Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

sshfs VS FileZilla

Compare sshfs VS FileZilla and see what are their differences

sshfs logo sshfs

This is a filesystem client based on the SSH File Transfer Protocol.

FileZilla logo FileZilla

FileZilla is an FTP, or file transfer protocol, client. It lets individuals transfer single files or batches to a web server. For many years, FTP was the standard for website design. Read more about FileZilla.
  • sshfs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-26
  • FileZilla Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-13

sshfs features and specs

  • Remote File Access
    SSHFS allows you to mount remote directories over SSH, enabling seamless access to files on a remote server as if they were on your local machine.
  • Security
    Relying on SSH for data transmission ensures encrypted and secure communication between the client and server, protecting against eavesdropping and tampering.
  • Ease of Use
    Setting up SSHFS is straightforward for those already familiar with SSH, making it a convenient solution for remote file handling without needing additional configurations.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    SSHFS can be used across various Unix-like systems and has ports for macOS and Windows, offering broad compatibility for different environments.
  • Portability
    As SSHFS builds on SSH, it can be used almost anywhere SSH is available, providing flexibility in working across different networks and setups.

Possible disadvantages of sshfs

  • Performance
    Since SSHFS relies on SSH for data transfer, it may not perform as well as traditional network file systems, particularly over high-latency connections.
  • Limited Functionality
    SSHFS might not support all functionalities of a full-fledged network file system, such as advanced file locking mechanisms or sophisticated permission management.
  • Dependency on SSH
    The effectiveness of SSHFS is contingent upon SSH configurations and permissions, which can limit usability if not properly set up.
  • Potential Security Risks
    If SSH access is compromised or not sufficiently secured, the data accessed over SSHFS is at risk, underscoring the need for robust SSH security practices.
  • Mount Stability
    In the event of network interruptions or SSH session drops, SSHFS mounts can become unstable or unresponsive, requiring remounting or manual intervention.

FileZilla features and specs

  • Cross-Platform
    FileZilla is available on multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, which makes it accessible and versatile for users across different platforms.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    FileZilla has an intuitive and clean interface that allows both beginners and advanced users to navigate and use its features efficiently.
  • Supports Multiple Protocols
    It supports FTP, FTPS, and SFTP, allowing users to choose the most appropriate protocol for their needs.
  • Large File Support
    FileZilla is capable of transferring files larger than 4GB, which is beneficial for users dealing with large data sets.
  • Drag and Drop
    Users can easily drag and drop files between the local and remote servers, making it easier to manage file transfers.
  • Bookmarking
    FileZilla allows the setting of bookmarks for easy and repeat access to frequently visited directories.
  • Resume and Transfer Queue
    It supports resuming interrupted transfers and has a comprehensive transfer queue that enables batch processing.
  • Directory Comparison
    The tool provides a directory comparison feature which helps in identifying differences between local and remote directories.

Possible disadvantages of FileZilla

  • Security Concerns
    FileZilla downloads can sometimes bundle additional adware or unwanted software during installation if not downloaded from the official website.
  • No Built-in Encryption
    FileZilla does not offer built-in encryption for storing site credentials, posing a potential security risk.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    While it is feature-rich, some more advanced functionalities available in enterprise-level FTP clients are not present in FileZilla.
  • Interface Dated
    While functional, some users feel the design of FileZilla’s interface is somewhat outdated compared to modern application standards.
  • Complex for New Users
    Despite its user-friendly interface, setting up FTP connections and configuring settings can be complex for users with little technical knowledge.
  • Community Support
    Being an open-source project, user support is primarily community-driven which might not be as prompt or comprehensive as professional support in commercial software.

sshfs videos

Mounting Remote Filesystems With SSHFS

More videos:

  • Review - sshfs - Mount Network Share over SSH - Linux CLI
  • Review - Hak5 - Build Secure Online Storage - SSHFS, File Systems, Fuse and Userland, Hak5 1111 part1

FileZilla videos

How to Use FileZilla (FTP Tutorial)

More videos:

  • Review - FileZilla Review: The Best FTP Client Available [HD]
  • Review - Filezilla FTP Client Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to sshfs and FileZilla)
FTP Client
15 15%
85% 85
File Transfer
4 4%
96% 96
Cloud Storage
100 100%
0% 0
Web Service Automation
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare sshfs and FileZilla

sshfs Reviews

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FileZilla Reviews

  1. Review

    Ugh, website updates used to be such a hassle! Maybe FileZilla doesn't have every fancy feature out there, but for someone like me who just needs to update their website photos and stuff, FileZilla is a total rockstar.

