CloudMounter vs ForkLift (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, ForkLift grades higher than CloudMounter: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 6, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
CloudMounter grades higher on platforms. ForkLift grades higher on value for money, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
CloudMounter
Mount cloud storage and servers as drives on Mac and Windows
ForkLift
Dual-pane file manager and file transfer client for macOS
Which one is for you
Pick CloudMounter if
- Fits if you want cloud files to appear in Finder or Explorer without a sync folder
- Works for people who have several Dropbox or Google accounts to open side by side
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want one license for both systems, as Mac and Windows are separate
- Tight if you want to try the Mac app for long: it has a 7-day trial tied to the yearly plan
- Too light for offline work on Windows, which is listed as coming soon
- Watch out: the Team license for Mac and the one for Windows cannot be shared across both
- Pricey if you want the Mac app for good, since lifetime is $74 against a $29 yearly plan
Pick ForkLift if
- Fits if your files live on servers and cloud drives as much as on your Mac
- Works for web builders who want SFTP and S3 inside the file manager
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you're on Windows or Linux, as it's macOS only, and 4.4 or later needs macOS 14.6
- Not for you if you expect updates for life, since a license covers 1 or 2 years and later versions run in trial mode
- Pricey if it's for the office, because the Single user license is personal use only and Small Business starts at $69.95
- Watch out: Dropbox Smart Sync isn't supported, and the vendor says no API is available for it
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACloudMounterFair | 2.6GPAForkLiftGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B$29 a year on Mac, which is the bottom of the cheaper quarter, and $29.99 once on Windows. A Mac lifetime license is $74. | AA lifetime licence is $19.95 once with a year of updates, or $34.95 with two, both under a year of this category's middle subscription. Family is $29.95 for every Mac at home, and an office of up to 5 Macs starts at $69.95. |
| Free plan and trial | CWindows keeps one Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive account usable after a 14-day trial. Mac has only a 7-day trial on the yearly plan, and the lifetime license has none. | CThere's no free version, but it runs in a free trial mode without a licence key, and BinaryNights' pages state no time limit on it. So you can find out if you like it before paying anything. |
| Features | CMounting, transfers between clouds, encryption and several accounts. The listing's own gaps: offline work is 'coming soon' on Windows, and the supported services differ between Mac and Windows. | BThis is a file manager and a transfer client in one, and both halves are complete: two panes with tabs and Workspaces, SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox open at once, one-way or two-way folder sync, archives browsed as folders, remote editing and git status. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record. Each cloud account has to be signed in to and mounted before it shows up. | BNo store rating is on record, but there's nothing to set up: it's a file manager you install and use, with drag and drop between servers. Workspaces save a layout of tabs and locations so you can load it again later. |
| Platforms and integrations | CMac and Windows computers only. Nothing for phones or the web. | DMac only, one operating system. ForkLift 4.4 and later need macOS 14.6, and earlier ForkLift 4 versions need 12.4 or later. It connects to a long list of servers and cloud drives, but the app itself lives on one system. |
| Best for | showing cloud storage as a drive in Finder or Explorer | local and remote files in one Mac window |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CloudMounter and ForkLift. How we grade
Where they differ
- ForkLift can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- ForkLift also covers file sync.
At a glance
| CloudMounter | ForkLift | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $29 per year (macOS, 1 Mac); Windows $29.99 one-time for 1 PC | $19.95 one-time (Single user license with 1 year of updates) |
| Free plan | Windows only: after a 14-day Pro trial, one Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive account stays fully usable; other accounts and services become read-only. | None |
| Free trial | 7-day trial on the macOS yearly plan; 14-day Pro trial on Windows | Free trial mode without a license key; the vendor's pages state no time limit |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | Electronic Team, Inc. | BinaryNights LLC |
| Price read from | cloudmounter.net | binarynights.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CloudMounter
- The Mac free trial is tied to the yearly subscription; the lifetime license has none.
- Offline work is listed as supported on macOS and coming soon on Windows.
- Mac and Windows licenses are separate, and a Team license cannot be shared across both.
- Supported services differ between the Mac and Windows versions.
ForkLift
- macOS only. ForkLift 4.4 and later require macOS 14.6; earlier ForkLift 4 versions need macOS 12.4 or later.
