site
  • Rename files on a web server
  • Download copies of files on a web server using Drag & Drop (including delete by dragging to the Trash)
  • Bookmark DAV resources for easy navigation
  • Lock and make changes to existing files on a web server (using the applications of their choice)
  • Display and editing of properties
  • Duplicate items stored on web servers
  • Native MacOSX support via Carbon.

Version 1.0.1 adds/changes the following:

  • Files with a / in their name are now handled properly.
  • Fixed a crash while trying to view the contents of folders that the current user does not have permissions to access.

Goliath requires a PowerPC based Macintosh running Mac OS 8.1 or higher. More information about the WebDAV protocol, including clients and servers, may be found at the WebDAV web site at http://www.webdav.org/.

User Reviews

"The amazing service done is to give a non-US resident (I'm in Europe) real access to their iDisk / Mac.com accounts. This app is ten times faster than the Finder access developed by Apple. The interface is OK - it could be better - the Aqua look and feel is not respected. Using this app on a WebDAV server is fine . . . it never crashed or [had] bugs for the past three months. This is a great example of the open source dynamics."
—Patrick Ladislav

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GSFTP

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Shareware; $18

Current Version: 1.3 (November 22, 2004)

GSFTP (formerly iFTP & Gideon) is a Java-based graphical FTP and SFTP client featuring remote & local file filtering, an easy-to-use bookmarking system, remote file editing and viewing, queue scheduling, and a modular architecture. Features include:

  • Supports secure and standard FTP
  • Multiple connections per browser
  • Fully multithreaded
  • Directory listings are cached for quick access
  • Easy to use Bookmark manager
  • Powerful bookmarking; bookmarks can contain both a local and remote home path

Version 1.3 adds/changes the following:

  • Added support for Windows
  • If user cancels reg enter we no longer close the main nag.
  • Default local home folder is now the Desktop on win/mac
  • Set Permissions panel now hides when user clicks apply
  • Removed elipse from Disconnect menu item
  • Added rename to the popup menu
  • Added Preference Panel
  • Spaced registration panel buttons better - no more overlapping
  • Bookmark manager now disables all the data entry fields when no bookmarks exist
  • Bookmark code has been changed. Bookmark file format is now an xml document.
  • Changed data folder to GSFTP ( no longer Gideon )
  • About panel is now clean
  • Browser drop down now shows the correct image for hard drives
  • No longer have to select the remote file view to click Disconnect.
  • Rename is no longer Cmd-W
  • We no longer draw open folder in drop down
  • Fixed bug copy url to clipboard would return null for A:\ and D:\
  • Localized the login, registration, error, Get Info, Set Permissions panels
  • Transfer menu now works
  • Tidied up special, help menu
  • Owner group date fields are now set to -- if no data
  • get info name panel icon is now raised a smig
  • apply to enclosed is now to the right a little more
  • removed default strings from get info panel - general area
  • Recoded the Get Info panel population code to be more tolerant of null items
  • Added icons for hd, floppy and rem media
  • Added support for My Computer item under Windows
  • updated to edtftpj v1.4.5
  • FIXED: show bm window ; hide ; show again - exception
  • FIXED: create new bm ; enter data ; create even newer bm ; original lost.
  • FIXED: Create a new bm - start editing ; close window - bm data not saved.
  • FIXED: Cancelling a rename resulted in an Exception
  • FIXED: Cancelling a reg enter resulted in an Exception

User Reviews

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Hefty FTP

Home Page Screen Shots License:
Shareware; $20

Current Version: 1.5

Hefty FTP is a new (4/2000) FTP client from the makers of the very popular Monica batch file downloading tool, available below. Hefty FTP has lots of features, including the following:

  • Automatically retries connections
  • Automatically retries downloads and uploads
  • Automatically resumes transfers if possible
  • Can be transferring queued files to/from FOUR FTP servers simultaneously while browsing a fifth
  • Can download files off the Web using HTTP, with full reconnection/resumption capabilities
  • Gives you extensive control over your FTP sessions and transfers

Version 1.5 addresses the following:

  • Major improvements to program appearance and documentation
  • Greatly improved stability
  • Numerous improvements to client-server interaction
  • Option to disable sending of NOOPs
  • Adjustable display font
  • Several bug fixes
  • Price reduction

The whole package looks truly promising.

User Reviews

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Download

Beta:
Version 1.6 public beta 1 for OS X (Carbon) is now available, free for existing registered users. Version 1.7 public beta 3 for Mac OS X 10.3 Panther is also available.


iGetter

Home Page Release Notes License:
Shareware; $25

Current Version: 2.6.1 (May 14, 2007)

In the tradition of download utilities such as Monica, SpeedDownload, and Download Deputy comes iGetter, the newest downloader on the block. According to Ivo Ivanov, Technical Manager for Presenta Ltd., the makers of iGetter, "our purpose is to create download manager for Mac OS comparable with the best download utilities made for all platforms." Indeed, iGetter ones-up all these utilities by integrating its features into your web browser either through contextual menus (IE and iCab) or by intercepting hyperlinks (Netscape). Of course, iGetter has all the usual features of download managers, such as online/offline scheduling, prioritization, resumable downloads, and support for proxies, firewalls and AppleScript. iGetter requires Mac OS X 10.2 or higher.

Version 2.6.1 adds/changes the following:

  • Added a "Don't ask me again" option at downloads mirror sheet.
  • Fixed a bug that in some cases caused a crash in iGetter when a browser sends an URL to it.
  • Fixed a bug that in some rare cases caused a crash when quitting iGetter from the Dock menu.
  • Some other fixes and improvements.

