Cyberduck vs Path Finder (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Cyberduck if

• Fits if you move files to FTP, SFTP or S3 on a Mac or Windows PC
• Works for people who want one free client for several cloud drives

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want remote storage to show up as a disk in Finder or Explorer, because that is Mountain Duck, sold separately
• Not for you if you run Linux, iOS or Android, as the site lists none
• Watch out: free copies show a donation prompt after install and after updates until you register a key
• Watch out: the Mac App Store version is $23.99 and replaces the donation

Pick Path Finder if

• Fits if the Finder feels cramped and you want two folders side by side
• Works for people who move piles of files between folders or drives

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want to pay once and keep it, as there's no perpetual license
• Not for you if you're on Windows or Linux, since it's macOS only
• Pricey if you pay monthly all year, at $35.40 against $29.95 for the yearly plan
• Watch out: the homepage says old builds keep running after a plan ends, but the terms grant use only for the term
• Tight if you use many Macs: subscriptions include 2 activations, and a license key covers 3 with no way to add more

Cyberduck

• Free copies show a donation prompt after install and after updates until a key is registered.
• Mac and Windows only; the site lists no Linux, iOS or Android app.
• Mounting remote storage as a local disk is a separate product, Mountain Duck.

Path Finder

• macOS only; the site describes no Windows, Linux or mobile version.
• There is no perpetual license: subscriptions renew monthly or yearly, and license keys run for a fixed 1, 2 or 5 years, after which updates end.
• The homepage says older builds can still be run after a plan expires, while the terms of service grant use only for the term of the subscription or license.
• Subscriptions include 2 activations and more can be bought. A license key covers 3 computers and cannot have activations added.

Cyberduck

Many storage types

Connects to FTP, SFTP, WebDAV and SMB servers, plus Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Azure, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and OneDrive.

Connection profiles

The vendor publishes connection profiles for popular hosting and storage providers so setup needs fewer manual settings.

SFTP key support

SFTP supports public key and two-factor authentication, and it can read settings from an existing OpenSSH configuration.

Cryptomator vaults

Creates client-side encrypted vaults that are interoperable with Cryptomator, for use on any server or cloud storage.

Share links and versions

For services such as Nextcloud and ownCloud, creates share links and lets you view and revert earlier file versions.

Command-line companion

A command-line version and the separate Mountain Duck app, which mounts remote storage as a disk, are listed on the site.

Path Finder

Dual-pane browsing

A Dual Pane View shows two folders side by side, and files can be copied from one pane to the other with a single click.

Drop Stack

Freezes a drag-and-drop operation by placing the files in a temporary stack, to be copied or moved from there.

Batch rename and advanced selection

Renames files in batches and selects files by name, extension, attributes and more. Hidden files can be viewed and manipulated.

FolderSync

Includes FolderSync, Cocoatech's folder comparison and synchronization tool, for merging, comparing and synchronizing folders.

Size Browser

Browses selected files and folders by size, with Hierarchical Columns and Hierarchical Chart views that show how space is distributed.

Dropbox and iPhone browsing

Links a Dropbox account, and browses files on iOS devices connected by USB and performs file operations on them.

Cyberduck

• Direct download$0

  Free to download and use. A donation prompt appears after installing or updating.

• Contributor$10

  minimum donation, paid once

  A donation of at least $10 gets a personal registration key that turns off the donation prompt.

• Mac App Store$23.99

  one-time purchase

  The store version for Mac, sold in place of a donation. Requires macOS 10.13 or later.

Path Finder

• Monthly Subscription$2.95

  per month, renews automatically

  Renews every month and can be canceled at any time. Includes 2 activations; the vendor suggests it for trying the app for a few months.

• Yearly Subscription$29.95

  per year, renews automatically

  The plan the vendor labels as recommended. Renews every year, can be canceled at any time, and includes 2 activations.

• 1 Year License Key$32.95

  one-time payment for a 1-year term

  A single payment that does not renew. The key is sent by email, covers 3 computers and includes updates released during the term.

• 2 Year License Key$55.95

  one-time payment for a 2-year term

  A license key for two years with no automatic renewal, labeled as saving over 15% compared with buying yearly.

• 5 Year License Key$122.95

  one-time payment for a 5-year term

  A license key for five years with no automatic renewal, labeled as saving over 25% compared with buying yearly.

Cyberduck

No public discounts listed.

Path Finder

• Annual discount

  Yearly subscription costs less than monthly

  The Yearly Subscription is $29.95, against $35.40 for twelve payments of the $2.95 Monthly Subscription, a saving of about 15%.

• Other savings

  Multi-year license keys at a discount

  The 2 Year License Key ($55.95) is labeled as saving 15% and the 5 Year License Key ($122.95) as saving 25%, compared with buying a 1 Year License Key each year.

• Other savings

  Volume and site licenses on request

  The terms of service say businesses and organizations can ask about volume and site licenses, and that pricing for multiple licenses or extra activations varies with quantity.