Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

sshfs VS gFTP

Compare sshfs VS gFTP and see what are their differences

sshfs logo sshfs

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

gFTP logo gFTP

gFTP is a free multithreaded ftp client for *NIX based machines running X11R6 or later.
  • sshfs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-26
  • gFTP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-22

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.

gFTP features and specs

  • Cross-platform Support
    gFTP is available for multiple operating systems, including Unix-like systems and Windows, which makes it versatile for users across different platforms.
  • User-friendly Interface
    It offers a graphical user interface that is easy to navigate, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced users.
  • Multiple Protocol Support
    gFTP supports a variety of protocols such as FTP, FTPS, HTTP, HTTPS, and SSH, providing flexibility in handling different types of file transfer requirements.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source software, gFTP allows users to modify and customize the application according to their needs, and it’s free of charge.
  • Lightweight
    gFTP is known for being a lightweight application, which makes it suitable for systems with limited resources.

Possible disadvantages of gFTP

  • Limited Development
    The development of gFTP is not as active or frequent compared to other modern FTP clients, which may lead to lack of new features and slow bug fixes.
  • Basic Functionality
    While it covers essential file transfer needs, gFTP lacks advanced features offered by more modern FTP clients.
  • Linux-centric Focus
    Although there is a version for Windows, gFTP primarily targets Linux users, which means that Windows users might not get the same level of support or optimization.
  • Outdated Interface
    The user interface of gFTP may seem outdated to users who are accustomed to more contemporary designs of modern software.
  • Limited Documentation
    There might be a lack of comprehensive documentation or community resources compared to more popular file transfer solutions.

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

gFTP videos

gFTP Client Project

More videos:

  • Review - Using gFTP Client to Access My Home Personal Cloud
  • Review - GUI SSH/FTP with gFTP

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to sshfs and gFTP)
FTP Client
67 67%
33% 33
Cloud Storage
100 100%
0% 0
File Transfer
35 35%
65% 65
Web Service Automation
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, sshfs seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 34 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 / 11 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

gFTP mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of gFTP yet. Tracking of gFTP recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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.

Rclone - rsync for cloud storage.

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

win-sshfs - Mount a unix server location as a virtual Windows drive

RaiDrive - Mount NAS, Router, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox to a network drive or file explorer.