User Reviews

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Interarchy

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Shareware; $59

Current Version: 6.3 (February 10, 2004) / 7.3.3 (April 14, 2005) / 8.5.4 (October 29, 2007) / 9.0.1 (April 15, 2008)

Note: As of February 1, 2007 - in what amounted to an employee buyout - Interarchy's lead developer, Matthew Drayton, formed a new company, Nolobe Pty Ltd, and acquired Interarchy. Matthew has been working on Interarchy for six years and has led the development of Interarchy for the last several years. See the press release for more information.

Interarchy, formerly known as Anarchie, is, perhaps, the most popular Mac FTP client - but today it is much more than an FTP tool. One of the most compelling pieces of Mac OS Internet software ever produced, the version 9 series includes the following major new features:

  • Interarchy now supports a new SSH-based transfer protocol. It should work with any server that supports SSH and has perl v4 or later installed. (Basically, any server that has SSH installed.) SSH has a number of advantages over SFTP. For one it is a lot faster when transferring listings. This means mirrors should take a lot less time to complete. Our internal testing has shown dramatic speed improvements for moderately sized websites; seconds versus minutes.
  • Interarchy's view model has been re-written to support drag-reordering of tabs. Along with being able to reorder tabs in the owning window, you can also drag tabs to a new window.
  • Added "Move Tab to New Window" and "Merge All Windows" commands to the Window menu to help work you work with tabs. Most windows - bookmarks, listings, history, etc - can now be placed in a tab.
  • Interarchy now has much improved resolution independence support. If Apple ever get their act together and finish Mac OS X's resolution independence support Interarchy should be ready.
  • Interarchy adds a Side Bar to listing windows. It behaves much like the Finder's Side Bar.
  • Interarchy's listing windows now have a Path Bar which displays the path of the selected file. It behaves much like the Finder's Path Bar but with some improvements.
  • Interarchy now supports workspaces. See the Window | Workspaces submenu. Workspaces allow you to more easily focus on a task.
  • Cleaned up the behavior of the old "Connect to Server..." window.
  • The Transfers window has been redesigned. It is now a lot smaller and less obnoxious when trying to come to the front.
  • The Interarchy Contextual menu has been much improved.
  • Added support for copy-and-pasting files/folders.
  • Added support for PathFinder. See the File Manager pop-up menu in the Preferences window.
  • You can now control what happens when you press the Return or Enter key in a listing window. Instead of renaming the selected object you can opt to open it instead.
  • You can now specify what should happen when a file exists.
  • By default Interarchy will now download files to the Downloads folder. You can change this in the Transfers pane of the Preferences window.
  • Interarchy will now reopen your last session at startup restoring any open connections. You can turn this off via the "Reopen Last Session At Startup" checkbox in the General preference pane.
  • You can now access your entire history via the History menu.
  • Added a preference to control when history entries are removed. See the General preference pane of the Preferences window.
  • You can now set the default FTP application in the Preferences window.
  • Moved the Upload Permissions settings to the Preferences window. See the Permissions preference pane.
  • Moved much of the Listing menu to the File menu to be more in keeping with other modern applications.
  • Along with being able to copy an items URL, you can now copy an items Public URL. See Edit | Copy URL and Edit | Copy Public URL.
  • Interarchy requires a mapping from the private URL and the public URL. The first time you select "Copy Public URL" you will be asked for this mapping.
  • To edit an existing mapping hold down the Option key while selecting "Copy Public URL".
  • You can now copy the path of an item. Hold down the Option key while selecting Copy.
  • Added a "Preview in Safari" command. This uses the same private/public mapping mechanism as Copy Public URL.
  • Edit With is no longer limited to applications that support the ODBE suite. You should be able to use any application.
  • Interarchy no longer uses it own internal file mapping database. Instead it uses the system Launch Services database. If you use the Finder to change a file mapping it should be reflected in Interarchy.
  • Added an Edit With submenu that allows you to edit a file with any application on your Mac that claims to support it. Much like the Finder's "Open With" submenu.
  • You can now creating new remote files from local templates. Particularly useful is the "New From Template | Text | From Clipboard...".
  • Interarchy now performs application updates by way of Sparkle.

Version 9.0.1 makes the following additional changes:

