WinSCP vs Cyberduck

WinSCP9.3Visit Cyberduck9.1Visit

Higher score WinSCP #1 in FTP Clients 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit WinSCP

vs

Cyberduck #3 in FTP Clients 9.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit Cyberduck

• WinSCP fits best

  Free Windows FTP with strong SSH tooling

• Cyberduck fits best

  Broad, free desktop FTP and cloud transfers

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Side by side

Feature	WinSCP 9.3/10 Visit ↗	Cyberduck 9.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	9.1
Ranking	#1 in FTP Clients	#3 in FTP Clients
Best for	Free Windows FTP with strong SSH tooling	Broad, free desktop FTP and cloud transfers
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	$10 one-time
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Windows	Windows, macOS
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Tickets, Community, Docs
Integrations	3 integrations	17 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features WinSCP 0/4 · Cyberduck 2/4
File synchronization	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Scheduled transfers	Not checked yet	—
Transfer automation	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Portable version	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Protocol coverage	Not checked yet	Multi-protocol
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	Cross-platform
Concurrent transfers	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports SFTP, SCP, FTP, WebDAV, S3, and related protocols Combines synchronization, scripting, workspaces, and SSH tunneling Open source, free to use, and protected by master-password support	Free, open-source client with FTP, FTPS, and SFTP support Connects with major cloud, storage, and collaboration services Supports synchronization, resumable transfers, and command-line automation
Cons	Windows-only support excludes macOS and Linux workflows The broad feature set may exceed simple file-transfer needs It does not include AI-assisted file operations	Scheduled transfers are not included The main desktop app supports Windows and macOS The $10 registration key only disables the donation prompt
Our verdict	WinSCP is a free, open-source Windows application for transferring files between local and remote computers. It suits developers, system administrators, and technical teams that need more than a basic FTP client, particularly when SFTP,… Read the review →	Cyberduck is an open-source desktop file-transfer client for people moving files between local folders, servers, and cloud-storage services. It supports FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, SMB, and services including Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• WinSCP — where it wins

  • Supports SFTP, SCP, FTP, WebDAV, S3, and related protocols
  • Combines synchronization, scripting, workspaces, and SSH tunneling
  • Open source, free to use, and protected by master-password support

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows-only support excludes macOS and Linux workflows
  • The broad feature set may exceed simple file-transfer needs
  • It does not include AI-assisted file operations

• Cyberduck — where it wins

  • Free, open-source client with FTP, FTPS, and SFTP support
  • Connects with major cloud, storage, and collaboration services
  • Supports synchronization, resumable transfers, and command-line automation

  Where it doesn't

  • Scheduled transfers are not included
  • The main desktop app supports Windows and macOS
  • The $10 registration key only disables the donation prompt

• WinSCP9.3/10 · Free plan

  A capable free Windows client for multi-protocol transfers, scripting, and SSH workflows.

  Visit WinSCPFull verdict →
• Cyberduck9.1/10 · Free plan

  A broad, free FTP client for desktop transfers, synchronization, and automation.

  Visit CyberduckFull verdict →