FileZilla vs Mountain Duck (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FileZilla grades higher than Mountain Duck: 2.8 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
FileZilla grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Mountain Duck grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FileZilla
Free FTP, FTPS and SFTP client, with a paid Pro tier for cloud storage
Mountain Duck
Mounts server and cloud storage as a drive on Mac and Windows
Which one is for you
Pick FileZilla if
- Fits if you only need a free graphical FTP or SFTP client for uploading site files
- Works for people who already have a server login and want a queue that resumes after a drop
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to reach Amazon S3, Google Drive or OneDrive, which needs FileZilla Pro
- Not for you if you need a phone or web version, as it runs only on computers
- Watch out: Pro prices are in euros as 'starting at', with no billing period shown, and the FAQ calls it a subscription
- Watch out: the Pro command-line tool is Windows only, and FileZilla Server is a separate product
Pick Mountain Duck if
- Fits if you work on files in S3 or an SFTP server from ordinary desktop apps
- Works for teams who would rather buy licences once than pay a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you run Linux, as only macOS and Windows are listed
- Pricey if you need it for several people: each seat needs its own licence, $49 each
- Watch out: a licence covers one major version, so a version 6 would need an upgrade
- Watch out: the trial length isn't stated on the pages we read
- Not for you if you only want cloud storage in Finder for free, since ExpanDrive's free plan covers that
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAFileZillaGood | 2.4GPAMountain DuckFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe client is free and open source with no price. Pro starts at 12,99 € but is only for cloud storage, and the page shows no billing period. | B$49 one-time per user, with $193 for five. That is more than a year of the category's typical $3.33 a month, but under two. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe free client does the whole FTP, FTPS and SFTP job with no cap on it. A 7-day trial applies only to Pro bought through the Microsoft Store or App Store. | CThere's a trial version before you buy a key, but the pages we read don't say how long it lasts or whether a card is asked for. No free plan. |
| Features | CQueue, resume, Site Manager and master password. The gap is on the listing itself: cloud storage connections and settings sync are Pro only, and the Pro command-line tool is Windows only. | BFTP, SFTP, WebDAV, SMB, S3, Azure, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive and more, with on-demand files, offline folders and Cryptomator vaults. The listing shows no gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record. You still have to enter server addresses and logins for every site before you can move a file. | CEvery connection has to be set up with server details or a cloud login. No store rating is on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, Mac and Linux, but nothing for phones or the web. Pro connects to cloud services, which the free client does not. | CmacOS 13 or later and Windows 10 or later. Computers only, with no Linux, phone or web version. |
| Best for | free FTP and SFTP transfers on Windows, Mac and Linux | S3, SFTP and WebDAV as a drive |
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: FileZilla and Mountain Duck. How we grade
Where they differ
- FileZilla is open source, according to its own site.
- Mountain Duck is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Mountain Duck can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Mountain Duck also covers file sync and file sharing.
At a glance
| FileZilla | Mountain Duck | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | 12,99 € for FileZilla Pro (starting at; billing period not shown) | $49 per user, one-time (licence covers version 5) |
| Free plan | The free client handles FTP, FTPS and SFTP; cloud storage needs FileZilla Pro. | None |
| Free trial | 7-day trial when bought through the Microsoft Store or App Store | Trial version of the app, then buy a registration key |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | FileZilla Project | iterate GmbH |
| Price read from | filezillapro.com | mountainduck.io |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
FileZilla
- Pro prices are shown in euros as "starting at" with no billing period; confirm at checkout.
- Cloud storage connections are in FileZilla Pro only, not the free client.
- The Pro command-line tool is Windows only, and FileZilla Server is a separate product.
- The vendor's own project pages block automated reads, so the free-client facts come from its wiki.
Mountain Duck
- Runs on macOS 13 or later and Windows 10 or later only; no Linux version is listed.
- A licence is valid for one major version, so a future version 6 would need an upgrade purchase.
- The buy page shows the price only after the form loads; it is per seat, so each user needs a licence.
- Free to download as a trial, but the trial length is not stated on the pages we read.
Key features
FileZilla
- FTP, FTPS and SFTP
- The free client connects to traditional servers and NAS devices over these three protocols.
- Cloud storage in Pro
- Pro reaches Amazon S3, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box, Backblaze B2, Azure and WebDAV, among others.
- Transfer queue
- Queue files for transfer, then stop and resume at will; transfer speed can be adjusted.
- Site Manager
- Organize sites and bookmarks; Pro can also synchronize Site Manager data across installations.
- Master password
- Stored passwords can be protected with a master password.
Mountain Duck
- Integrated connect mode
- Version 5 syncs through the File Provider API on macOS and Cloud Files on Windows, so no device driver or network mount is installed.
- Smart synchronization
- All remote files are listed, and each is downloaded to the local disk only when opened. Chosen folders can be kept offline.
- Broad protocol and cloud support
- Connects over FTP, SFTP, WebDAV and SMB, and to Amazon S3, Google Storage, Azure, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, Box and others.
- Cryptomator vaults
- Client-side encryption using Cryptomator-compatible vaults, so data at rest is unreadable to the server or cloud provider.
- Team features
- File locking for Office documents on WebDAV servers, version history on versioned S3 buckets, and custom versioning on the server.
- Sharing and search
- Create expiring share links from the context menu on supported storage, and search remote files with Spotlight or Windows Search.
Plans
FileZilla
FileZilla Client$0
Free and open source for Windows, Linux and macOS; FTP, FTPS and SFTP only.
Pro, single device12,99 €
starting at; billing period not shown
Adds cloud services; one device, sold per operating system. The FAQ calls it a subscription.
Pro + CLI24,99 €
starting at; billing period not shown
Pro for one Windows device plus the command-line tool for automation.
Pro, multiple devices29,99 €
starting at; billing period not shown
For one user on up to 3 devices across Windows, macOS and Linux.
Mountain Duck
Single user$49
per user, one-time, for version 5
Per-seat licence, usable on any number of computers by the same user. Discounted upgrades for later major versions.
5 users$193
for 5 users, one-time, for version 5
Volume price for five seats, below five single licences. The buy page also offers 10, 20 and 50 users, and a custom quote.
10 users$348
for 10 users, one-time, for version 5
Volume price for ten seats. Larger teams and white-label deployments are handled as custom quotes.
Ways to pay less
FileZilla
No public discounts listed.
Mountain Duck
- Education
30% academic discount
Mountain Duck offers a 30% discount coupon for academic use, requested by ticket from an institutional email address.
- Other savings
30% switcher or Cyberduck discount
A 30% discount is offered to owners of a Cyberduck key, or of a Transmit Disk, ExpanDrive or NetDrive licence, on request.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, FileZilla or Mountain Duck?
As of Nov 13, 2026, FileZilla starts at 12,99 € for FileZilla Pro (starting at; billing period not shown), and Mountain Duck starts at $49 per user, one-time (licence covers version 5).
Which has a free plan, FileZilla or Mountain Duck?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only FileZilla has a free plan. Mountain Duck does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do FileZilla and Mountain Duck run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only FileZilla lists a Linux app. Both list macOS and Windows apps. 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.