WinSCP

The FTP and SFTP protocols are used by more and more people to transfer and share files over the Internet. That's because they have a series of advantages over other file sharing methods, like email attachments. Still, in order to access any FTP server and upload or download files, you will first need to install a FTP client. The one that comes with Windows is not good enough for the majority of users, offering a command-line interface and a limited number of features.

On the other hand, WinSCP is a lot different from the Windows FTP client, offering a graphical interface and a very large number of features and options which can improve the FTP experience. After the application is installed and launched, the user will be presented with a welcome screen, in which he will need to enter the FTP details, like address, username, password and port, in order to connect to the server.

Optionally, one can store a FTP session, together with its username and password, so that he will be able to connect to the FTP server much easier next time. After entering the required FTP details and connecting to the server, the user will see the actual interface of WinSCP, which looks like a regular file manager, having two side-by-side panels. The left panel contains the files located on the hard disk and the right one shows the data stored on the FTP server.

Transferring files and folders from a location to the other can be easily performed, using drag and drop. Performing file operations can also be done using the buttons located in the lower part of the interface. Each button has a hot key assigned to it, in a similar way to some file managers, like Total Commander. WinSCP allows connecting to several FTP servers at the same time and exchanging files between them directly. What's more, WinSCP includes a synchronization feature, which allows the user to easily synchronize files between the local and FTP location, which is useful when backing up important data.