- A license includes updates for 1 or 2 years. Later versions run in trial mode until a new license is bought, though covered versions keep working.
- The Single user license is for personal use; office use on up to 5 Macs needs the Small Business license, from $69.95.
- Dropbox Smart Sync is not supported; the vendor says no API is available for it.
Key features
CloudMounter
- Mount clouds as drives
- Cloud accounts and servers appear in Finder or Explorer and can be browsed like local folders.
- Many services
- Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Amazon S3, WebDAV, SFTP and FTP, plus Box, MEGA and others on some platforms.
- Transfers between clouds
- Drag files from one cloud to another without downloading them to the computer first.
- Encryption
- The Mac purchase page lists AES-256 encryption for cloud files.
- Multiple accounts
- Connect as many cloud accounts as you need, including several from the same provider.
ForkLift
- Two panes, tabs and workspaces
- Shows two file panes side by side with tabs in each, and Workspaces save a layout of open tabs and locations to load again later.
- Remote connections
- Connects to SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, SMB, AFP and NFS, with several servers open at once and drag and drop between them.
- Folder sync
- Compares a local or remote source and target folder to find matching, modified, new and deleted files, then synchronizes them one-way or two-way. A sync can be saved as a favorite.
- Preview and remote editing
- A preview panel plays audio and video and shows images and PDFs. Text files can be edited in place, and remote files open in your preferred editor and upload on save.
- Archive management
- Browses local and remote archives as if they were ordinary folders, including Quick Look, search and filter.
- Git, Terminal and command line tools
- Shows the git status of files with add, commit, push and pull, opens a Terminal, iTerm, Warp or Ghostty window at the current path, and runs command line tools by shortcut.
Plans
CloudMounter
Windows Free$0
After the trial, full access to one account each for Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive.
Mac Personal, yearly$29
per year for 1 Mac
Personal use only; free upgrades during the license period.
Windows Personal$29.99
one-time, for 1 PC
One-time purchase for a single Windows PC.
Mac Personal, lifetime$74
one-time, for 1 Mac
Shown as $74, down from $99; personal use only, no end date stated for the discount.
Mac Team, yearly$99
per year for 5 Macs
Business and personal use; a lifetime Team license is $249, down from $299.
Windows Team$99.99
one-time, for 5 PCs
Five Windows PCs; larger company licenses are quoted by sales.
ForkLift
Single user (1 year of updates)$19.95
one-time purchase, lifetime license
For personal use on your Mac. Versions released during the year of updates can be used indefinitely.
Family (1 year of updates)$29.95
one-time purchase, lifetime license
Install on all Macs in your household, with one year of free updates.
Single user (2 years of updates)$34.95
one-time purchase, lifetime license
The personal license with two years of free updates in place of one.
Family (2 years of updates)$49.95
one-time purchase, lifetime license
Install on all Macs in your household, with two years of free updates.
Small Business (1 year of updates)$69.95
one-time purchase, lifetime license
Install on up to 5 Macs in the office, with one year of free updates.
Small Business (2 years of updates)$119.95
one-time purchase, lifetime license
Install on up to 5 Macs in the office, with two years of free updates.
Ways to pay less
CloudMounter
No public discounts listed.
ForkLift
- Lifetime license
Lifetime license with 1 or 2 years of updates
Every license is a lifetime license: the versions released during its 1- or 2-year update period can be used indefinitely, for as long as they stay compatible with your macOS.
- Education
Educational discount on request
Students, teachers and lecturers can ask for an educational discount by emailing support from an educational address or with proof of eligibility. The amount is not published.
- Other savings
100 bonus days for existing customers
Owners of an earlier ForkLift license get 100 extra days of free updates on a new license when they enter their old key in the store.
- Other savings
Second year of updates at a lower price
A Single user license with 2 years of updates costs $34.95, against $39.90 for two licenses with 1 year each.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CloudMounter or ForkLift?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CloudMounter starts at $29 per year (macOS, 1 Mac); Windows $29.99 one-time for 1 PC, and ForkLift starts at $19.95 one-time (Single user license with 1 year of updates).
Which has a free plan, CloudMounter or ForkLift?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only CloudMounter has a free plan. ForkLift does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do CloudMounter and ForkLift run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only CloudMounter lists a Windows app. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.