Mountain Duck vs Transmit (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mountain Duck grades higher than Transmit: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Mountain Duck grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Mountain Duck
Mounts server and cloud storage as a drive on Mac and Windows
Transmit
Mac file transfer app for servers and cloud storage
Which one is for you
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
Pick Transmit if
- Fits if you manage files on web servers or S3 buckets from a Mac
- Works for freelancers who want a one-time purchase
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows or Linux, as it is Mac only
- Tight if you want free, since the trial lasts 7 days
- Watch out: it needs macOS 13.0 or later
- Watch out: the free upgrade from Transmit 4 applies only to purchases made after about June 1, 2017
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAMountain DuckFair | 2.2GPATransmitFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | B$45 once, under two years of what this category's middle subscription costs. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CThe download is the full app for 7 days, and the listing doesn't say a card is needed. There is no free plan. |
| Features | 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. | BDual panes, many server types, folder sync, Panic Sync, batch rename and keys. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. |
| Ease of use | CEvery connection has to be set up with server details or a cloud login. No store rating is on record. | CNo rating on record. You add each server or cloud account yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CmacOS 13 or later and Windows 10 or later. Computers only, with no Linux, phone or web version. | DMac only, on macOS 13.0 or later. No Windows, Linux or phone version. |
| Best for | S3, SFTP and WebDAV as a drive | moving files to servers and S3 on a Mac |
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: Mountain Duck and Transmit. How we grade
Where they differ
- Mountain Duck is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Mountain Duck also covers file sync.
At a glance
| Mountain Duck | Transmit | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49 per user, one-time (licence covers version 5) | $45 one-time |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Trial version of the app, then buy a registration key | The download is the full app and works for 7 days. |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Made by | iterate GmbH | Panic Inc. |
| Price read from | mountainduck.io | panic.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Transmit
- Runs on macOS 13.0 or later only; there is no Windows or Linux version.
- The free download stops working after 7 days without a purchased unlock code.
- A free upgrade from Transmit 4 applies only to purchases made after about June 1, 2017.
Key features
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.
Transmit
- Dual-pane browsing
- Shows local and remote files side by side so you can drag items between them.
- Many server types
- Handles FTP, SFTP, WebDAV and Amazon S3, plus Backblaze B2, Box, Google Drive, Dropbox, Azure and Rackspace Cloud Files.
- File Sync
- Mirrors folders in one click, including local-to-local and remote-to-remote sync, with selectable files.
- Panic Sync
- Syncs your saved servers between your Macs so server addresses do not need retyping.
- Batch rename and tags
- Includes batch rename, a Get Info sidebar, a Places bar and file tags.
- Secure keys
- Generates and manages keys in the app, with 2-factor login and YubiKey support listed.
Plans
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.
Transmit
Transmit 5$45
one-time purchase, per copy plus tax
Keep the app permanently with an unlock code. Quantity discounts apply to volume licenses.
Ways to pay less
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.
Transmit
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mountain Duck or Transmit?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mountain Duck starts at $49 per user, one-time (licence covers version 5), and Transmit starts at $45 one-time.
Which has a free plan, Mountain Duck or Transmit?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Mountain Duck nor Transmit has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Mountain Duck and Transmit run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Mountain Duck 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.