    👍 Pros:    Fast
    👎 Cons:    Nothing, so far

10 Best FTP Clients for WordPress Users (Mac and Windows)
One of the most popular names in the FTP game is Filezilla. Not only is FileZilla free and easy to download, but it doesn’t take long to understand the inner workings of the entire system. Although FileZilla has a bit of an outdated interface, all users are able to link to their site files and place them next to what’s being stored on a computer.
Source: kinsta.com
7 Best FileZilla Alternatives to Use in 2022
FileZilla is free software and an FTP application which consists of FileZilla Client and FileZilla Server. While using an FTP client, the user can upload, delete, rename, move, copy, and download files via a remote server.
Source: techdator.net
6 FileZilla Alternatives for Safe File Transfers
This free, open-source, and popular FTP client for Windowsuses FTP, FTPS, SFTP, SCP, S3, and WebDAV file transfer protocols to copy files between local and remote computers (beyond the options FileZilla offers). Featuring file encryption, a command-line interface, connection tunneling, an integrated text editor that enables you to edit local and remote text files, and...
7 FileZilla Alternatives: What Type of FTP Client Are You Looking for?
FileZilla, one of the most mature FTP clients, is a free, open-source program for transferring files. It is easy to connect to your FTP site with FileZilla. FileZilla works with any operating system, has a simple interface and all of the basic features you would expect from a top FTP client including support for FTPS and SFTP transfers.
6 FileZilla Alternatives for Secure File Transfer
FileZilla comes up early in searches for FTP and SFTP clients, but viable free and proprietary Filezilla alternatives do exist — some of them with more intuitive interfaces, better features, or connections to more tools.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, FileZilla should be more popular than sshfs. It has been mentiond 82 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

sshfs mentions (34)

  • Sshfs for Windows
    What are you basing that on? It had a release in 2022 and last commit is 7 months old. It probably hasn't needed any new features in a while. I'm not sure how often it would need security updates. Ah, I see now there's a note in the README[0]. It sounds more like it's in maintenance mode / understaffed than completely abandoned, but I suppose it's worth being aware of. Sshfs has been a killer feature for me on my... - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • How do you setup your gnome extension development environment?
    Sshfs - allows us mount a remote filesystem using SFTP. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • The Cheapest NAS
    I use sshfs. If you can login via ssh then you can mount the remote server through ssh as a local drive. https://github.com/libfuse/sshfs For added security I limit my home ssh access to a handful of trusted IPs including my cloud VM. Then I set up an ssh tunnel from my hotel through the cloud VM to home. The cloud VM never sees my password / key. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Rclone syncs your files to cloud storage
    > It's replaced sshfs for some cases. I'd been using sshfs for some years until I learned that rclone can mount remotes to the file system, and I've been using that happily since then. https://rclone.org/commands/rclone_mount/ > at present SSHFS does not have any active, regular contributors, and there are a number of known issues - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • A currently maintained fork of SSHFS
    Interesting, I alaways assumed sshfs was part of OpenSSH, learn something new every day. Also, looks like sshfs used in Slackware is abandoned. https://github.com/libfuse/sshfs A quote from the link, I wonder if this project will be the 'one': >If you would like to take over this project, you are welcome to do so. Please fork it and develop the fork for a while. Once... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

FileZilla mentions (82)

  • SFTP Client using .NET
    Once can create an SFTP server by following the instructions for their operating system. For instance, here is how to do it on Ubuntu/Debian. Also, one can use a readily available sftp server such as FileZilla's. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Ask HN: What are your favorite tiny, single purpose tools?
    Just about everything you want to know about sun and moon data for any location. Also a world clock, time zones, timers, calculators, even weather. https://filezilla-project.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Beginner IoT project: LED Web trigger
    References: Felipe Flop’s website https://www.filipeflop.com/blog/controle-monitoramento-iot-nodemcu-e-mqtt/ accessed on 01/27/2018. Eclipse server for MQTT Broker https://iot.eclipse.org/ accessed on 01/27/2018. Mosquitto https://mosquitto.org/ accessed on 01/27/2018. Cloud MQTT https://www.cloudmqtt.com/ accessed on 01/27/2018. DuckDNS https://www.duckdns.org/ accessed on 01/27/2018. Proftpd... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • How to Setup a Minecraft Server on Ubuntu: A Step-by-Step Guide
    You may choose to download the files locally and then upload them to your server using another client like WinSCP or FileZilla, but the simplest way would be to use wget with the download link as below:. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • What You Need to Know About Domain and Hosting
    ===> Click here to buy Fetch! ===> Click here to download Filezilla. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing sshfs and FileZilla, you can also consider the following products

Rclone - rsync for cloud storage.

WinSCP - WinSCP is an open source free SFTP client and FTP client for Windows.

Cyberduck - A libre FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, S3, Backblaze B2, Azure & OpenStack Swift browser.

WinFsp - WinFsp, Windows File System Proxy, is a set of software components for Windows computers that...

Forklift - The most advanced dual pane file manager and file transfer client for macOS.

SSHFS-Win - SSHFS-Win is a minimal port of SSHFS to Windows.