Need an FTP client for WordPress? If you’re trying to find the best solution for transferring files to your WordPress site, you’ve probably come across a bunch of FTP clients that claim they are the best.
There’s a whole host of FTP clients available on the market, including free and paid versions. We’ve personally used all of the FTP clients mentioned in this article to upload files from our computers to our WordPress site.
We’ve analyzed and tested ease of use, price, and functions to give you an overview of the best FTP client for WordPress. Whilst it isn’t necessary to use an FTP client for WordPress, it can be a very useful tool to fix some common problems or move large amounts of files across to your website or online store.
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What Is An FTP Client?
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) provides a secure way of transferring files from one location to another. This could be transferring files from one folder on your PC to another folder, or uploading files from your PC to a directory on a server.
An FTP client is an application that you can download to use on your desktop. It offers a basic interface where you can navigate through folders, and connect to servers.
Using an FTP client for your WordPress website allows you to copy, delete, upload, download, rename, and edit files on your WordPress site.
How To Use An FTP Client for WordPress
To connect to your WordPress website you’ll need an FTP username and password. When you first sign up for your web hosting account, you’ll be provided the information on your control panel or in your welcome email.
If you’ve signed up to Bluehost, for example, your’ll find your FTP information in the following locations:
- Domain or IP Address: To be used in the “FTP address” field. You can locate this in the Stats section of your cPanel on the left-hand side.
- Username: This is the same as cPanel or the FTP account created
- Password: The password you set up for cPanel or the FTP account created
- Port: Port 21
Once you’ve obtained your FTP information, you can launch your FTP client. Here you’ll need to enter your host (domain name), username, password, and port. Click the connect button to connect to your WordPress website, hosted with Bluehost.
If you don’t enter a port into the port field, your FTP client will automatically connect to port 21. However, you can use port 22 to connect to your WordPress website’s server using SFTP. This encrypts any information before sending it across to your web server which reduces hackers stealing your information.
6 Best FTP Client for WordPress
FTP clients are available for both Windows and Mac users. They all offer different interfaces and features, but have one thing in common, and that’s the safe transfer of your files. We’ve rounded up the 6 best FTP clients in 2023 to make it easier for you to decide which one is right for you.
1. WinSCP (Best Overall FTP Client)
WinSCP
WinSCP is incredibly easy to use and offers features for beginners and advanced users. This FTP client is perfect for Windows, dividing sections up into easily digestible areas. On the left you'll find your files and folders on your computer, and to the right you'll have access to the server files you're connected to. WinSCP supports SFTP, SSH, and FTP. WinSCP is free to use for Windows users.
2. Cyberduck (Best For Mac)
Cyberduck
Cyberduck is available for Mac and Windows and is popular due to how easy it is to use. It integrates seamlessly with MacOS and supports Mac features giving you the ability to store login credentials in keychain. Cyberduck is free to use and intuitively displays your computer's file names with all of their extensions.
3. FileZilla (Best For Beginners)
FileZilla
FileZilla is probably the easiest FTP client to use. It's free and available on Windows, Mac, and Linux. With the click of a button you can open any folder on your PC to reveal its files. To the right you'll see any files/folders associated with the server you're connected to. It features simple drag and drop transfer and is notoriously reliable. Be careful when downloading FileZilla to uncheck the adware boxes upon install.
4. Transmit (Best For Web Developers)
Transmit
Transmit is available for Mac users only, and is particularly popular among web developers. They have a free version and a paid version that costs $34. It offers plenty of advanced features like folder syncing, disk features, etc. Transmit integrates well with Mac, allowing you to add shortcuts to Finder so you can quickly access them. Transmit supports FTP, SFTP, and SSH connections.
5. Free FTP (Best For Windows)
Free FTP
Despite its name, Free FTP has a free and a paid version of its FTP client. The paid version is $39 and is extremely popular among Windows users. It's quick and easy to learn how to use Free FTP and is often rated for how beginner-friendly it is. Free FTP supports FTP, SFTP, and FTPS, and offers a history feature so you can find where you have stored previous files.
6. WS_FTP Professional (Best For Commercial Use)
WS_FTP Professional
One of the most popular FTP clients among commercial users, WS_FTP Professional is priced at $49.95 and is for Windows users only. It comes with enterprise grade security with 256-bit AES, SSH, and OpenPGP file encryption for file transfers. You can search for any files or folders using the search feature and easily drag and drop files to transfer.
Final Thoughts
I hope you’ve found our round up of the best FTP client for WordPress useful. Remember, an FTP client isn’t essential for WordPress, but it can be very handy, especially for developers.
There’s a wide range of FTP clients available, including paid and free versions. When installing any FTP client you should be aware of any addons that could potentially install adware to your computer; this is especially relevant for beginners who may not know what they are looking for.