  • Added the ability to set a definitive editor for all file types. See the "Editor" popup menu in the Helpers Preference Pane.
  • You can now change an editor for a file type from inside Interarchy. No more having to switch to the Finder. See the Get Info window and the Always Edit With menu (hold down the Option key).
  • You can now set the editor for a file type such that it only applies to Interarchy. This is quite useful if you want .html files to open in Safari and edit with BBEdit.
  • Interarchy is now much smarter about how it populates the "Edit With" menu.
  • Much improved stability on Mac OS X 10.4.11 and earlier.
  • Fixed up a crash that might occur when changing the protocol in the "New Connection..." window.
  • Fixed a bug that may have prevented the double-click action for a particular file type from working. See the Get Info window.
  • The Edit toolbar item should now activate/deactivate correctly.
  • Fixed a crash that might occur when adding a folder to the Bookmarks Bar.
  • Removed the support for spell checking. This should prevent crashes that result from dodgy dictionaries installed by 3rd party applications.
  • Interarchy is now registering for the bbftp: and bbsftp: protocols.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented the chasing arrows in the Get Info window/inspector from being drawn properly.
  • Fixed a crash that may occur if you dragged-and-dropped a tab onto the sidebar.
  • Adjusted the minimum size of the Transfers window so that you can resize it to the height of one entry.
  • Fixed a crash that would occur if your closed a queue while it was running.
  • Fixed a crash that may occur when text is appended to the Transcript.
  • Fixed a crash that may occur if you deleted an object and then closed the owning window before the delete was complete.
  • Added a preferences to auto-hide/show the Transfers window. See the "Auto Show/Hide Transfers Window" checkbox in the Transfers Preferences Pane.
  • Improved the window titles displayed in the Window menu.
  • Return/Enter key mapping now works in icon and column views.
  • Interarchy will now remember the name given to a new Bookmark in the "Add Bookmark..." sheet.
  • Fixed a bug that would cause the SSH protocol to think a file existed when it didn't.
  • Find should now work.
  • The Cancel button in the "URL Mapping Not Found" dialogue (Copy Public URL) now works with multiple items.
  • Updated the AppleScript Edit With command to use the editors bundle identifier.
  • Fixed a bug that may have prevented drag-and-drop from working in the Side Bar.
  • Interarchy now displays localised names in the Side Bar.
  • Fixed a crash that might occur in when displaying the Interarchy Contextual Menu. Use the "Install Interarchy Contextual Menu" button in the Advanced Preference Pane to install the new version.
  • Fixed a conflict between the keyboard shortcut for "Preview in Safari" and "Show All Bookmarks..." menu items. "Preview in Safari" is now Command-Control-P to match BBEdit. "Show All Bookmarks..." remains Command-Option-B.
  • Updated the green, red and grey blips (Net Disks, Queues, etc) to include higher resolution images. Yah resolution independence! Hopefully one day we will see you.
  • Reduced the size of buttons bar in Net Disks and Queue views.
  • Added a preference to post process downloads. See the "Post process downloads" checkbox in the Transfer Preference Pane.
  • Copy-and-pasting remote files should now behave correctly. It will copy instead of move.
  • The little arrows in the schedule sheet should now work properly.
  • If no protocol is given when entering a url into the address text field the value of the "Preferred protocol" popup menu in the General Preference Pane is now used.
  • You can once again set a source folder for Net Disks. Especially useful if you want a Net Disk to live on a volume other than the boot volume.
  • If you double-click in the background of the Tab Bar a new tab will be created.
  • The SSH protocol will correctly follow symbolic links when downloading a file.
  • If you create a new tab the address text field will once again auto-populate with the target url from the previous tab.
  • Improved the initial window size when you first run Interarchy.
  • Fixed up the copyright text in the About Window.
  • Properly observe the "New windows and tabs open with" popup menu value (see the General Preference Pane) when creating new tabs.
  • Set the default value for the "New windows and tabs open with" popup menu value (see the General Preference Pane) to "New Connection".
  • Improved the reliability of setting permissions via SSH.
  • Interarchy will now properly filter out keyboard modifiers if a menu command is invoked by it's keyboard shortcut.
  • Improved the behaviour of spatial browsing.
  • Added a Show/Hide Status Bar menu item.

Version 9.0 is the latest release for Mac OS X 10.4.11 and later. Versions 4.0 through 8.5.4 of Interarchy incorporated the functionality of many older separate Stairways Software products, including MacTCP Watcher, OTSessionWatcher, Daemon, Finger and others. Network traffic watching and packet display were particularly useful tools for Web developers who want to see watch the interactions between servers and browsers. Unfortunately, version 9 eliminates these tools, which is presents a huge step backward in Interarchy's usefulness.

Interarchy has always had some great features, but their unique combination hasn't always made sense to certain people, primarily those who merely sought a simple, straightforward file transfer application. Interarchy has historically been, rather, a power user's FTP client. In recent years, other FTP clients such as Transmit have continued to refine the FTP experience, while Interarchy more or less struggled with what it should be, trying to be all things to all people. Version 7 significantly raised the bar, cleaning up the interface and its various features considerably, with custom views for each bookmark, and with a Finder-like attention to detail. "Tabbed" FTP browsing - identical to the Web browsing breakthrough that people have grown to love in Mozilla, Firefox and Safari - was a welcome addition, as were customizable toolbars, "icon" views, scheduling, and other niceties. The network analysis tools became prettier, and the package began to feel a bit more cohesive. However, versions 8 and later finally make great strides in bringing all of Interarchy's great power to the masses with an intuitive user interface.

Interarchy has always been a tool that every serious Mac Internet user should consider, and today it's a tool that even the less-serious Mac Internet user will feel at home with.

Through February 29, 2008 Interarchy 9 is available at an introductory price of US $39, with a suggested retail price of US $59 effective March 1, 2008. Registered owners of Interarchy 8.5.4 or earlier can upgrade for the discounted price of US $29.

User Reviews

"I'm convinced, after having used [Interarchy] for 1 hour (I've used 2.0.x and 3.0 in the past) that [it] may be the best Internet application ever on any platform. It has an interface that every Mac application should have, fully greyscale-appearance compliant, no modal dialogs or alerts, live, growable scroll bars, Navigation Services, and it works just like the Finder. It can view web sites as a series of links, it can keychain your FTP site passwords, it can perform Sherlock searches, it can slice, dice and julienne. I am no longer placing Fetch on the ISP software site: all our users should now use [Interarchy]."
—Charlie Saeger

"I have been a registered user of Anarchie for several years and was more than happy with that product. I have been part of the beta test for Interarchy and have been using the various incarnations for the past three months. Interachy is miles ahead of Anarchie, trust me. This is by far the best FTP client on the market. It is a bit pricey, but considering what you get and what it will do, it is more than worth the money."
—Jerry Garrison

"[7.3.2] Back when Interarchy was Anarchie (silly personal bias, but I really liked the old name and dislike the new one) it was my favourite FTP client for quite some time. I loved the ability to perform Archie searches (boy do I miss that, can nothing replace it? Whatever happened to Archie servers?), a lovely user interface and stability. If I could bring back the FTP client I enjoyed back then, Interarchy - despite the silly name - would be my current pick of the bunch. It feels like Stairways Software has lost their way somewhere along the line. I don't want the MS Office of FTP applications. Even Stairways' Kagi hosted web site is a pale image of their old site. It feels like Stairways have lost their groove and it shows in Interarchy."
—Jamie Kahn Genet, 3/10/2005

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iSynch

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Shareware; $25-$80

Current Version: 1.3.1

(Formerly WebSynch) - From the iSynch home page: "iSynch is a tool to synchronize a Web site and your local folder, or to synchronize an FTP server and a local folder in an efficient way to save your time. It doesn't replace a FTP client, but has special features to update your site or keep an FTP mirror more easily than doing it by hand." Version 1.3.1 addresses the following issues:

  • New: Support for the Navigation Services.
  • New: New download options.
  • New: Better date preview.
  • Fix: Takes care of files which change date after a year.

