Skip to content

FTP: An Overview

What is FTP?

The File Transfer Protocol, or FTP for short, is a way to work with files on your web hosting package. You can use FTP to upload, download, delete, and even modify files directly on the server.

In general, you'll use an FTP application on your computer to connect to your web hosting package. There are many free and low cost FTP applications available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and even for iOS and Android mobile operating systems. Some common, well respected FTP applications include:

  • FileZilla - For Windows, Mac and Linux. Free!
  • Transmit - For Mac. Free trial available (our favorite)
  • CuteFTP - For Windows and Mac. Free trial available.
  • cyberduck - For Windows and Mac. Free!
  • SmartFTP - For Windows and Mac. Free trial available.

Warning

Fused is not related to any of these projects, nor does not officially endorse any of them. Of course, we've used these applications ourselves in the past, but you'll need to decide which one is best for you.

Getting Started

In order to start using FTP to work with files, you will need two things:

  1. Create an FTP Account.
  2. Instructions on connecting to your FTP account.