Wing FTP Server is a cross-platform file transfer server for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It hosts files on a machine and lets remote users and client programs connect to upload, download, and manage those files over several protocols at the same time. An administrator operates the whole server from a web browser rather than a desktop console, so they can configure it and watch activity from any location. A Free Edition is available for personal, non-commercial use, and three paid editions add capacity and security features for business use.
Protocols the server accepts
Wing FTP Server listens for connections over plain FTP, FTPS (FTP secured with SSL/TLS), SFTP (file transfer tunnelled over SSH), and HTTP or HTTPS for browser access. A single installation can expose more than one of these at once. The same user accounts and folders are therefore reachable by a traditional FTP client, an SFTP client, or a web browser, depending on what each person has available. Which protocols are offered depends on the edition: FTPS, HTTPS, and SFTP are part of the secure paid tiers.
Running several servers from one installation
The server is organised into domains, where each domain is effectively a separate virtual server with its own set of users, folders, and settings. Each domain is bound to its own port or IP address, which lets one installation serve unrelated groups, departments, or customers without their accounts mixing. Wing FTP Server builds the folders it presents to users from virtual directories. These directories map a path the user sees onto a real location on disk, including UNC network paths and mapped drives. This lets the server serve files from storage outside its own folder tree.
Administration in the browser
Administration runs as a web application. From the browser an administrator creates domains and user accounts, sets permissions, and monitors the server while it runs. Live performance figures, the list of online sessions, and a record of transfers are all visible. The server can send email notifications when chosen events occur, such as an upload or download. Wing FTP Server writes every FTP transaction to a database and can run reports and real-time analysis against that log for auditing and reporting.
Browser file access and sharing
Alongside the admin side, Wing FTP Server provides a web client that gives end users a file manager inside the browser. It handles multi-file and folder uploads with drag-and-drop, multi-file downloads, a built-in text editor, recursive search, and media and picture viewers. It also compresses or extracts zip archives on the server rather than on the user’s machine. A mobile-friendly layout covers phones and tablets, and companion FTP Rush apps are offered for Android and iOS. For exchanges with people who have no account, weblinks share a file or folder through a URL. The URL can carry a password or a download limit. Upload links let an outside person send files in to a chosen folder.
Accounts, authentication, and access control
The server can keep user records in its own XML files or in an external ODBC or MySQL database. The paid Corporate tier can also authenticate against Windows Active Directory and LDAP to reuse existing network credentials. Each account can have a disk quota, a transfer ratio, and bandwidth limits to cap what it consumes. IP rules further control access by allowing or denying specific addresses. Anti-hammering blocks repeated failed logins, and password policies cover length and complexity. Logon schedules restrict the hours an account may connect, and optional TOTP two-factor authentication controls web client sign-in. IPv6 listeners and IPv6-based access rules are supported.
Automation with Lua
Two components drive automated behaviour. The Event Manager reacts to server events by running a Lua script, sending an email, or launching an external program. It uses these actions to build routine responses to uploads, logins, or other activity. The Task Scheduler runs Lua actions at set times for recurring jobs. The same scripting is exposed through a Lua API. Other systems can reach this API as a RESTful web service to query or control the server programmatically. The Event Manager, Task Scheduler, and database-backed user storage belong to the Corporate edition.
Editions and scale
The editions differ mainly in capacity and the secure protocols and automation features they unlock. The Free Edition runs one domain with a small number of accounts and connections over FTP and HTTP. The Standard edition removes the single-domain limit of the free tier, raises the account and connection limits, and adds the sharing links. The Secure edition adds FTPS, the HTTPS web client, and SFTP. The Corporate edition raises limits to unlimited accounts and connections. It also adds database user storage, directory authentication, two-factor authentication, and the Event Manager and Task Scheduler. For larger deployments, the separate Wing Gateway product clusters multiple servers for load balancing and high availability.