User Reviews

Currently, no user reviews have been submitted. Send me yours!

Download the PowerMac version (LITE release).

Beta:
Version 1.4b6 Lite for OS X is now available in public beta, and a Classic version, also at 1.4b6, (in both Lite and regular versions) is available for current Mac OS users who have registered the software.


MacSFTP

Home Page Release Notes License:
Open source; $0

Current Version: 1.0.6

MacSFTP is the first standalone SFTP (Secure FTP) client for the Macintosh, from Jean-Pierre Stierlin, author of MacSSH. Apart from Captain FTP, MacSFTP is the only other game in town if you need a self-contained, GUI-based solution for the Mac for connecting to SFTP sites that use public key authentication (although on Mac OS X, you can use the command line SFTP client quite nicely, with the format "sftp -oIdentityFile="[path-to-private-key-file]" [username@host]".) MacSFTP - which is currently undergoing development - is not based on lsh, but on OpenSSH, is time-limited for 15 days to allow you to test its functionality, and is priced at $25 (shareware). Version 1.0.6 addresses the following:

  • Added an 'Update' option to transfer only modified files
  • Added a display directories sizes option
  • Added on the fly Text file's content translation
  • Added one time password support
  • Added alt-drag-and-drop between windows to create symlinks
  • Added an option to parse /etc/passwd and /etc/group files to show permissions on Icons
  • Added InternetConfig File-Mappings editor in preferences
  • Added implict '*' header and trailer to the name filter
  • Added an option to delete existing remote files before uploading
  • Added current directory in window titles
  • Added a 'Session' menu to modify current connection options
  • Added a 'Touch' command
  • Added a 'Default bookmark' option
  • Updated with OpenSSH 3.5p1, OpenSSL 0.9.7 and GUSI 2.2.3b2
  • Check symlinks can be interrupted
  • Rename overlapping truncated filenames
  • Fixed '@' in username treated as host separator
  • Fixed wrong size reported in progress window
  • Fixed consecutive '/' incorrectly parsed in pathnames
  • Fixed unsupported ':' in remote filenames, converted into '/'
  • Fixed unsupported symlink requests sent to older sftp-servers
  • Fixed crashes of Carbon version when running in Classic MacOS
  • Fixed crash when saving a file in BBEdit while its upload is already pending
  • Fixed app not working when a mounted volume was named 'dev'

User Reviews

"Clean, simple, and intuitive. MacSFTP opens up the remote directory in a window and you drag and drop from/to Finder windows. There's no drilling through endless directory hierarchies viewed through small windows. MacSFTP doesn't get in your way and does what it's supposed to quite elegantly and reliably."
—Shu Chow

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MacTFTP Client

Home Page License:
Shareware; $12

Current Version: 1.1.1 (February 6, 2002) / 1.2 (February 15, 2008)

MacTFTP Client is the only tftp (trivial ftp) client for the Macintosh. If you don't know what tftp is, then you don't need it (For the curious: tftp is an old method for transferring files between two machines without the need for usernames/passwords. Today, it's most often used for updating firmware in various network devices, such as routers, switches, etc.).

Version 1.2 - the first new release in over 6(!) years - introduces Universal Binary support, running natively on both PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs.

See the MacTFTP Client download page for more information.

User Reviews

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Monica

Home Page

Current Version: 2.2

Like Download Deputy and NetBATCH, Monica is a batch file downloading tool that supports both FTP and HTTP transfers. Unlike NetBATCH, however, it is a standalone application, and it is a much more highly developed application that has gained favor with a large user base. Version 2.2 makes the following changes/additions:

  • Fixed Creator code
  • Improved access to Hotline 1.5 and 1.7 servers
  • Increased numeric length to 4 in file name ranges
  • Removed unnecessary debug code resulting in an approx binary size reduction of 450k
  • Changed the text string tables to improve load times
  • Added AutoPurge Queue facility to purge the queue approx every 10 minutes
  • Added "Get List" facility to download files in a remote URL list
  • Added function to close program if pirate serial number is detected
  • Fixed bug where Applescript "GetURL" did not function correctly
  • Added "GetList" Applescript command
  • Removed interactive messageboxes when processing via script.
  • Fixed bug where port was incorrectly parsed on redirect.

