Midnight Commander vs WinSCP

Midnight Commander is a full-screen file manager with a dual-pane text interface. It can copy, move, and delete files or directory trees, search for files, and run commands in a subshell. An internal viewer, editor, and diff viewer provide tools for inspecting and editing files within the program.

It runs in a regular console or an X Window terminal, and can also be used over SSH and in remote shells. Its virtual filesystem connects to FTP and shell-based remote filesystems; SFTP support depends on compilation with sftpfs. The tar filesystem provides read-only access to tar and compressed tar archives, and scripts can extend the virtual filesystem. Users can choose included skins or create their own.

WinSCP is an open-source file manager and transfer client for Microsoft Windows. It copies files between a local computer and remote computers over FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, WebDAV, WebDAVS and S3, with SSH also listed as supported. Explorer and Commander interfaces provide two ways to manage transfers; Commander is focused on keyboard control. Alongside common file operations, WinSCP includes directory synchronization and an integrated text editor. For repeat tasks or programmatic workflows, it offers scripting, command-line options and a.NET assembly. The client integrates with Windows and PuTTY, including sharing site settings with PuTTY. Authentication methods include password, keyboard-interactive, public key and Kerberos, and stored site information can optionally be protected by a master password. A portable version and workspace-based session management are available. WinSCP is free, with a listed price of free. Its security guidance warns that malware on the computer running it can steal credentials stored or entered there.