SmartFTP vs WinSCP
SmartFTP
smartftp.com
WinSCP
winscp.netSide by side
| Figure | SmartFTP | WinSCP |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 12 | 1 |
| Spec score · FTP and SFTP clients | 8.4 (#9) | 8.7 (#4) |
| Spec score · SFTP Client Software | 7.9 (#13) | 7.9 (#15) |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Protocols | The editions page lists FTP, FTPS, SFTP over SSH, and WebDAV in all three editions. | It supports SFTP, SCP, FTP, FTPS, WebDAV and S3 file transfer protocols. |
| Support | The maker provides tutorials, a regularly updated knowledge base, and a way to request technical support from within the application. | WinSCP provides troubleshooting documentation and a support forum monitored by its development team, with sensible guideline-following posts answered within two business days on average. |
Plans
SmartFTP
- ProfessionalPrice not published
- UltimatePrice not published
- EnterprisePrice not published
- Professional SubscriptionPrice not published
- Ultimate SubscriptionPrice not published
- Enterprise SubscriptionPrice not published
- SmartFTP Professional Subscription$79.99 a year
- SmartFTP Ultimate Subscription$119.99 a year
- SmartFTP Professional$399.95, paid once
- SmartFTP Enterprise Subscription$399.99 a year
In their own words
SmartFTP
SmartFTP is a Windows client for transferring files between local computers and internet servers. It supports FTP, FTPS, SFTP over SSH, WebDAV, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive, SSH, and terminal access, with cloud connections varying by edition. Listed uses include website publishing and maintenance, uploads and downloads, managed file transfers, and local or remote backup and synchronization. Professional includes FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, file synchronization, transfer integrity, and an integrated editor. Ultimate adds Google Drive, OneDrive, a terminal client, and password-manager integrations. Enterprise adds scheduled transfers plus Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Backblaze B2, and Box. All editions include transfer resume, integrity verification, and on-the-fly compression. Windows downloads include x64 and Arm64 builds for listed Windows versions and servers. SmartFTP has no free plan, but offers a 30-day Enterprise evaluation without limitations. Subscription and perpetual license prices are listed separately, including $79.99 a year for Professional Subscription and $1,995.95 as a one-time purchase for Enterprise.
WinSCP
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.