Cyberduck for Mac

At a glance

Cyberduck is a free, open-source client that makes moving files between your computer and cloud storage straightforward. It doubles as an FTP utility and supports secure transfer protocols such as SFTP, FTP over TLS (AUTH TLS) and WebDAV. The project was launched by David V. Kocher and Yves Langisch and is distributed under the GPL, so its source is available for anyone who wants to inspect or contribute.

Security and encryption features

The app provides secure connections with SFTP and encrypted FTP sessions, plus directory synchronization for keeping remote and local folders aligned. For extra protection, Cyberduck integrates with Cryptomator to perform client-side encryption — filenames and file contents are encrypted locally without requiring a separate account. You can also use Mountain Duck to mount remote storage as a local drive while retaining those encryption benefits.

Cloud services it can connect to

• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• OneDrive
• Microsoft Azure
• Backblaze B2
• OpenStack Swift
• DRACOON
• Amazon S3

These integrations let organizations of all sizes access many popular storage backends from a single interface.

Workflow and user experience

The interface focuses on simplicity: drag-and-drop transfers, the ability to open files in external editors, and bookmarking for frequently used locations. Search, history lists, caching, and Quick Look previews speed up browsing. On macOS it leverages Finder features, and on Windows it uses system tray notifications; both platforms support storing credentials and discovering online services automatically. Sharing is made easy by copying or opening file URLs directly in a browser.

Known limitations

• For best reliability, limit the number of simultaneous transfers — using more than one active connection may cause instability, although interrupted transfers can usually be resumed.
• Cyberduck itself doesn’t provide built-in file-hosting or direct peer-to-peer sharing; it connects you to servers and cloud providers rather than acting as a standalone sharing portal.
• Some advanced capabilities found in other FTP clients are absent, so power users might miss certain workflow or automation features.

Final thoughts

Cyberduck delivers a clean, approachable way to work with many cloud providers and secure transfer protocols. It isn’t the most feature-dense FTP tool available, but its straightforward UI, multilingual support, and broad backend compatibility make it a strong choice for users who want an easy-to-learn client with open-source freedom.