ES File Manager Review: Our Rating 5/10

ES File Manager is good at a lot of things and one of those things is can do is FTP and you can use it to manage your files efficiently and easily.  It was hard to review ES File Explorer because it does so many things well but for the purposes of this review the scope is limited to its FTP capabilities. We have reviewed the free  version,  the paid version adds value by removing ads, allowing for more GUI customization and you are  first to receive updated content.  It has language support for English, Russian, Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Czech, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Tamil, Catalan, Turkish, Lithuanian, Portuguese

Key Features

Features Supported Rating 1-5
Cost Free version or $3.50 USD 5
Fast Transfer Speed Extremely fast,  it does not actually download the file but moves it into your cache and you can copy or delete it from there. 3
Ease of Upload/download Download is as simple as selecting the file or folder from your FTP site.  Upload is not available. 5
Multiple Protocols Only standard FTP is available 1
Site Managing You can have multiple sites and can easily switch between with only 1 active at a time to access content 4
Direct media file upload Not supported but will open a downloaded file if you have the correct program installed. 1
Search Capabilities Can search your FTP site folders but will also search your phone at the same time 3
File sharing capabilities Not supported 0
Resume Support No resume support as the program does not actually download to your phone. 0
Log No logs for FTP 0
OS Support Android 5
Overall rating ES File Explorer does download and allow you to view files however this the extent of its FTP capabilities. 2

 

Additional features

Inbuilt Editor for text, CSV and HTML files Not supported
Multiple concurrent sites Multiple sites but not concurrent
Lock app with password Not supported
Text encoding Not supported
Mobile FTP account bookmark for site as well as default remote directory that you are logged into Not supported

Features

ES File Explorer has a ton of features,  it is a fully functional file explorer, app manager, root manager it can do many other things like stream videos to your TV via a Chromecast plugin or play them on it inbuilt video player. One feature that was eye catching and its biggest highlight is the ability to create an ad hoc FTP server with any PC to manage your phones files.

Critique

ES File Explorer does a lot, and I do mean a lot of stuff well, however FTP is not one of them. The ability to turn your phone into an FTP server to manage local files by connecting your phone and laptop does add a certain value but still does not equal to an Internet wide FTP client.   It does allow access to the cloud via retail programs such as Sugarsync but not as a true FTP client.

Summary

It is obvious from the name ES File Explorer that it was designed to be a File explorer program and it does that extremely well and it has a host of other great features that are beyond the scope of this review. That being said as a standalone FTP client used daily to upload and download files it really only accomplishes download. If you are looking for a fully functional FTP client,  ES File Explorer should be near the bottom of the list.