User Reviews

"Awesome, awesome program. Beats the living cr-- out of any other in its class on this or any other platform. I nearly missed out on its entire genre after trying out Download Deputy (darn thing felt like it was programmed in HyperCard . . . felt slower than emulation. Buggy, too.), but thank goodness that a friend of mine turned me onto this gem. Beautiful, elegant interface. Intelligent. And that's not even mentioning the humor in the title and the fact that it is the ultimate leeching tool. This program would strike fear into the blackened heart of any webmaster. Beautiful."
—Ryan Cameron

"This is the email I sent to the author of Monica: Dear Zippy, As I'm sure you know, you've really got something here. As a registered user of NetFinder since the beginning, I can say with some experience that Monica (1.6) is far superior for my uses in downloads of numerous files daily. The [resume] ability is most important and useful. The drag and drop of most file links is absolutely great. . . . Monica can really suck downloads off the net - ftp or http with the ability to resume on both. Thanks so much."
—Jim Hill

"Excellent program. Handy for click-dragging URL links straight from Netscape. There have only been a few times when Monica couldn't handle a download. Essential if you're the type to download large files from unstable sources. Simple interface, and best of all, it's free!"
—John Henderson

"I'm with Ryan - this program is simply wonderful. An absolute blessing to those of us with thin pipes and an insatiable desire to see what's on the next web page . . . it helps us info-maniacs manage how our pipe to the net gets utilized. Now I can surf for an hour, collect links to updates and other files I want, then go about other net.activities, leaving Monica to collect them in her own time. No longer do I force Anarchie, Fetch or my browser to try and download 30 things at once! A couple of interface quirks aside - which I'm sure Ziggy's working on - nothing on the Mac platform even comes close to Monica for her petite size, splendid single task design and utter stubbornness in ensuring a full download :-)"
—Geoffrey Peters

"Will version 4.0 _ever_ graduate from beta testing? With no upgrades since November 30th, 2003 I worry I may have paid for a lemon. Monica does all it's supposed to, but remains slightly buggy, lacking the integration and polished interface Mac OS X users expect these days. C'mon Black Diamond! Don't let this promising application die. Monica and your customers deserve better."
—Jamie Kahn Genet, 3/10/2005

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Download the Power Mac version.

Beta:
Version 3.0 public beta 2 is now available for "Classic" Mac OS; version 3.0 public beta 2 is available for Mac OS X (Carbon); and version 4.0 public beta 2 is available for Mac OS X 10.3 Panther. Changes in these versions are extensive; much of the underlying code has been redesigned and rewritten. Key changes include:

  • Improved handling of buggy FTP servers
  • Improved handling of many HTTP servers
  • Better handling of queue-enabled Hotline servers
  • Redesigned main screen
  • More efficient queue handling
  • Documentation in HTML
  • Ability to show/hide download windows easily
  • Facility to change number of concurrent downloads on the fly
  • Addition of a (beta) FTP Loader helper application (an OS X version is also available)
  • Improved stability (compiled in REALbasic 3.0)

NetFinder

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Shareware; $20

Current Version: 3.1.1 (April 15, 2008)

NetFinder (not to be confused with the former Apple Product of the same name) is a very nice FTP client that has become a time-tested product.

NetFinder 3 is a major rewrite of the application in Cocoa, and is the first release of the software since version 2.3.3 arrived in November 2003. Version 3 supports the following protocols:

  • ftp - File Transfer Protocol
  • ftps - File Transfer Protocol with SSL/TLS
  • ftpsi - File Transfer Protocol with implicit SSL
  • sftp - File Transfer Protocol over SSH
  • http - Hyper Text Transfer Protocol - Web Pages
  • https - Hyper Text Transfer Protocol with SSL - Web Pages
  • webdav - File Transfer over http (works with iDisk and cpanel too)
  • webdavs - File Transfer over http with SSL (works with iDisk and cpanel too)
  • file - Browse local hard disk

Version 3 also includes the following advanced features:

  • Advanced mirroring/syncing - mirror up, mirror down, mirror both ways (merge) - a perfect companion for iWeb
  • Mirroring Simulation Run
  • Dynamic self contained filterable mirror reports. (Brought to you first by NetFinder)
  • NetFinder Automation Components - apply an automation to a selection of files/folders on a remote server in one simple step. (Brought to you first by NetFinder)
  • Define your own automation components easily using Apple Automator.app
  • Ability to edit remote files in an editor of your choosing
  • Open in Terminal - quickly connect via ssh to a specific folder on a server
  • Auto-upload droplets - mini-applications that upload to a server whatever is dropped onto them
  • AppleScript support
  • ICI script support
  • RubyCocoa script support
  • Script and Executable based NetFinder Automation Components
  • Customizable Sound/Speech feedback

Version 3.1.1 makes the following additional changes:

  • Added Toolbar to listing windows for easy access to often used commands.
  • Added a View Menu to hide/show various parts of the listing window, including the toolbar.
  • Added private/public URL mapping preference pane
  • Added "Copy Public URL to Clipboard" feature.
  • Added WebView command to open a files public URL in the default browser, eg Safari.
  • Added remainder of German localization. Special thanks to Morell. If you still find something in English, send over the German translation and we will fix it up.
  • Fixed a corrupt file causing characters to drop out in a few German localized strings. Thanks Reto.
  • Fixed a bug in single window mode which would allow a new window to be created when opening the parent window from the Menu.
  • Improved handling of bad reply from certain FTP servers, should no longer crash.

For a more detailed look at NetFinder 3's impressive capabilities, see the online documentation.

