# WinSCP Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is WinSCP the right File Sharing solution for you? Explore 56 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/234587/WinSCP/reviews --- WinSCP 4.7 (56) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/234587/WinSCP/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of WinSCP Ease of use 4.6 Customer Service 4.0 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Tim S selfComputer Software, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It is a great tool that is used almost daily in some fashion or another.“ March 23, 2026 AS Abhishek S SailPoint DeveloperAccounting, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Sometime even after putting the correct password it gives access denied error so I've to try multiple time to login into the server.“ July 27, 2023 CN Claris N Finacle consultantComputer Software, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “WinSCP is a great SFTP, FTP, and SCP client for Windows since it has user-friendly interface that makes it easy for users to navigate and transfer files between local and remote systems.“ November 16, 2023 Kathy P OwnerPhotography, Self-employedUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The only thing I can think of is when I first used the program, I had a hard time setting up the SFTP but that was probably user error.“ December 12, 2022 AS Abhishek S SailPoint DeveloperAccounting, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “I liked the quick response and easy to use UI of winscp, I can easily access and transfer the files between server and my laptop also I can connect with multiple servers in different sessions.“ July 27, 2023 JC Justin C Digital Initiatives DirectorGovernment Administration, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Some packets of information, totaling 500gb-1tb, would take days to fully download. When it crashed, I wasn't sure if the files it crashed on had transferred completely or not, and there was no way to really tell.“ December 24, 2021 JS Julia S HR Data and Payroll ManagerEducation Management, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Users can seamlessly switch between file transfers and terminal operations within the same application.“ November 10, 2023 Brian H Software EngineerInformation Technology and Services, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “There are times where window resizing is off (namely the file searching) which can be a nuisance. “ November 17, 2021 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 56 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Kathy P. Owner Photography Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Secure FTP" December 12, 2022 5.0 My overall experience with WinSCP is super happy with the options and functionality of the program. It is fully encrypted and a safe FTP to use. Easy to install and pretty easy to set up so you can log in immediately. Pros As with any program, as long as you have the correct credentials for your server, it's super easy to set up and log into the backend of your server for file transfer. Since I have several websites I log into, the layout of the interface is very easy and convenient to use. Updating the program is also easy, it the update now button and updates smoothly without uninstalling anything. Cons I have been using it for at least 8 years and can't think of one issue I have had or glitch in the program. The only thing I can think of is when I first used the program, I had a hard time setting up the SFTP but that was probably user error. Switched from [FileZilla](https://www.capterra.com/p/231513/FileZilla/) At the time I could never get the SFTP working. Since then, I have used FileZilla recently, about 6 months ago with no problems. After reading up about WinSCP, it seemed to have better encryption. Review Source SS Samuel S. Donor Database & Contributions Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Straightforward and Easy-to-Use SFTP Client" August 30, 2022 5.0 The employees who regularly use this program have required no specific training, and it is a simple, free, secure option for intra-organizational sharing of confidential documents. Pros We had to implement this product for use by employees who probably thought that "File Transfer Protocol" means Google Docs! Nonetheless, it proved to be a quick, straightforward, free (GNU-GPL) solution. The GUI is very similar to Windows File Explorer (while there is an option for Norton Commander-like GUI as well), which makes this an easy tool for the windows-only crowd to take up. Integrated into Windows with drag-n-drop functionality. Batch file scripting makes this a good solution for automated tasks involving regularly moving large file sets. Cons Certain new versions of the software have required our IT department to revise firewall settings. Alternatives considered [Dropbox Business](https://www.capterra.com/p/143068/Dropbox-Business/)[OneDrive](https://www.capterra.com/p/161304/OneDrive/)[Google Drive](https://www.capterra.com/p/161425/Drive/) Reason for choosing WinSCP The other products listed above provide hosting as well as transfer services, and the free options for hosting usually involve some sort of trade-off (data mining, etc). Remember - if you are paying for a service, then you ARE the service. Setting up an SFTP server is a good alternative when there is a free and easy-to-use client like WinSCP. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer self Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Software" March 23, 2026 5.0 It is a great tool that is used almost daily in some fashion or another. This can be scripted so that it's totally hands-off or manually used to research a given file remotely. Pros Ease of use and varying levels of keeping sessions to help end users be able to move files as needed Cons Has many options, which can make it look daunting, but that is also a great blessing. But the nice thing is you can also hide those settings from end users, helping them feel more comfortable. Review Source JC Justin C. Digital Initiatives Director Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Not a great file transfer program" December 24, 2021 2.0 WinSCP is not very good for transferring files, and I would recommend some other service, like Filezilla. Pros I like that it is easy and simple to use; just put in your login info and you're good to go. Cons With my particular projects, WinSCP continually crashed and took forever to download files. Some packets of information, totaling 500gb-1tb, would take days to fully download. When it crashed, I wasn't sure if the files it crashed on had transferred completely or not, and there was no way to really tell. Review Source Ali L. Server Administrator Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Free open source SFTP, SCP, WebDav, Amazon S3" September 30, 2022 5.0 I have been using WinSCP for more than 10 years and it has always been reliable and always worked as expected with exceptional functions that are very rare to find in other similar tools Pros Reliable tool that always works with the supported protocols, easy to use. has some advanced functions that are missing in many other tools like executing shell commands on login using SCP. Also support SCP which very few other file upload tools support. Cons I can't think of any cons, but i think it would be great if the tool got rebuild with a modern responsive UI. Switched from [FileZilla](https://www.capterra.com/p/231513/FileZilla/) FileZilla doesn't support SCP, and it's a little snitchy because it downloads itself in the background without any notification or permission request. also now most the functions are included in the pro version. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Manager - IT Banking Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best File Tranfering Software" May 13, 2022 5.0 WinSCP is most valuable & useful tool/software for IT professionals. Pros Installation, Access & file transfer process are much easy and very efficient. Cons Some times disconnecting when transferring large files and need to re-login again to access. Alternatives considered [FileZilla](https://www.capterra.com/p/231513/FileZilla/) Reason for choosing WinSCP WinSCP is one of the best file transfer tool when comparing others in market. Review Source EL Eero L. Manager Consumer Electronics Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My trusted software - until I moved along" October 5, 2021 4.0 I used WinSCP for some years, especially because I was using a server that demands SCP access. However, little by little I moved to FileZilla, and haven't really used WinSCP since even though I still have it installed on my computer. The main reason for the change is the user interface. Pros The user interface is quite simple, which is both positive and negative. But I guess it is easy for use to most people. Cons I didn't like the user interface. I prefer a double-sided view where I can browse folders on the computer and server at the same time in two different views. When I used WinSCP, it didn't have this. Alternatives considered [FileZilla](https://www.capterra.com/p/231513/FileZilla/) Reason for choosing WinSCP I chose WinSCP at first, because I thought that SCP connections are not supported by FileZilla. Later I moved on to Filezilla and now I use it 100%. Review Source Torikul I. Web Developer & WordPress Expert Internet Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "WinSCP is simply perfect" September 26, 2021 5.0 My experience with WinSCP is outstanding! database management, files, useability everything was so satisfied, highly recommend this FTP. Pros WinSCP is pretty cool! I love to use it for my works. Was able to fulfil my requirements because the FTP has everything that I need even a lot more. Easy to use and comfortable, the customer support is also remarkable. Cons To say honestly, I didn't face any issues with WinSCP so far. The software always trying to improve itself to fulfil the users need. Switched