Classic FTP
Active and passive mode, UTF-8 paths and robust listing parsing (Unix & Windows servers). Perfect for legacy hosting and intranet boxes.
Pay once · No subscription
The FTP & SFTP clientmacOS always deserved.
FTP, FTPS and SFTP in one native app — the power of a pro client with the elegance of Apple. Built in Swift & SwiftNIO for rock-solid, blazing-fast transfers.
Version 1.3 · see what’s new
- Free to download, full core features
- Keychain & App Sandbox secure
- Native for macOS 15 Sequoia
Speaks every protocol
FTPFTPSSFTPSwift & SwiftNIOKeychainApp Sandbox
3protocols in one app
0subscriptions, ever
100%native Swift & SwiftNIO
∞saved sites, even free
Connectivity
Every protocol, done properly
One app for plain FTP, encrypted FTPS and SFTP over SSH — with the authentication your servers actually use, from passwords to private keys.
FTPS over TLS
Explicit (AUTH TLS) and implicit FTPS with full certificate validation. When a certificate is self-signed, you review the fingerprint and decide — no blind trust.
SFTP over SSH
Full SFTP with password or, in FULL, RSA and ed25519 private keys with passphrases. Host identity is pinned with a known-hosts store to stop MITM.
Passwords are stored in the macOS Keychain. Private keys never leave your Mac. Host fingerprints are verified on every connection.
Built for power users
Everything a pro client needs, none of the clutter
A real dual-pane workflow with a professional transfer engine — wrapped in an interface that feels right at home on your Mac.
Home
A home for a hundred servers
Open Upstream and you land on the servers you actually work on: the ones you pinned, the ones you used last, and the full list with a count of whatever didn’t fit on screen. Search by name, host, user or tag — type “prd” and production comes up.
- Pinned servers stay on top, in the order you pinned them
- Tags as a real list, and tag filters saved under a name
- Fuzzy search across name, host, user and tag
Dual-Pane
Local and remote, side by side
Browse your disk and your server in a clean two-panel view with native icons, breadcrumbs, instant filtering, list and grid modes. Drag & drop from Finder or between panes.
- Interactive breadcrumb address bar
- List, small & large icons, detail columns
- Drag & drop with Finder and across panes
Transfer engine
A queue you actually control
Multi-threaded, recursive transfers for files and whole folders — and now yours to command. Pause anything mid-flight and resume from the exact byte it stopped at, reorder what is waiting, or send an urgent file to the front. Quit the app and the queue is still there when you come back.
- Pause, resume and reorder — resume is byte-exact
- The queue survives quitting the app
- Automatic retry with exponential backoff
FULL
Edit remote files like they're local
Open any remote file in VS Code, TextMate or Xcode. Upstream watches for saves and re-uploads to the server instantly — your edit loop without the manual round-trip.
- Watch mode auto-uploads on save
- Pick your editor from the app catalog
- One-shot remote edit is free, too
FULL
Sync folders with total confidence
Compare local and remote directories and mirror them in either direction. A dry-run preview shows exactly what will upload, download or delete before anything happens — with .syncignore exclusions and smart conflict handling.
- Dry-run preview before every sync
- Color-coded diff: missing, changed, newer
- Synchronized browsing across both panes
FULL
Fly between servers with ⌘K
Hit ⌘K, type a few letters, and connect to any saved site or run an action instantly. Fuzzy matching finds what you mean — keep your hands on the keyboard and your flow unbroken.
- Fuzzy command palette for sites & actions
- Multiple tabs, one server per session
- Quick Connect for one-off servers
More inside
Packed with thoughtful details
Dozens of small decisions that add up to a client you actually enjoy using.
Keychain security
Every credential is stored in the macOS Keychain. Nothing ever leaves your Mac in the clear.
Quick Look
Preview remote files instantly with the spacebar — no download, no detour.
CHMOD editor
Set permissions with an interactive rwx grid or by typing the octal value directly.
Live console log
Watch raw protocol commands and responses stream by in a modern terminal-style panel.
Remote file management
Create, rename, move and delete files and folders on the server as if they were local.
Instant search & filters
Filter any listing as you type to find the one file among thousands in a heartbeat.
Transfer history
Every transfer is recorded with speed, duration and the exact error if it failed. Grouped by day, searchable, and never synced anywhere.
Folder size on the server
Ask any remote folder how big it really is. The count runs live and you can stop it whenever you want.
Copy the public web URL
Map your site’s web root once, then copy the public address of any remote file straight from the context menu.
Menu bar item
Pinned and recent servers, the state of the queue, pause and resume everything — without bringing the window back.
Reopens where you left off
Tabs come back at launch with the same servers and folders, disconnected on purpose: one click on Reconnect and you’re back where you were.
Light, dark & 21 themes
Pick the appearance yourself instead of following the system — and an accent theme that stays readable on both backgrounds.