User Reviews

"I've used Fetch primarily for months, but never liked its interface much. NetFinder gives me a Finder-like interface similar to Cyberdog. A big improvement that may give Fetch a good run for its money."
—Mark A. Lindsay

"I have been using NetFinder 1.1.3 now for about 21 days, it delivers all that Peter Li and Victor (or Vincent?) Tan promise. Much like the old Snatcher ftp client (full GUI) but better and faster and the ability to re-enable or pick up a dropped file transfer is a Godsend! Reasonably stable and intelligent with FTP (Interarchy's or Fetch's) bookmarks or html URL's. I've ordered my copy!"
—Dave Edmunds

"[2.3.3] It pains me to give NetFinder a bad review, but sadly version 2.3.3 under Mac OS 10.3.8 is broken or incomplete in many places (speech alerts do not work, help is missing in action despite being present online at NF's web site, the CM item "Copy URL to Clipboard" does not work properly for bookmarks, I get odd transfer errors that are only a problem in NF out of all the FTP clients I've used). In addition you cannot command-click a window's icon to get the directory menu you can in the Finder, thus - so far as I can see - there's no easy way to jump to the enclosing folder. For what's touted as "The most Finder like FTP client for the MacOS" this isn't good. Also the Shortcuts menu is poorly implemented. Naming shortcuts must be done via the Finder preventing many common characters present in net addresses being used. In short NF 2.3.3 for OS X feels like a beta carbon port from back in the days of 10.0. The lack of any new updates or bugfixes since 2003, broken links in NF's help menu and bookmarks, plus the unanswered posts to the NF usergroup don't inspire confidence that the situation will improve any time soon. NF is a very attractive, stable FTP client and the Finder look and feel is wonderful (when it works). It's one of those frustrating programs I _really_ want to like, but falls down in so many areas I cannot seriously consider it worth the hassle or registration fee, and that's a real pity :-("
—Jamie Kahn Genet, 3/10/2005

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osXigen

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Shareware; $20

Current Version: 1.2.2 / 2.6 (February 11, 2004)

osXigen is a full-featured FTP client for Mac OS X (Cocoa). It has the following features:

  • Fully multithreaded
  • Queue based download & uploads
  • Active bookmarks - bookmarks that react to drag'n'drops on them - will maximize your productivity
  • Filters - filter-out / filter-in files matching a regular expression
  • Supports most FTP servers: UNIX/Linux, Mac (NetPresenz) , Windows (NT Server and Windows FTP Service), Novell NetWare and VMS and others
  • Fully integrated with Mac OS X features: AppleScript, Keychain, Help System, etc.
  • Protocol helper support

Version 2.6 - for Mac OS X 10.2 or later only - adds/changes the following:

  • More Mac OS X 10.3 compatibility problems fixed
  • New threading model implemented to solve random lockups and crashes
  • New ASCII transfer implementation to improve compatibility and performance
  • Bug fixes

osXigen is released as shareware; the software operates normally for 21 days to allow you to try it before buying it.

User Reviews

Currently, no user reviews have been submitted. Send me yours!

Download the Mac OS X 10.1 (Cocoa) version (1.2.2).
Download the Mac OS X 10.2+ (Cocoa) version (2.6).

Beta:
Version 3.0b1 - the first release in over 4(!) years (March 14, 2008) - is available for Mac OS X (Cocoa / Universal), adding/changing the following:

  • Universal binaries for Mac OS 10.4+
  • Multiple crash and hang fixes
  • Multithreaded connect to server (UI no longer locked during connect/login)

The beta release notes have more details.


RBrowser

Home Page Release Notes License:
See text; $0-$35

Current Version: 4.4.6 (May 1, 2008)

RBrowser is a full featured graphical FTP/SCP/SSH/SFTP client, originally written for Mac OS X Server (and OpenStep), and now available for Mac OS X. RBrowser allows the user to manage/browse files on the remote host with an easy-to-use graphic interface. File management includes move, copy, duplicate, compress, delete,set permissions, make links, etc.:

  • Remote Editing, Folder Synchronization.
  • Entire file trees can be moved between local and remote host, or between remote hosts by simple drag & drop.
  • Remote-to-Remote File Transfers between any hosts, regardless of protocol.
  • Run Any number of operations simultaneously.

While other SFTP clients typically connect to an SFTP server and use whatever is available under that protocol, SFTP has some key limitations:

  • No metadata: SFTP is not Fork/Finder info aware.
  • No Recursive commands: SFTP does everything file-by-file, which takes a long time if it operates on a big file system.
  • No Direct Remote-to-Remote transfer.
  • Cannot reach hosts behind a firewall.
  • Cannot copy files between folders on the remote host, so file management is problematic.

RBrowser combines all the secure tools available on both the local and the remote system. The SFTP, SSH, DITTO, the Bourne Shell, and SCP clients are all part of OS X. Other UNIX systems do not have DITTO but have the rest. Each have their strong points and their limitations as well. SFTP is better for file transfers because unlike scp it can hold a continuous connection and create links. Ditto is used if both hosts are Macs, so fork data is preserved during file transfers. SSH is used for file operations on the remote hosts, since SFTP has major limitations: for example it cannot make a copy of a file from on folder to another on the remote host! Also, SFTP does everything file-by-file, which takes a long time if it operates on a big file system. ssh, using a remote shell can do recursive file operations like rm, chomod very fast. Direct remote-to-remote operations require SCP. RBrowser automatically selects the best available tool for the job, so you do not even have to think about it.

Version 4.4.6 adds/changes the following:

  • Bugfixes in filetransfers to other Macs
  • Shelf icons are no longer removed if the file they represent go away. This will kepp shortcuts of removable drives on the shelf.
  • Fixes in the sync engine.

RBrowser is available in several different licensed versions; more information is available on the licensing terms page.

In its unlicensed (free) mode, RBrowser will be a full featured FTP client, including Remote Editing (SaveBack). A single user license costs $35, and provides unrestricted operations for all protocols (Local, FTP/SSL/TLS, SFTP-SSH), including Folder Sync.

