Filezilla Review: Our Rating 9/10

FileZilla is open source software distributed free of charge under the terms of the GNU General Public License.  Filezilla is one of the most used FTP programs on the web simply because it is free and is capable of most FTP operations.  Filezilla can be installed on, Mac, Windows and Linux with language support for almost any language.

Key Features

Features Supported Rating 1-5
Cost Free  
Fast Transfer Speed

 

Transferred 200Mb file over decent Wifi connection

Wifi

Download took approximately 7m10s averaging 490kbps

Upload took approximately 9m15s averaging 385kbps

 

Verdict : File transfer are fast and depend on your ISP speed and the speed available from your hoster

5
Ease of Upload/download Filezillas drag and drop approach makes transferring files as simple as if you were using your Windows explorer interface 5
Multiple Protocols

 

Supports FTP, SFTP, FTPS 5
Site Managing Comprehensive site manager allows for configuration of multiple FTP connections each with their own individual settings

5
Direct media file upload Can upload any files that are on your PC. 5
Search Capabilities Very comprehensive search where you can specify a search on your PC or your FTPsite 5
File sharing capabilities Not supported – All transfers are done via FTP, no direct to email or media sharing options. 0
Resume Support All downloads and uploads appear in the Transfer que so it is very easy to resume or pause downloads 5
Log Yes it is not enabled by default but you can create a logfile in the Settings menu 4
OS Support Windows, Mac and Linux 5
Overall rating Filezilla does FTP very well,  it is well supported and has many users as a result.  It was easy to set up, easy to use and the transfers were fast. 4.4/5

 

Additional features

Inbuilt Editor for text, CSV and HTML files You can edit files from your FTP site but it is very limited and will not open in the program it was created in
Multiple concurrent sites If you open another connection it will open another tab on your client to run at the same time
Text encoding Full support for text encoding,  it can be set to auto or you can specify ASCII, UTF-8, UTF-16 and others
FTP account bookmark for site as well as default remote directory that you are logged into The bookmark menu allows you to create bookmarks for FTP sites or even connect directly into a folder on your FTP site
Additional rating The extra features add value and speed to everyday use of this FTP client and seeing as it was already free is definitely worth using and supporting.

Features

Upon opening FileZilla your first step would be to access the Site manager from the File menu and set up your FTP client with the usual hostname, username and password.  Once you have logged into your FTP server you can see all your files displayed in a manner similar to the Windows File Explorer most people are familiar with.

Filezilla has the ability to connect to multiple sites with multiple different protocols which makes it quick and to transfer multiple files between multiple sites, simply by switching tabs.  The bookmark option from the command ribbon makes it even easier to switch between sites and  effectively removes the need for multiple FTP clients. A connection log is visible a the top of the viewing panes and you can have log files created through the option menu which makes it easy to track your files and activity.

The customizable viewing panels make it more straight forward to keep track of each site and to upload using drag and drop. Adding and removing files and folders is accomplished with dragging and dropping the files over and adding and deleting is accomplished with the usual right click.

Filezilla supports FTP, FTPS and sFTP with the ability to specify which protocol you wish to use as well as choosing active or passive mode. You can easily transfer or download files from your FTP server, create folders and add and delete files directly from the client.

There are many support sites and the built in help documentation is actually quite helpful. The Auto binary ASCII detect feature makes it easy to transfer files between multiple operating systems without losing any of your data and you can further customize file type classification.

Criticism

Filezilla does not have many advanced features as some other well known FTP programs such as a sync option  or the ability to easily edit different types of files.  There have been complaints of Malware being installed along with the Filezilla client but I found the installer gives you the option to decline the optional software (which does not affect your installation).

There has also been a minor uproar that Filezilla announced they would now store FTP usernames and passwords in a plain text file on your PC as of version 3.0 and onwards.  This vulnerability can be exploited if someone gains access to your local machine but your FTP transfers would still be as secure as the protocol you selected.

Summary

Filezilla is a free program that anyone can use without much of a learning curve.  It is easy to set up and since there are so many users that means there are many support websites.  This is a solid go to FTP program for anyone looking a complete and easy to use File Transfer Protocol program.

Additional resources and references:

G2 Cloud Filezilla review

Wikipedia review

Techrepublic FTP Review

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
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 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
Hosted FTP 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
MFA by User (Multi-Factor Authentication)
MFA Initial setup for a standard user by Admin
MFA reset on managed user
MFA reset on a standard user
Configuring Single Sign-On (SSO) for your account
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
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
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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