from [Cyberduck](https://www.capterra.com/p/188500/Cyberduck/) For my work purpose, to complete the client's requirements I was asked to use Cyberduck. Review Source RK Robert K. drafting Civil Engineering Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great for work" March 13, 2025 5.0 Pros Great for working with my team on sharing files Cons one downside is you have to be careful when sharing permissions with co workers to not override a file Review Source LL Luca L. IT Analyst and Developer Packaging and Containers Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best program for scp" February 1, 2025 5.0 Pros It's my first, one and only program that i use when i have to connect to Linux server. At work i have to manage some server, and when i have to copy or download something to or from these machines, i use always WinScp Cons For my use i can't find nothing as negative Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Analista de Sistemas Higher Education Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Comentarios sobre winscp" July 25, 2024 5.0 Pros La facilidad que tiene para subir, mover o eliminar archivos del servidor. Cons Sus capacidades de edición de archivos son bastante limitadas. Review Source JS Julia S. HR Data and Payroll Manager Education Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Secure file transfers with a user friendly interface" November 10, 2023 5.0 The dual pane interface is efficient, however this overall design is less modern than compared to other file transfer applications. A more contemporary look could enhance the user experience. Nevertheless, this presents an extremely useful, secure and user-friendly file transfer platform that is used regularly in my job role. There are powerful automation capabilities allowing users to script and schedule transfers. Pros WinSCP is an open source software making it freely available to users. This affordability factor coupled with it's robust features is attractive with organisations with budget considerations. The integration with PuTTY a widely used terminal emulator adds an extra layer of versatility. Users can seamlessly switch between file transfers and terminal operations within the same application. Cons This is a windows only platform, thus users on other operating systems may need to explore alternative tools. Some of the more advanced features might be complex for users unfamiliar with advanced file transfer protocols or scripting. Review Source FG Francislyne G. Developpeur Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "WinSCP, un outil FTP" December 8, 2023 5.0 Je dirais que WinSCP est l'outil par excellence que j'ai déjà utilisé en terme de gestionnaire FTP, surtout avec PUTTY qu'il intègre Pros WinSCP est un outil que j'utilise au quotidien en tant que gestionnaire de fichier FTP. Il me permet de travailler simultanément sur différents compte FTP Cons Il est très facile de supprimer des fichiers sur le serveur, si vous ne faites pas attention Review Source NS Nakharaj S. Programmer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Good File Management Tool" October 17, 2023 4.0 As Overall, Good Tool for accessing the file transfer protocol of the application. Pros Easy to access files from the application server to the local system Cons It Requires Internet. Sometimes it requires VPN, to access particular IP and port. Review Source FM Felipe M. Research Associate Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### " Excellent software for file transfer" April 19, 2023 4.0 Excellent software for file transfer, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who needs to transfer files to and from remote servers. Pros WinSCP is an efficient file transfer tool that I have been using for more than five years now, and it still impresses me with its robust features. The software is easy to use and can handle transferring large files without any issues. One of the best things I like is that it allows you to continue navigating to select other files while transferring files simultaneously, which saves a lot of time. It also provides a sense of security, which is very important when dealing with sensitive data. Cons As for the downsides, transferring some large files may take a considerable amount of time, which can be a bit frustrating. Additionally, the software sometimes prompts for updates more often than necessary, but this is not a serious issue. Review Source dB dania B. consultante Computer & Network Security Used the software for: 2+ years ### "accès à distance" January 16, 2023 4.0 Pros facile à utiliser pour les accès à distance en ssh par exemple avec une gestion efficace des documents Cons interface graphique un petit peu basique Review Source BS Brian S. IT Manager Libraries Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Default choice" August 25, 2022 5.0 It does its job well and let's me do what I need quickly and easily. It's well designed. Pros This software is simple, loaded with features, and is one of the first pieces of