SFTP

9 Best SFTP Clients for Windows

Dual-pane transfer tools for Windows — and when to pick a studio that also does databases.

Last reviewed: July 10, 2026

Disclosure: We make Nexoxa Bridge. It is included here because it is a genuine fit for this comparison — clearly labeled so you can weigh it accordingly.

Editor's picks

Best free classic

WinSCP

WinSCP — free, scriptable, deeply integrated with Windows and PuTTY.

Best cross-platform free

FileZilla

FileZilla for familiar dual-pane FTP/SFTP on every desktop OS.

Best with databases

Nexoxa BridgeOur product

SFTP dual-pane beside Postgres, Redis, and SSH dashboards in one vault.

  • Nexoxa BridgeOur product

    Windows

    Pricing

    Free (5 connections)$9/mo Pro
    Stars:
    Native

    Windows developers who want databases, SSH, SFTP/S3, and SMTP in one local-first studio — with optional Cursor MCP by connection name

  • Windows

    Pricing

    Free
    Stars:
    Native

    Windows admins who live in SFTP/SCP scripting and dual-pane transfers

  • Windows · macOS · Linux

    Pricing

    Free
    Stars:
    Native

    Users who need a free dual-pane FTP/SFTP client and nothing else

  • Windows · macOS

    Pricing

    Free
    Stars:
    Native

    Users who browse S3, SFTP, and cloud storage from a single free client

  • Windows · macOS · Linux · Web

    Pricing

    Free
    $10/mo
    Stars:
    Native

    Teams that sync SSH hosts across desktop and mobile with a polished terminal UX

  • Windows

    Pricing

    Free
    Stars:
    Native

    Windows users who need a tiny SSH/Telnet terminal with saved sessions

  • Windows · macOS · Linux

    Pricing

    Free
    Free trial (14d)$113/yr
    Stars: 50.9k
    Native

    Developers and DBAs who manage many heterogeneous databases and want a single client for SQL and select NoSQL engines

  • Windows · macOS · Linux · Web

    Pricing

    Free
    $99 lifetime
    Stars:
    Native

    Developers who want a fast, native desktop GUI across SQL and a handful of NoSQL engines

  • Windows · macOS · Linux · Web

    Pricing

    Free
    Free trial (30d)$120/yr
    Stars: 7.1k
    Native

    Developers who want one open-source GUI for SQL and NoSQL across desktop and self-hosted web

Deep dives

1

Nexoxa Bridge

Since 2025Featured

Local-first database and infrastructure studio for Windows

Best for: Windows developers who want databases, SSH, SFTP/S3, and SMTP in one local-first studio — with optional Cursor MCP by connection name

Key differentiator: One Windows workbench for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, LibSQL, SSH, S3, SFTP/FTP, and SMTP — credentials encrypted on-device; Cursor talks via nexoxa-mcp using saved names, never raw URLs.

Pros

  • Multi-engine databases plus SSH, SFTP/S3, and SMTP in one app
  • Local encrypted vault — credentials stay on your machine
  • FK knowledge graph and schema-aware Copilot (BYOK)
  • Cursor MCP connects by saved connection name only
  • Free tier with up to 5 saved connections on Microsoft Store

Cons

  • Windows desktop today (not macOS/Linux yet)
  • Desktop app is proprietary; public npm packages (nexoxa-mcp) are open for integration

Supported

  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • MariaDB
  • MongoDB
  • Redis
  • LibSQL
  • Turso
  • SSH
  • S3
  • SFTP
  • FTP
  • SMTP

Pricing: Free (5 connections)$9/mo Pro

Download
2

WinSCP

Windows SFTP/SCP client

Best for: Windows admins who live in SFTP/SCP scripting and dual-pane transfers

Key differentiator: Windows-native free SFTP with strong scripting.

Pros

  • Free on Windows
  • Scripting
  • PuTTY integration

Cons

  • Windows only
  • Not a database studio

Supported

  • SFTP
  • SCP
  • FTP

Pricing: Free

Visit website
3

FileZilla

Classic free FTP/SFTP client

Best for: Users who need a free dual-pane FTP/SFTP client and nothing else

Key differentiator: Ubiquitous free dual-pane file transfer client.

Pros

  • Free
  • Dual-pane
  • Wide protocol support

Cons

  • Transfer-only — no databases or SSH dashboards
  • Site Manager UX feels dated

Supported

  • FTP
  • SFTP

Pricing: Free

Visit website
4

Cyberduck

Libre server and cloud storage browser

Best for: Users who browse S3, SFTP, and cloud storage from a single free client

Key differentiator: Free multi-protocol storage browser including S3.

Pros

  • S3 + SFTP
  • Free
  • Open source

Cons

  • No SQL/Redis workbench
  • No SSH server metrics dashboard

Supported

  • SFTP
  • FTP
  • S3

Pricing: Free

Visit website

Frequently asked questions

Ready to try Nexoxa Bridge?

Free on the Microsoft Store for up to 5 connections. Credentials stay on your machine.