VoiceOver that says something
A server in the sidebar announces its name, whether it’s connected, which protocol it uses — and whether the traffic is in the clear.
Your sites, safe on disk
A damaged data file no longer stops the app from starting, and it is never overwritten: your servers stay where they are while you make a copy.
Import from FileZilla FULL
Migrate every server in seconds from sitemanager.xml or your ~/.ssh/config.
SSH key auth FULL
Connect over SFTP with RSA or ed25519 private keys and passphrases.
Multiple tabs FULL
Stay connected to several servers at once and switch sessions in a click.
Download as ZIP FULL
Grab several remote files or whole folders as a single ZIP generated on the fly.
Bandwidth limit FULL
Cap the global transfer speed so a big upload never hogs your whole connection.
iCloud sync FULL
Keep your saved sites and bookmarks in sync across all your Macs.
Search the whole server FULL
Find a file anywhere in the remote tree by name or pattern, filtered by extension, with a depth limit so a huge tree stays manageable.
Jump host (bastion) FULL
Reach servers that only answer through an SSH bastion. ProxyJump entries are read from your ssh config and wired up for you.
Trust by design
Security that isn't an afterthought
Upstream runs inside Apple's App Sandbox and treats your servers and credentials the way a native Mac app should.
App Sandbox & Keychain
The app is fully sandboxed per Apple's guidelines, and every password lives in the system Keychain — never in a plist, never in the clear.
Certificate & host verification
FTPS certificates are validated, and SFTP host keys are pinned in a known-hosts store. If a fingerprint changes, Upstream stops and asks — protecting you from man-in-the-middle attacks.
No accounts, no tracking
There's no Upstream login and no analytics harvesting your activity. Your sites, keys and files are yours — the app just connects you to your servers.
Private SSH keys stay put
RSA and ed25519 keys are read locally and used only to authenticate. They're never uploaded, copied or shared with anyone — including us.
Who it's for
One client, every workflow
From shipping a website to backing up a NAS, Upstream fits the way you already work.
Web developers
Deploy a WordPress theme or a static site, edit remote files live in VS Code, and sync a build folder in one pass — dry-run first, of course.
Sysadmins & NAS owners
Move files to a Synology or QNAP over SFTP, fix permissions with the CHMOD editor and keep an eye on the protocol log while you work.
Homelab & Raspberry Pi
Connect to a VPS, a seedbox or a Raspberry Pi with SSH keys, and manage everything from a real Mac interface instead of the terminal.
Agencies & freelancers
Keep dozens of client servers in a color-coded Site Manager, jump between them with tabs and ⌘K, and sync them all across your Macs with iCloud.
Switching over?
Bring every server with you in seconds
Coming from another client? Upstream FULL imports your whole server list so you don't retype a single host, port or username.
1
Export your sites from FileZilla, or point Upstream at your ~/.ssh/config.
2
Import sitemanager.xml — every host, port and protocol comes across intact.
3
Add passwords to the Keychain or attach an SSH key, and you're connected.
Free vs Full
Powerful for free. Unstoppable with FULL.
Core transferring is always free and never limited. FULL adds automation for your daily workflow — a single purchase, yours forever.
| Feature | Free | FULL |
|---|---|---|
| FTP, FTPS & SFTP | ✓ | ✓ |
| Unlimited saved sites | ✓ | ✓ |
| Home with pinned & recent servers | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tags & saved views | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reopens where you left off | ✓ | ✓ |
| Menu bar item & transfer notifications | ✓ | ✓ |
| Light & dark with 21 accent themes | ✓ | ✓ |
| Concurrent & recursive queue | ✓ | ✓ |
| Resume & auto-retry | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pause, resume & reorder the queue | ✓ | ✓ |
| Queue restored after quitting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Transfer history | ✓ | ✓ |
| Remote folder size | ✓ | ✓ |
| Quick Look & CHMOD | ✓ | ✓ |
| Remote file management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & drop with Finder | ✓ | ✓ |
| Live protocol console | ✓ | ✓ |
| Search & filters | ✓ | ✓ |
| One-shot remote edit | ✓ | ✓ |
| Edit with auto-upload (watch) | — | ✓ |
| Folder sync & comparison | — | ✓ |
| Synchronized browsing | — | ✓ |
| Download as ZIP archive | — | ✓ |
| SSH key authentication | — | ✓ |
| FileZilla & SSH config import | — | ✓ |
| Multiple tabs | — | ✓ |
| Command palette ⌘K | — | ✓ |
| iCloud site sync | — | ✓ |
| Bandwidth limit | — | ✓ |
| Server-wide recursive search | — | ✓ |
| Jump host / bastion (ProxyJump) | — | ✓ |
| Export history to CSV | — | ✓ |
See it in action
A closer look
Pricing
Buy once. Use forever.
No subscriptions, no accounts, no nonsense.
Upstream
Free
Everything you need to transfer files. Free core, unlimited forever.