User Reviews

"I've been testing every FTP client for Mac OS X I can find, and RBrowser is, in many ways, the most promising one, except for one deal-breaking problem: I can't seem to preview my HTML files in Internet Explorer after selecting BBEdit as the editor for use with RBrowser. The (BBEdit) Ctrl+Command (or menu) Preview function works in every other FTP client I've tried that supports this feature, so it seems unlikely that it's a BBEdit or IE problem. When editing remote docs hosted on my FTP server with RBrowser 3.0.8, I just get a 'file not found' error -- even though the downloaded / edited file is sitting there open in BBEdit right behind this error dialog. All competing FTP clients work as expected. It seems as though one or more characters embedded into the path for the temp files (on my system -- your results may vary) built by RBrowser's remote edit feature is causing the problem. As a workaround to this problem, I use Dreamweaver as my editor. It works properly with RBrowser."
—Graeme Bennett

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Speed Download

Home Page Screen Shots Release Notes License:
Shareware; $25

Current Version: 5.0.2 (April 15, 2008)

From the Speed Download home page: "Often your download speeds are far from your theoretical maximums. Sometimes this is because the Internet is generally clogged up, or because your ISP is overloaded. But sometimes it's because the server you are connecting to is only giving a certain amount of bandwidth to each client. Speed Download tries to get round this by using up to 32 simultaneous connections." Speed Download requires any Mac with Mac OS 10.4.11 or higher.

Version 5 adds significant new features and speed increases; here are some highlights:

  • New: Completely redesigned and fully customizable interface
  • New: optimized Speed Download engine and components for faster performance and wider compatibility
  • New: introducing Simple and Advanced usage modes
  • New: iTunes-like Minimized mode with user controlled color picker
  • New: Overhauled built-in FTP Client support for more connections dual pane view introduced
  • New: Filters bar
  • New: 'Live' bandwidth throttle
  • New: individual file scheduling
  • New: queue downloading scheduling
  • New: Speed Download dock menu notifications
  • Enhanced: Auto-resuming of downloads, uploads, and file transfers at all times
  • Enhanced: built-in Smart Folder technology
  • Enhanced: Secure (encrypted) turbo-charged file-sharing between Speed Download users
  • Enhanced: My Server section
  • Enhanced: Download website content for offline viewing
  • Tons of tweaks and performance oriented changes
  • Much more.

Version 5.0.2 makes the following additional changes:

  • Fixed: Transparency in the floater retained after SD restarts.
  • Fixed: SD no longer prompts about a component update after each restart.
  • Fixed: SD remembers changes to the toolbar visibility after each restart.
  • Fixed: A bug that could potentially cause SD to crash after completing a download.
  • Updated: SD Enhancer for better performance and compatibility.
  • Updated: Various little oddities in the French version of SD and throughout the application.

User Reviews

"Speed Download 1.9.9, the Mac OS 9 version: If you have a modem, nothing will get you past the 56k limitation of a phone line. The line itself limits flow to 56k, so even if you pull over, the line will make up the difference and go under 56k to even the difference. EXCELLENT for cable modems. DOES EXACTLY what it says. Anywhere from 256kbs to 1000kbs download depending on server. I regularly download 3 MB in 4 or 5 seconds."
—Ted Rolinsky

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Transmit

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Shareware; $29.95

Current Version: 1.7 (November 25, 2002) / 3.6.6 (April 22, 2008)

Transmit (formerly Transit) is one of the newer Mac FTP clients, and it has a promising premise: its look and feel mimics the elegance of the Finder.

Transmit 3.6.6 - the latest release for Mac OS X - brings the following enhancements:

  • Fixes a potential crasher in TransmitSync (the helper application that syncs Transmit favorites to .Mac)
  • S3: Relaxed the restrictions on using dot characters in new bucket names

Transmit supports Mac OS X's built-in SSH configuration files, which means that when you connect to any SFTP host for which you have a public/private key pair defined (whether defined globally in /etc/ssh_config, or on a per-user basis in ~/.ssh/config), Transmit can connect using those keys, without requiring additional configuration within Transmit itself. I consider this to be essential functionality for a Mac OS X FTP client.

Existing users can upgrade from Transmit 2 to Transmit 3 for $17.95. Transmit comes as a free, feature-full 15 day downloadable demo; after 15 days, favorites are disabled and sessions are limited to 10 minutes. Version 1.7 for Mac OS 9 has now been made available totally free of charge for classic Mac OS users. While now unsupported and technically "retired", Transmit 1.7 still remains a viable choice for Mac OS 9 users.

Transmit has come a long way and, with Interarchy, is one of the three "Essential" FTP clients on the Orchard. Its elegant interface pushes the envelope for FTP client usability - a difficult thing to do in this day and age, where FTP interfaces have been refined to death. Bookmark management is a snap; the interface is completely consistent with the Mac OS experience; it allows editing of remote files directly within the program (or with BBEdit); it allows you to move files around on remote servers without having to download them to your computer first; and - most importantly - it's fast and flexible (thanks to the NcFTP engine). The authors are also responsive to suggestions for improvement. If you need a powerful and easy-to-use FTP client for Mac OS X, Transmit should be one of your first considerations.

User Reviews

"Transmit is the most user-friendly and feature-filled FTP clients I have ever used (including [Interarchy] and Fetch). Its drag and drop feature emulates that of Mac OS 8+ and its ability to resume uploads is unique. The 1.5.1 update included a favorites (bookmarks) editor, providing the one aspect that seemed to be missing form prior versions. While I love this program, I still have to use another FTP client because Tramsit is very unstable; it crashes at least once a day. However, with the ease of use and its unique features, it is definitely worth it."
—Kath Wong

"Transmit 2.0 is an excellent follow-up to an already popular program. While version 1.7 was Carbonized for OS X, version 2.0 was written to fully take advantage of Cocoa. The new additions (such as saving commonly used paths that you upload from/download to) made the upgrade a no-brainer for me. I've used earlier versions of Fetch and even that Captain FTP software, but nothing compares to Transmit 2.0. It's been stable on my G4/Dual 450 and is used quite heavily. Heck, it's what I use to maintain pcweenies.com -- Download it today! :)"
—Krishna Sadasivam

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Vicomsoft FTP Client

Company Page Home Page Release Notes License:
Commercial; see text.

