Cyberduck vs ST Explorer

Cyberduck is a libre server and cloud-storage browser for macOS and Windows. It connects to FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, SMB, OpenStack Swift, Google Cloud Storage, Amazon S3, Azure, Backblaze B2, OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, and other services. Transfers include drag-and-drop uploads and downloads, recursive directory transfers, resumable transfers, and direct copying between servers. It can synchronize local and remote directories and preview the files affected before acting. Users can edit server-side text or binary files with an external editor, and copy or open HTTP URLs; S3 support includes CDN and pre-signed URLs. Cryptomator integration provides client-side encryption, including encrypted filenames and files. SFTP supports strong ciphers, public-key authentication, and two-factor authentication. Passwords are kept in the system Keychain, and certificates are checked against its trust settings. The free software is GPL-licensed and does not require registration or an account. A personal registration key is listed at $10 a month, billed as a minimum contribution shown by the vendor; a separate registration key contribution is $10, paid once. Retaining modification dates is not supported for all protocols.

ST Explorer is a free native SFTP client for browsing and transferring remote files on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It offers icons, list, and column views, plus an integrated SSH terminal that supports multiple tabs on the same connection. Transfers include drag-and-drop uploads, clipboard uploads, server-side remote-to-remote copies, and a live progress panel. On Windows, files copied in Explorer can be pasted into ST Explorer using native clipboard integration. The site says host key pinning uses known_hosts with TOFU, and describes the app as having no telemetry or phone-home behavior. ST Explorer is open source under the MIT license and is approximately 12 MB as a single executable without an installer. The listed Free plan costs nothing; it specifies Windows 10/11 with WebView2, while macOS and Linux builds are available from source. SSH key authentication is supported. Stivetec makes the app and links to GitHub for issue reports.