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FTP & FTPS

Plain FTP and FTPS over AUTH TLS in the same dual-pane file browser as SFTP. Apple removed the ftp command from macOS in 2017, and this puts the protocol back with a real interface.

Apple removed the ftp command from macOS with High Sierra in 2017, along with telnet and for the same reason: neither encrypts anything. The servers stayed, and many of them still offer nothing else. SSHive speaks FTP and FTPS in the same two-pane file browser it uses for SFTP: create a file-transfer profile and choose FTP or FTPS as its protocol. Drag and drop, folder uploads and downloads, rename, delete, new folder, remote search and the conflict dialog (replace, keep both or skip) behave the same whichever protocol sits underneath, so an older server does not mean learning a second file manager. Downloads go to your Downloads folder by default, written as a partial file and renamed once complete: an interrupted download never passes for a finished file, and Retry still works after SSHive has been restarted. FTPS here means explicit FTPS (AUTH TLS): the client connects on the usual port 21, then switches the connection to TLS. Use it whenever the server offers it, because plain FTP sends the password in clear text, exactly as Telnet does, and the profile dialog warns you when you pick it. One limit is worth knowing before you rely on FTPS: SSHive does not check the server's certificate, so for sensitive transfers SFTP remains the safer protocol. FTP and FTPS are part of the Mac app only and need nothing more than outgoing TCP and TLS, so they work in the Mac App Store version with no special permission.

Where it runs and what it costs

Runs on
Mac only
Free
Yes, with uploads up to 10 MB per file, as for SFTP.
Pro
$12.99 once, for Mac, iPhone and iPad. No limit on upload size.
Compare Free and Pro

Key capabilities

FTP and explicit FTPS (AUTH TLS) in the same two-pane browser as SFTP

Drag and drop, folder transfers, rename, delete, remote search and a replace / keep both / skip conflict dialog

A warning in the profile when you choose plain FTP, which sends passwords in clear text

Downloads written as a partial file and renamed on completion, so Retry works after a restart

Where FTP has not gone away

Shared hosting and legacy web servers

Many hosting plans still hand you FTP credentials and no SSH access at all. Deploying a site, fixing a stylesheet or pulling down a backup then means FTP or FTPS, and on a Mac that used to mean installing a separate client just for this one account.

NAS boxes, printers and scanners

Office hardware that scans to a folder usually does it over FTP, and the NAS receiving those files often exposes FTP alongside SMB. When a scan does not arrive, connecting to the same FTP target with the same credentials is the fastest way to find out whether the problem is the device, the path or the permissions.

Industrial and embedded equipment

Controllers, data loggers and machine-vision systems often include an FTP server and nothing else, because that is how they were designed and certified years ago. Retrieving a log or pushing a recipe file is then an FTP job, whether or not anyone would build it that way today.

FTP and FTPS, frequently asked questions

What is the difference between FTP, FTPS and SFTP?+
FTP is the original protocol, from 1971, with a control connection and separate data connections, and no encryption anywhere. FTPS is that same protocol wrapped in TLS: explicit FTPS, the kind SSHive uses, connects normally and then issues AUTH TLS to upgrade. SFTP is unrelated despite the name: it is a subsystem of SSH, runs over a single encrypted connection on port 22, and verifies the server by its host key. If the server offers SFTP, prefer it. If it offers FTPS, use that rather than plain FTP. Plain FTP should be a last resort on a network you control.
Does SSHive verify the FTPS certificate?+
No. The TLS layer encrypts the traffic, so someone who is only listening on the network learns nothing. But a self-signed or mismatched certificate is accepted without a warning, so an attacker able to intercept and answer the connection could present their own certificate and be believed. For transfers where that matters, use SFTP over SSH: SSHive checks the server's host key and warns you when it changes.
Why does a large folder transfer feel sequential?+
Because FTP handles one transfer at a time on a connection. An FTP session has a single control connection, and the server runs one data transfer on it at a time, so SSHive queues the operations of a session instead of starting them together. A folder download or a recursive delete still works; its files simply go one after the other. The SFTP protocol does not have this constraint.
Is FTP free, or does it need Pro?+
Browsing, downloading and managing remote files over FTP and FTPS is in the free tier. Uploads are where the free limit applies: files above 10 MB need Pro, exactly as they do for SFTP, because the two protocols share the same transfer path. The free tier's profile and session counts apply as usual.
Is FTP available on iPhone and iPad?+
No. FTP and FTPS are part of the Mac app only; on iPhone and iPad, file transfers use SFTP, and downloads can be saved to the Files app. With iCloud sync on, an FTP profile created on the Mac shows up there marked as not supported, and stays intact for the Mac.

Related SSHive features

SFTP File Manager

Drag & drop file manager

SSH Terminal

GPU-accelerated terminal

Telnet client

RFC 854 terminal for legacy equipment

Step-by-step guides

How to use SFTP on a Mac (drag & drop, free)

See also

Try FTP & FTPS in SSHive

Download SSHiveSee all features