WinSCP for Mac? What to Use Instead in 2026

There is no WinSCP for Mac. WinSCP is a Windows program, and its author has never released a macOS version. If you moved to a Mac, or you use a Mac at home and a PC at work, you need a different SFTP client on the Mac side. The usual picks are Cyberduck and FileZilla (free), Transmit (paid, Mac only) and the dual-pane file managers ForkLift and Commander One. Below is what each one costs at the time of writing (October 2026), what it keeps from the WinSCP workflow and what it doesn't.

Full disclosure: we make one of the apps in this article, X-Filer. It has its own section, with its limits spelled out.

Why there is no WinSCP for Mac

WinSCP is a free, open source SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, S3 and SCP client "for Microsoft Windows". The current release is WinSCP 6.7. It is built on Windows technology from top to bottom: an Explorer-style or a two-panel Commander-style interface, integration with PuTTY and its key agent, drag and drop with Windows Explorer, jump lists and shortcut icons. Porting that to macOS would mean writing a new app, and the project has never announced one.

That leaves three ways to get WinSCP-like work done on a Mac:

A dedicated SFTP client — Cyberduck, FileZilla, Transmit.
A file manager with built-in servers — ForkLift, Commander One, X-Filer. Closest to WinSCP's Commander interface: your Mac on one side, the server on the other.
The Windows version in a virtual machine — Parallels or VMware Fusion. It works, but running Windows to copy files is heavy.

If you also want to keep the Terminal option in mind: macOS ships with sftp and scp command-line tools, so sftp user@server works out of the box. For quick one-off transfers that's enough; for daily work, most people want a window.

What WinSCP users usually miss

Before comparing apps, list what you actually used in WinSCP. Most people miss one or more of these:

Two panels — local files on the left, the server on the right, drag between them.
Saved sites with password or private-key login.
Editing a file on the server in an editor and saving it straight back.
Synchronizing folders — keeping a local folder and a remote one in step.
Scripting — running transfers from a batch file or a scheduler.
Several protocols — SFTP, FTP/FTPS, WebDAV, S3 in one app.

No Mac app covers all six for free. Pick the two or three that matter.

Cyberduck — free, single window, many clouds

Cyberduck is the app most people land on. It runs on macOS and Windows, is licensed under the GPL and asks for donations instead of a price. It connects to FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, SMB, Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, OpenStack Swift and Azure, plus services such as Nextcloud, ownCloud, OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, Wasabi and Backblaze B2. It also opens Cryptomator vaults.

What it keeps from WinSCP: bookmarks with SSH keys, a wide protocol list, folder synchronization, and editing a server file in your favorite external editor — Cyberduck uploads it again when you save.

What it doesn't: Cyberduck is a browser for one connection per window, not a two-panel commander. You copy between the server and your Mac by dragging to Finder. If you want the server mounted as a disk in Finder, the same developer sells a separate app, Mountain Duck.

Who it suits: anyone who wants the free default and works with many cloud services.

FileZilla — free, two panels, the familiar look

FileZilla Client is free and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. The free version speaks FTP, FTPS and SFTP. Its layout is the classic transfer client: local files on the left, the server on the right, a transfer queue at the bottom. If you used WinSCP's Commander interface, FileZilla will feel the most familiar.

FileZilla Pro, a paid edition, adds Amazon S3, Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, Backblaze B2, Box, Azure and WebDAV. The price isn't listed on the Pro product page; check it in the store before buying.

The downsides: the interface is dated, and it is a transfer tool, not a file manager — no tabs of local folders, no previews.

Who it suits: people who want two panels and a queue for free, and don't care about looks.

Transmit — the polished Mac choice

Transmit 5 by Panic is the premium Mac client. It needs macOS 13 or later and costs $45, one-time, with a 7-day free trial (at the time of writing). It handles FTP, SFTP, WebDAV and S3, plus Backblaze B2, Box, Google Drive, Dropbox, Azure, OneDrive for Business and others.

What it keeps from WinSCP: a dual-pane view, folder sync (local to remote and remote to remote, with mirroring), and saved sites that sync between your Macs through Panic Sync.

What it doesn't: there is no Windows version. If you still switch between a Mac and a PC, you are back to two different apps.

Who it suits: Mac-only users who move files to servers every day and want the most polished tool.

ForkLift and Commander One — file managers with servers built in

These are not FTP clients with a file browser bolted on; they are full Finder replacements that also connect to servers.

ForkLift 4 needs macOS 14.6 or later. It is a dual-pane file manager with SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, SMB, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox. A license starts at $19.95 for one Mac with one year of updates (October 2026).

Commander One is free for the dual-pane basics; FTP, SFTP and cloud connections come with the PRO Pack, $29.99 at the time of writing. It runs on macOS 10.13 or later.

Both are Mac only. Both are a good answer if what you loved in WinSCP was the Commander interface. We compare them with other Mac file managers in Finder alternatives with cloud drives.