- Unlimited FTP, FTPS & SFTP sites
- Queue you can pause, resume and reorder
- Site Manager with pins, tags & Keychain
- Transfer history, Quick Look, CHMOD & filters
Most popular
Upstream FULL
$29.99one-time
*US price. Every other App Store shows the equivalent local tier, VAT included where it applies.
Optional one-time In-App Purchase to unlock the complete automation toolkit.
- Folder sync, comparison & sync browsing
- Live edit with auto-upload & ZIP download
- SSH keys, jump hosts & FileZilla / SSH import
- Server-wide search, tabs, ⌘K, bandwidth & iCloud
Upstream is a single app download from the Mac App Store. Core features are free; automation features are unlocked via a one-time In-App Purchase. Family Sharing supported. Restore on any of your Macs.
Guides
Answers to the awkward parts
Practical write-ups on the problems real servers throw at you — useful whichever client you use.
Connect to an FTP server
Connecting to FTP, FTPS and SFTP servers from macOS — why the Finder no longer works for uploads, what the Terminal can and cannot do, and how to set up a saved connection properly.
Read the guide →Hidden files over FTP
Your FTP client has "show hidden files" switched on and .htaccess still is not there. The reason is in the FTP protocol itself — the LIST command does not return dotfiles unless you ask for them.
Read the guide →Finder FTP is read-only
macOS mounts FTP servers read-only and has done since OS X Lion. Here is why Apple removed write support, why sftp:// isn't a Finder scheme, and what the practical alternatives are.
Read the guide →Folder sync over FTP
Folder synchronisation over FTP and SFTP — how comparison actually works, why timestamps lie, what mirror mode will delete, and how to exclude files with a .syncignore.
Read the guide →FAQ
Good questions, clear answers
Is Upstream really free?
Yes. Downloading Upstream is free and the core — unlimited FTP/FTPS/SFTP sites, the concurrent queue, Site Manager, Quick Look and file management — is fully usable with no limits. FULL is an optional one-time purchase that unlocks automation features.
Which protocols are supported?
FTP, FTPS (explicit and implicit) and SFTP over SSH. SFTP supports password and, with FULL, RSA / ed25519 key authentication.
Is it a subscription?
Never. Upstream FULL is a single non-consumable in-app purchase — buy once, own it forever, with Family Sharing support.
Are my passwords safe?
Absolutely. Credentials live only in the macOS Keychain and the app runs inside Apple's App Sandbox. Nothing is sent to us or stored in the clear.
Can I import my sites from FileZilla?
Yes, with FULL. Import your servers in seconds from FileZilla's sitemanager.xml or from your ~/.ssh/config.
What do I need to run it?
A Mac running macOS 15 Sequoia or later. Upstream is a native Swift app built on SwiftNIO.
How much is Upstream FULL?
A one-time $29.99 in-app purchase. Please note that Apple converts this to the equivalent tier in your local App Store currency, which includes VAT where it applies. No renewals, no hidden costs — you unlock every automation feature forever.
Can I use it on more than one Mac?
Yes. The purchase is tied to your Apple Account, so you can restore FULL on any of your Macs, and Family Sharing is supported.
Can I pause a transfer and pick it up later?
Yes. Pause anything mid-transfer and it resumes from the exact byte it stopped at, not from the beginning. The queue is also saved when you quit: reconnect and Upstream offers to resume what was interrupted — it never restarts transfers on its own.
Does Upstream remember what I was working on?
Yes. Tabs reopen at launch with the same servers, the same remote folders and the same active tab, and the window comes back at the size and position you left it. Restored tabs come back disconnected on purpose, so Upstream never asks you for a string of passwords the moment you open it — each one has a Reconnect button that takes you straight back where you were.
Can I keep Upstream in the menu bar?
Yes. A menu bar item lists your pinned and recent servers, shows the state of the transfer queue and lets you pause or resume everything without bringing the window back. Its symbol changes with the queue — idle, working, paused — and Upstream notifies you when transfers finish or fail, but only while it is in the background.
Does Upstream have a light mode?
Yes. Light and dark are your choice, not just the system's, and the 21 accent themes all keep enough contrast to stay readable on both backgrounds. VoiceOver also describes each server in the sidebar: its name, whether it is connected, which protocol it uses and whether the traffic is in the clear.
Can Upstream reach a server behind an SSH bastion?
Yes, with FULL. Set a jump host on any SFTP site and Upstream connects through it. If your ~/.ssh/config already uses ProxyJump (or the older ProxyCommand ssh -W), the import reads it and wires the bastion up for you. Every hop's host key is verified independently. Full guide: moving files through an SSH bastion →
Does it handle large files and whole folders?
Yes. Transfers are recursive and streamed on SwiftNIO, so multi-gigabyte files and deep folder trees move efficiently — and resume automatically if the connection drops.
Do you collect my data?
No. Upstream has no account and no tracking. Credentials stay in the Keychain and your files never pass through us — the app talks directly to your servers.