The best SFTP client for Mac in 2026

Five SFTP clients tested on macOS — drag-and-drop, remote editing, multi-protocol, native feel. Which one to pick for your workflow.

macOS does not include a built-in graphical SFTP client. The Finder does not natively connect to SFTP servers, and `scp` from Terminal is fine for one-off transfers but slow for the back-and-forth file editing many sysadmins do daily. So you need a third-party tool. The market splits in two: dedicated multi-protocol file transfer apps (Cyberduck, Transmit, FileZilla, ForkLift) and SSH-suite tools that bundle SFTP next to a terminal (SSHive). The right pick depends on whether you also need SSH/RDP/VNC in the same window.

#1 — Our pick if you also do SSH: SSHive

SSHive's SFTP file manager lives in the same window as the SSH terminal: dual-pane local-vs-remote browser, drag-and-drop from Finder, built-in remote text editor (CodeMirror), bulk operations, transfer progress with speed. The killer feature is workflow integration — fix a config in the SSHive editor, restart the service in the SSHive terminal next to it, in the same session. If you only need pure SFTP and never touch SSH, dedicated apps below may be a better fit.

Download SSHive Free See features

The pure SFTP / file-transfer alternatives

Cyberduck

Free, donation-supported

Multi-protocol file transfer (SFTP, FTP, FTPS, WebDAV, S3, Azure, Google Cloud) with a free open-source core.

Transmit

Paid one-time license (per major version)

A polished, fast SFTP/FTP client made by Panic — the best UX in the category, paid.

ForkLift

Paid one-time or subscription

Dual-pane file manager that doubles as an SFTP client, with cloud-storage support.

FileZilla

Free, open source

Cross-platform veteran (Windows, Mac, Linux) — works fine, dated UI, free.

Why combining SFTP and SSH in one window is worth it

No more app-juggling

Editing a config and restarting a service is a single workflow. With Cyberduck + Terminal, that is two apps and a constant Cmd+Tab. With SSHive's integrated panes, both are one click apart.

Same auth, same Keychain

SFTP runs over the SSH connection. SSHive stores SSH credentials in the macOS Keychain via Touch ID — the SFTP pane uses the same auth automatically. No re-typing passwords, no separate credentials per protocol.

Native to Mac, iPhone, iPad

SSHive's SFTP works on iPhone and iPad too, with profiles synced from Mac. Cyberduck and Transmit are Mac-only on the Apple side; FileZilla has a separate Android version.

Frequently asked questions

Does SSHive support FTP, FTPS, WebDAV or S3?+

No — SSHive is SFTP-only on the file-transfer side. For FTP, FTPS, WebDAV, S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, use Cyberduck or Transmit instead. If 95% of your transfers are SFTP, SSHive is the right tool.

Can I edit remote files in place with SSHive?+

Yes. Double-click any text file in the SFTP pane and it opens in SSHive's built-in CodeMirror editor. Cmd+S writes back to the server. Binary files open in the macOS default app via a temp file SSHive watches; saving uploads back automatically.

How fast are SFTP transfers in SSHive?+

On gigabit Ethernet, SFTP saturates the link (110-120 MB/s) given a fast remote disk and AES-NI-capable cipher. Bottlenecks are usually the remote storage IOPS and CPU for SSH encryption, not the client. SSHive uses parallel chunked transfers (4 streams by default) to maximize throughput on high-latency links.

Try SSHive Free for macOS

Get the all-in-one SSH, SFTP, RDP and VNC client for Mac. Free download, no signup required.

Download SSHive Free