X-Filer — one file manager on Mac and Windows

X-Filer is our app, so weigh this section accordingly. It is a free file manager for macOS 12 or later (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows 10/11 (x64 and ARM64) — the same app with the same layout and shortcuts on both. That is the point if you still use WinSCP on a PC: you get one tool for both machines instead of WinSCP on one and something else on the other.

Servers connect from Add Drive:

SFTP with a password or an SSH key file (and its passphrase). X-Filer remembers the server's key on the first connection and refuses to connect if it changes later.
FTP and FTPS — turn on Use TLS (FTPS) when the server supports it.
WebDAV — Nextcloud, Synology, ownCloud.
S3-compatible storage — Amazon S3, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2, MinIO and others; one bucket is one drive.

Passwords and keys are stored in the macOS Keychain or, on Windows, encrypted for your user account. Step-by-step setup is in the guide Servers and network folders.

A connected server sits in the sidebar next to your folders and works like any folder: tabs, split view with your Mac on one side and the server on the other, drag and drop, copy and paste, a progress bar with Cancel, and a choice of Replace, Save Both or Skip when names clash. Google Drive and Yandex Disk open in the same window, so you can drag a file from the server straight into a cloud drive.

Now the honest limits, compared with WinSCP:

No folder sync and no scripting. If you depend on either, keep WinSCP on Windows or look at Transmit on the Mac.
SFTP, not SCP. Servers that only allow SCP are not supported.
No mounting. Servers open inside X-Filer, not as a disk in Finder or a drive letter in Explorer.
Undo works on local files only. Moves and deletes on a server can't be taken back, and X-Filer asks before deleting there.
Young app. X-Filer is pre-1.0. The Windows build is not code-signed yet, so SmartScreen shows a warning on first run; the Mac build is signed and notarized.

Comparison table

Prices are at the time of writing (October 2026), from each vendor's site.

App	macOS	Windows	Price	Two panels	SFTP keys	Folder sync	Clouds
WinSCP 6.7	No	Yes	Free, open source	Yes (Commander)	Yes	Yes	S3
Cyberduck	Yes	Yes	Free (GPL), donations	No	Yes	Yes	S3, B2, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and more
FileZilla	Yes	Yes	Free; Pro is paid	Yes	Yes	No	Pro only
Transmit 5	Yes (13+)	No	$45 one-time	Yes	Yes	Yes	S3, B2, Google Drive, Dropbox and more
ForkLift 4	Yes (14.6+)	No	From $19.95	Yes	Yes	Yes	S3, B2, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox
Commander One	Yes (10.13+)	No	Free; PRO $29.99 for servers	Yes	Yes (PRO)	Not listed	PRO only
X-Filer (ours)	Yes (12+)	Yes (10/11)	Free for local files	Split view	Yes	No	Google Drive, Yandex Disk, S3, WebDAV

How to pick

You only need a quick upload now and then. Use sftp in Terminal or Cyberduck.
You want WinSCP's two panels for free. FileZilla on the Mac, or X-Filer if you want the same app on your PC too.
You sync folders or edit on the server all day, Mac only. Transmit or ForkLift.
You switch between a Mac and a PC. Pick an app that runs on both: Cyberduck, FileZilla or X-Filer. If the server is one of several places your files live — next to Google Drive or Yandex Disk — a file manager like X-Filer keeps them in one window.
You depend on WinSCP scripts. Keep WinSCP on a Windows machine or VM for them; no Mac GUI app replaces WinSCP scripting one to one.

FAQ

Is there an official WinSCP for Mac?

No. WinSCP is described by its developer as a client for Microsoft Windows, and there is no macOS download. On a Mac, use Cyberduck, FileZilla, Transmit, ForkLift, Commander One or X-Filer, or run WinSCP in a Windows virtual machine.

What is the best free WinSCP alternative for Mac?

Cyberduck if you want a simple single-window client with many clouds. FileZilla if you want two panels and a transfer queue. X-Filer if you want a full file manager with servers and clouds that also runs on Windows.

Can I use my WinSCP private key on a Mac?

Usually yes. WinSCP works with PuTTY's .ppk keys, while most Mac apps expect an OpenSSH key. You can convert a .ppk to OpenSSH format with PuTTYgen (Conversions → Export OpenSSH key) on Windows, or with puttygen from Homebrew on the Mac.

Can a Mac connect to SFTP without any app?

Yes, in Terminal: sftp user@server opens an interactive session, and scp file user@server:/path/ copies a file. Finder can connect to SMB, WebDAV and FTP (read-only) servers through Go → Connect to Server, but not to SFTP.

Bottom line

There is no WinSCP for Mac, and no single app copies it exactly. Cyberduck is the free default, FileZilla the closest look, Transmit the polished paid choice, and ForkLift or Commander One are the pick if you want a full Mac file manager with servers. If you still use a PC as well and want one tool on both — with Google Drive or Yandex Disk in the same window — try X-Filer from the download page. It is free for local files, young, and we'd like to hear what you miss from WinSCP.