FlashFXP
Description
FlashFXP is an established player in Windows FTP client software, having been around since 1999, and it has a dedicated base of loyal users among web developers, server administrators and site operators who regularly move files between their local computer and remote servers. The application handles FTP, SFTP, and FTPS connections via a dual-pane interface — local files on one side, remote server on the other — and adds features that are important specifically to people who transfer files in a professional capacity: Transfer queues that survive disconnections, site-to-site transfers between two remote servers, a transfer scheduler, and a connection manager that stores profiles for as many servers as are necessary with per-server authentication and settings.
OpenSight Software develops and maintains FlashFXP as a paid Windows-only application competing in the market which also includes FileZilla (free) and WS_FTP (enterprise-focused). FlashFXP’s paid positioning is reflective of its target audience: professionals who transfer files often enough that the extended feature set and technical polish is worth the cost of a license.
KEY FEATURES
Dual-Pane Interface
As its main window, FlashFXP splits into two file browser panes side by side. One pane shows local folders and files and the other pane shows the remote server’s directory tree and listing of files after connecting. Transfers are initiated by selecting files in one or the other pane and dragging to the other or pressing a transfer key. The split view removes the need to switch between the local and remote context and both locations are visible at the same time during operations on multiple files.
FTP, SFTP, and FTPS Support
FlashFXP is connected via three protocols spanning the range of server configurations in common use. Standard FTP is compatible with most legacy servers and simple hosting environments. FTPS is the TLS/SSL encryption of FTP for servers that support explicit or implicit SSL. SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) uses an SSH connection to route file transfer, and provides the powerful encryption and authentication using SSH key pairs in addition to passwords. Each protocol selects automatically on the basis of the settings of the connection profile or manually at connection time.
Transfer Queue and Resume
Files queued for transfer continue in sequence even if they are interrupted. If a connection drops in the middle of the transfer, FlashFXP resumes the interrupted file from where it left off and not from the beginning, which is important for large files on unstable connections. The queue survives application restarts — closing FlashFXP leaves the pending queue, and reopening it continues from where the session left off.
Site-to-Site (FXP) Transfers
FlashFXP supports direct server-to-server file transfer — called FXP or site-to-site transfer — where files transfer from one remote server to another remote server without being downloaded to the local machine first. This cuts the transfer time to the network speed between the two servers as opposed to the user’s upload bandwidth, and does not require the local storage of the intermediate data. FXP transfers require both servers to support the protocol-not all hosting environments allow FXP transfers.
Site Manager
The Site Manager keeps connection profiles for any number of FTP, SFTP and FTPS servers. Each profile stores the hostname, port, username, authentication method, remote start directory, transfer settings and any server specific configuration. Connecting to a known server connects from the Site Manager list instead of entering credentials manually. Profiles organize into folders for grouping related servers — development, staging and production environments for a single project, or grouped by client.
Scheduler
The built-in scheduler is used to run transfers at specific times or intervals to automate routine file synchronization tasks. A scheduled job could be uploading a nightly backup to a remote server, syncing a local development directory to a staging server every morning, or downloading a remote data file on a regular basis. The scheduler executes jobs while FlashFXP is running and the job log provides completion status and any errors of each scheduled run.
Search and Filtering
Remote directory search is used to find files based on name pattern in the directory tree of a connected server. Local and remote file lists use name pattern filtering to filter out large directory listings to relevant files without having to manually navigate subdirectories.
Transfer Speed Limiting
Transfer speed limits cap the bandwidth consumption per connection so FlashFXP can run in the background without saturating the connection and degrading the other network activity on the same machine or network.
