ExpanDrive vs Monsta FTP
ExpanDrive
expandrive.comMonsta FTP
monstaftp.comSide by side
| Figure | ExpanDrive | Monsta FTP |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $29/mo | $2.42/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 5 |
| Spec score · SFTP Client Software | 8.3 (#8) | 8.3 (#10) |
| Integrations | The integrations page lists Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Box, Dropbox, FTP, Google Cloud Storage, Google Drive, IDrive e2, Nextcloud, OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, SFTP, SharePoint, Wasabi, and WebDAV. | The Host edition can create dynamic login forms for automatic login from dashboards and control panels. |
| Product | ExpanDrive mounts cloud storage and protocol endpoints as native drives on a desktop, accessible from Finder, Explorer, and other applications. | Monsta FTP is a browser-based FTP client written in PHP and JavaScript that is installed as a website subfolder. |
| Support | Free includes community support, Business includes priority email support, and Enterprise includes a dedicated partnership engineer and rapid response. | The maker directs installation and troubleshooting questions to its user guides and common issues page, and advises contacting the web host for website recovery help. |
Plans
Monsta FTP
- LiteFree
- Business$29 a year
- Business lifetime license$59, paid once
- Host$149 a year
- Host lifetime license$299, paid once
In their own words
ExpanDrive
ExpanDrive mounts cloud storage and protocol endpoints as desktop drives, letting you access files through Finder, Explorer, and other applications. Files stream on demand rather than syncing folders, with local caching and an option to pin files for offline access. Listed connections include Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, Nextcloud, FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and others. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Server Edition can operate as a headless service on Windows Server and Linux, expose mounted storage as a Windows SMB share, and includes a command line for managing mounts and connections. ExpanDrive says connections use TLS and credentials are kept in the local operating system credential store. Plain FTP sends credentials and file contents in the clear; FTPS or SFTP is recommended for sensitive connections. The Free plan is free, billed forever. Business is $29 a month, billed monthly; Enterprise pricing is custom.
Monsta FTP
Monsta FTP is a browser-based file client installed as a subfolder on a website running PHP. It connects to remote systems through FTP, SFTP, or SCP, and supports SSH key authentication. Users can upload, download, copy, move, rename, or delete files and folders, and change permissions with CHMOD. The free Lite plan includes file management and FTP and SFTP/SCP connections. Business adds login profiles protected by a master password, a code editor, and ZIP archive upload and extraction on the remote server. Its editor has syntax colors, line numbers, and tabbed editing. Host adds rebranding, a password manager, and dynamic login forms for dashboards and control panels. The software runs on a standard PHP installation, including Windows IIS. Its maker recommends SSL and SFTP or SCP because FTP itself is not secure. Uploads pass through the installation server's memory, so PHP's per-request memory limit can constrain file size. Business costs $29 a year, with a 59.00 USD lifetime option; Host costs $149 a year, with a 299.00 USD lifetime option.