References

ES File Explorer on Google Play

Makeuseof.com ES File Explorer Review

estrongs.com ES File Explorer manual

Click Here for more FTP Client Reviews

Getting Started
Signing up for a Free Trial
Basic steps to Setup
Purchasing your account
Choosing the right account type: Enterprise and SMB
Logging into your account
How to login with a Web Browser
How to Login to an FTP client via FTP
How to Login to an FTP Client via SFTP
Logging in by FTP URL with Username and Password
Reset and change your password
How to Update an Expired Password
Administrator Initial Setup
Account-level options
Force Secure Protocols only (FTPS/HTTPS/SFTP)
Enabling a Password Policy
Enabling CJIS Compliance Policy
Add IP whitelisting
Configuring Web Access
Configuring FTP/SFTP Access
Implementing Multiple Administrators
Branding
Adding branding to your account
Branding Contact Logins
Creating a Custom Subdomain (ftp.yourdomain.com)
Web Interface
Home Tab
Files Tab
Contacts Tab
Users Tab
Plugin Tab
Setup Tab
Adding a User or Contact
Adding a Contact by Email Address
Add a User by Email Address
Add a User by Username
Using Groups
Account setup PDF Guides (*.pdf)
Activated Account Limits
Shared Folders
Configuring for Restricted Shared Folders (FUSN)
Creating Folder Structures for Sharing
Detailed Steps to Sharing Files/Folders
Managing Shared Folder Privileges
Add real-time notifications to uploads/downloads
Audit logs and Real-time Reports
Using Real-time Reports
Example Report Filters
More Example Report Filters
Exporting a Report
Enable audit logs for logins, file transfers, and deletes
Accessing and viewing your audit logs
Steps to sharing the logs folder
Anonymous Access
Creating A Public Link
Anonymously Sharing Files and Folders
Transferring Files
Uploading Files by Web Browser
Uploading Files by FTP Client
Download your FTP/SFTP server files from any browser
Download files with an FTP client
Using the Send function to securely send files through a web-based link
Using the Send function from your Files tab
Managing Mail Events (Send and Receive function)
Drag & Drop
Uploading Multiple Files with Drag and Drop
Enabling Drag & Drop on Legacy IE Browsers
Website Plugin
Integrating the Upload Plugin into your Website and Business
Web Plugin Overview and Guide
Plugin Brand Customization
Embed the Plugin into Your Website
Adding Additional Security (CAPTCHA, Password)
Security and Compliance Info
Security Model Overview
Security Model Details
Multi-Factor Authentication
MFA Initial setup for a standard user by Admin
MFA by User (Multi-Factor Authentication)
MFA reset on managed user
MFA reset on a standard user
SSO
Configuring Single Sign-On (SSO) for your account
Configuring Okta with OpenID
Configuring AzureAD with OpenID
Enabling Single Sign-On (SSO) for user logins
Certificate & Host Key Info
SSL Certificate Info
Trusting the Hosted~FTP~ SSL Certificate
SSL Server Test
FTPS Host Keys
SFTP (RSA/DSA) Host Keys
Configuring PKI Support
Compliance Info
GDPR
WCAG 2.0
SOC2
CJIS
HIPAA
Bundle Features
Hosted~FTP~ vs. AWS Transfer Family
Group vs. Enterprise bundle features
Enterprise T1 vs. T2 Bundle Comparison
Enterprise T2 Plan Features
Different user types and function comparisons
Difference between users and contacts
Sync Feature
Configuring a Sync to SFTP Gateway
Configuring a Sync to S3 Gateway
Regular expressions with Sync feature
File Retention Policy
Configuring a File Retention Policy
File Retention Policy Examples
Account Management
Purchasing your account
Payments & Billing
Choosing a payment plan
Renewing an expired account
Changing a Bundle or Payment Plan
Changing Credit Card Information
Reviewing billing statements
Trial Account Limits
How is Storage Calculated?
Reviewing account resources and usage
Switching Account Bundles
Changing the Account Administrator
Administrator Access to User Accounts
Cancelling an Account
FTP/FTPS/SFTP Connections
Hosted~FTP~ IP Addresses
SFTP (RSA/DSA) Host Keys
Connect with Plain FTP
Connect with Secure FTPS/SFTP
Connecting with an FTP Client
FTP vs FTPS vs SFTP
Command Line (CLI)
How to connect to your remote site using the command line
How to login to SFTP with one line on Linux
Understanding FTP commands in the command line
Connecting through SFTP by Command Line (CMD)
Using PKI keys to connect to Hosted~FTP~ on linux
Importing PuttyGen PKI Keys to Linux
FTP/FTPeS command line error codes and their meaning
Windows Network Locations
Add Network Location Windows XP
Add Network Location Windows 10/8/7
MAC
Connecting from a Mac Computer Terminal
FileZilla
Using Filezilla with FTP/FTPS
Using FileZilla with SFTP
WebDrive
Connecting to WebDrive
Using WebDrive
WinSCP
Installing WinSCP
Uploading & Downloading with WinSCP
WinSCP Scripting
Executing WINSCP script from a saved site
Executing WINSCP script without a saved site
Transfer new and updated files only
Backup Scripts with WinSCP
Keep Folders up to date
AndFTP
Uploading & Downloading with AndFTP
Searching, Resume Support & Third-party Sharing with AndFTP
FTP, SFTP Use Cases in Industries
EDI document transfers
Integrating the Upload Plugin into your Website and Business
Accounting
Technology
Energy
Healthcare
Printing
Media
Analytics
Retail
Architecture
Finance
Legal
Construction
Education
Engineering
Insurance
Manufacturing
Real Estate
Call Center
Best Practices
Use Cases
Exporting EDI files to FTP for download
User Optimization
Create a Managed User
Giving a User Read-only Access
Giving a User Full Access
Default FTP Folder Destination
Set a 0GB Storage Quota
Deleting a User and Keeping their Files
Importing Multiple Users & Shared Folders
Importing Users in Bulk – Syntax and Definitions
Importing Restricted Shared Folders in Bulk – Syntax and Definitions
Detailed Steps and Example Templates for Importing
Exporting a User List
Combine multiple audit logs
Managing FTP Files and Storage in your Account
Moving Files from a User to an Administrator
Video Tutorials
QuickStart
FUSN
Branding
Web Interface
Home Tab
Files Tab
Web Plugin
AndFTP
AndFTP – Connecting, uploading and downloading
AndFTP – Searching, resume support and third-party sharing
WinSCP
WinSCP – Downloading, Installing and Understanding
WinSCP – Connecting with FTP, FTPS, SFTP, uploading and downloading
WinSCP Backup Script
CyberDuck
Cyberduck– Connecting with FTP,FTPS, SFTP, Uploading and Downloading
Cyberduck– Quick Look, Transfer Queue and Synchronizing
Cyberduck – Bookmarks, Editing and using Multiple Connections
FileZilla
FileZilla -Downloading, Installing and Understanding FileZilla
FileZilla – Connecting with FTP, FTPS, SFTP and uploading and downloading
FileZilla – Importing/Exporting Site Connections, Editing and Logs
FileZilla Tools – Bookmarking, Searching, using Multiple Connections
Our FTP Client Reviews
Desktop FTP Client Summary
Mobile FTP Client Summary
PSFTP Review : Our Rating 7.5/10
NetDrive Review: Our Rating 8.5/10
Filezilla Review: Our Rating 9/10
AndFTP Review:Our Rating 7.8/10
ES File Manager Review: Our Rating 5/10
FTP Ready Review:Our Rating 5/10
FTP On The Go Review:Our Rating 8/10
CyberDuck Review: Our Rating 9/10
Classic FTP Review: Our Rating 8/10
WebDrive Review: Our Rating 9.5/10
Fling FTP Review: Our Rating 9/10
SmartFTP Review: Our Rating 7/10
MultCloud Review: Our Rating 10/10
Troubleshooting
Hosted~FTP~ Quota Messages and Definitions
Error: QUOTA_USER_STORAGE or QUOTA_USER_BANDWIDTH
FTP/FTPeS command line error codes and their meaning
Troubleshooting FTP in the command line and common errors.
No matching host key found
Storage Quota Notification: Remedial action
Troubleshooting FTP in the command line and common errors.
Troubleshooting “Can’t verify publisher”
Troubleshooting Drag and Drop
Drag and Drop Troubleshooting for Mac
Troubleshooting FTP/SFTP client connection problems
Troubleshooting slow upload speeds on Windows
No matching host key found
File not visible to admin
File uploaded successfully but not visible in account
Usernames – Guidelines and Restrictions
Download Center
Contact Sales & Support
Joining GoToMeeting by Browser
Joining GoToMeeting by Client