Current Version: 3.1.6 (November 1, 2002) / 4.5.1 (December 21, 2007)

Vicomsoft produces the Vicomsoft FTP Client software (previously available in a shareware version) for Mac OS and Mac OS X. Vicomsoft touts speed as this FTP client's primary benefit, although I can't personally vouch for that, as I haven't tested it myself.

Pricing starts at $30 ("Classic" version) and $35 (Mac OS X version) for a single user license. See the online ordering page for more information.

Version 4.5.0 - the first new release in over 4 (!) years - added/changed the following:

  • Now a Universal Binary
  • Leopard compatibility
  • Added full Mac OS X toolbar
  • Large file support added for files greater than 2GB
  • Long file/folder name support added for full Unicode capability
  • FTPS (FTP over SSL) support added in both explicit and implicit modes
  • Ability to select any application for remote editing
  • Added support for AppleScript scripting as well as recording
  • Added sserver to server transfers using drag & drop
  • Added automatic re-connect and retry for transfers
  • Added automatic Passive/Active FTP mode detection
  • Added automatic time offset calculation to cater for time zone differences
  • Overall speed enhancements for transfers
  • Completion sounds for transfers can now be customized
  • Added option to control double click action - transfer, edit or no action
  • Drag & drop support in Column view now supported
  • In-line rename in Column view now supported
  • Streamlined user interface

Version 4.5.1 makes the following additional changes:

  • Partial download icons might not have been displayed
  • Resolving symlinks could get into an endless loop
  • Corrected some missing icons
  • The automatic import of Bookmarks from the old version did not work correctly in some cases
  • When transferring multiple items the name of the currently transferring item was not displayed
  • Local items could not be deleted when running on Leopard
  • Upload synchronization could have incorrectly created unwanted empty folders
  • FTP Droplets created by the previous version of FTP Client may not have worked with v4.5
  • Download now includes a step by step installation guide for those having difficulty understanding the default OS X software delivery mechanism using .dmg files
  • Upgrading from v4.0.x could have rendered Remote Editing non-functional in some cases

The upgrade to version 4.5 requires a small upgrade fee.

User Reviews

Currently, no user reviews have been submitted. Send me yours!


Yummy FTP

Home Page Release Notes Screen Shots License:
Shareware; $25

Current Version: 1.7.1 (April 8, 2008)

From the Yummy FTP web site: "Yummy FTP is an FTP and SFTP client application for the Mac, built as native Mac OS X software from the ground up, with the goal of providing a reliable, powerful, yet easy to use file transfer utility." Yummy FTP touts high transfer speeds as its greatest virtue, but I have not attempted to confirm that it's any faster than the other popular FTP clients for the Mac. However, Yummy FTP has a nice feature set that makes it worth considering, including the following helpful capabilities:

  • Synchronization
  • Remote editing
  • AppleScript support
  • In-client file previews
  • File filtering
  • Desktop-based FTP aliases
  • Scheduling
  • Support for SFTP via public key methods, including (as of version 1.5) support for Mac OS X's built-in SSH configuration capability (as with Transmit). While you can still specify a key for each bookmark within the program itself, this is no longer necessary if you use ssh_config at a system level.

Version 1.7 adds the following new features:

  • Mac OS X 10.5 ready
  • Quick Look integration - list icons and preview windows
  • Leopard-inspired UI update
  • New app icons including 512 version

Version 1.7 updates the following features:

  • Renaming an item now only pre-selects the name, excluding the extension
  • Color labels can now be applied to items within the Bookmarks Viewer

Version 1.7 makes the following bug fixes:

  • Single-clicking in the arrows of the scrollbars in Column view did not work correctly
  • Some Chinese localization corrections
  • Corrected some visual glitches with the alignment of label coloring
  • Fixed a Mirror synchronize processing failure when auto-reconnecting after a connection failure
  • Fixed some visual glitches when renaming in Column view
  • Fixed failure to resolve SFTP hosts via Bonjour
  • Synchronization fixes
  • System log of plist errors corrected
  • On some Macs, the time scheduler entry box was broken - fixed

Version 1.7.1 makes the following additional enhancements and bugfixes:

  • Compare files before Sync - Using the 'diff' tool of your choice (Araxis Merge, Changes, FileMerge, BBEdit or TextWrangler) you can compare synchronization candidates directly from the Sync Preview, allowing you to see what has changed in a file before committing it
  • Copy Web URL - Copy and paste direct links to your web site, instead of FTP ones, using the FTP Browser's intelligent URL creation tool
  • Enhanced Quick Look - Multiple items and folders can now be previewed with a tap of the space bar
  • Enhanced DualBrowse - Taking linked browsing to the next level, DualBrowse now syncs scrolling, sorting, column reordering & resizing and searching too

User Reviews

"I've found Yummy FTP totally solid and reliable. It's straightforward to set up and use. It has synchronization and scheduling, so mirroring/backups can be completely automated. Supports MDTM as an option, so file dates are preserved if you backup to an MDTM-capable server. Great on-line help. Only slight criticism is that Yummy doesn't support SSL; but it does support SSH (SFTP), which is probably preferable anyway."
—TC Hayes

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Also See . . .

Can't find what you're looking for? Try a search:

Also, if you have an older Mac, be sure to check out the "Classic" applications page for more options.

Finally, take a look at ALEMIA if you think you know that name of an application, but aren't quite sure.

Also Consider . . .

These are applications that are newer and of potential interest, but which I haven't yet selected for permanent inclusion. Have a look, and let me know if you think they deserve to be part of the permanent collection!