Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

sshfs VS WinFsp

Compare sshfs VS WinFsp and see what are their differences

sshfs logo sshfs

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

WinFsp logo WinFsp

WinFsp, Windows File System Proxy, is a set of software components for Windows computers that...
  • sshfs Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-26
  • WinFsp Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-08

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.

WinFsp features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    WinFsp simplifies the process of developing file systems on Windows, providing an extensive API that minimizes the need for extensive low-level coding.
  • Compatibility
    WinFsp is compatible with a wide range of Windows operating systems, making it versatile for different Windows environments.
  • Performance
    WinFsp is designed to provide high performance and stability, essential for applications that require efficient file system operations.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, developers have access to the source code, which allows for customization and better understanding of the software's functionalities.
  • Support for Multiple Languages
    WinFsp provides interfaces for multiple programming languages, including C, C++, and .NET, making it accessible to a variety of developers.

Possible disadvantages of WinFsp

  • Complexity for Beginners
    Despite its functionality, WinFsp can be complex for beginners who are not familiar with file system development or Windows-specific programming.
  • Limited Documentation
    Some users might find the documentation lacking in detail, which can be a barrier for those who need in-depth guidance.
  • Niche Use Case
    WinFsp is primarily useful for developers needing to create custom file systems, which is a niche requirement not applicable for all types of software projects.
  • Windows Only
    As it is specifically designed for Windows, WinFsp cannot be used for developing file systems on other operating systems, limiting its applicability to only Windows environments.

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

WinFsp videos

No WinFsp videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to sshfs and WinFsp)
FTP Client
65 65%
35% 35
Cloud Storage
59 59%
41% 41
Web Service Automation
56 56%
44% 44
File Transfer
55 55%
45% 45

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, sshfs seems to be a lot more popular than WinFsp. While we know about 34 links to sshfs, we've tracked only 1 mention of WinFsp. 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

WinFsp mentions (1)

  • EAC Exact Audio Copy Crashes upon accessing Windows filesystem - related to Dokany, Cryptomator, .Net, and WinFSP
    When WinFSP (often installed for Rclone) is installed opening any filesystem dialog from EAC will immediately crash the program (#162). To fix the issue either uninstall WinFSP or run fix162.bat. Source: about 2 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing sshfs and WinFsp, 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.

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

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

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

Dokan - User mode file system library for windows with FUSE Wrapper