software I load on a new machine. Cons Not sure if it qualifies as a con, but the interface has been largely unchanged for years, so maybe a little outdated. I guess if it isn't broke...? Reason for choosing WinSCP I've been using this for years and have never really come across something that I feel works better to warrant a change. Review Source YK Yogesh K. Associate Manager - Test Engineering Information Technology and Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "A perfect SFTP and FTP client for Microsoft Windows" October 9, 2022 5.0 Pros WinSCP is perfect SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) and FTP (File Transfer Protocol) client for Microsoft Windows. It enables secure file transfers between the local computer and remote servers using FTP, FTPS. Its easy to use interface helps you to quickly establish a SFTP/FTP connection with your desired location, upload and download files. As a Tester, I have found it very useful while working on several Software projects. Cons As far as my experience is considered, personally I haven't faced any issues so far. Review Source NM Nicholas M. Tax Accountant Construction Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "WinSCP Review" August 4, 2022 5.0 Pros WinSCP is a very easy program to use. It is straightforward and simple to follow. It is also very fast, which is a breath of fresh air after using other programs that are not as quick. Cons I personally have not had any dislikes with the software. It has always been simple for me to use and has been effective. Review Source MW Matt W. AM Automotive Used the software for: 2+ years ### "WinSCP review" June 6, 2024 5.0 Pros This is an easy solution for file sharing for various entities. Cons I do not have any issues with the software. Review Source RT Rick T. Engineering Tech Supervisor, Test Equipment Oil & Energy Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "WinSCP is very easy to use and very handy!" June 10, 2024 4.0 I've used this software for a couple of years. I haven't used all it's features, but the ones I have used, work very well. Using this for specific tasks, I don't need to run other software to get things done. Pros I like all the tools that incorporated in this software. I don't have to have other software running to complete my tasks. Cons Nothing! I haven't had any issues or wished for anything else in this software at this point. Review Source JK Jens K. CEO Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Allrounder für SFTP" January 23, 2023 5.0 Pros Das gute an WinSCP ist, dass alles Recht einfach funktioniert. Man kann PuTTY integrieren und spart sich so das eingeben der Anmeldedaten. WinSCP ist relativ einfach zu bedienen und kein "Hexenwerk". Ich bevorzuge WinSCP gegenüber anderen Programmen und verwende WinSCP schon seit über 6 Jahren. Cons Was mir am wenigsten gefällt, ist das ewige hin und her gespringe zwischen den Ordnern nur um dann wieder an Dokumente zu gelangen, welche man zwar gleichzeitig öffnen kann, aber trotzdem immer die Ordner durch wechseln muss. Bei tiefen Ordnerstrukturen wird das auf Dauer echt nervig und deswegen fehlt mir schon sehr lange eine Art Tab bzw Registerkarten Funktion für die Ordner. Oder eben auch eine Möglichkeit die Ordner in eigenen Fenstern zu öffnen.Außerdem funktioniert bei mir die Nutzung von anderen Texteditoren nicht so gut. Weswegen ich gezwungen bin, den von WinSCP zu nutzen welcher sozusagen komplett Basic ist und keine weiteren Funktionen wie farbig markierte Code Zeilen o.ä anbietet. Review Source Ricardo O. Systems Engineering Student Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A program that allows you to easily transfer files between computers" December 14, 2021 5.0 It is an excellent program that facilitates file management, even improves the experience for users who are not used to Linux. This program allows you to better organize and manage documents from various computers and present them in a much more user-friendly way. In addition, it provides great security to data transfer Pros This program has helped me in my old job to manage files between several computers on a network and the most impressive thing is that it did not matter that they had other operating systems, it was a quite heterogeneous environment, the personal computers had Windows while the servers had Centos, Ubuntu, Kali and more. It is also important to say that this file transfer was very secure. Cons I had very few problems with this program, very rarely I could not access certain IPs for which I had permission. Also, it doesn't keep a clear record of who moves, edits, or deletes files. Review Source Anthony R. IT Technical Project Manager Computer Hardware Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A must have for transferring files via SFTP on Windows" January 25, 2022 5.0 Using WinSCP allows us to instantly connect to remote servers to view the files being transferred from automated processes and ensure that they are being sent on time. Without WinSCP we would have to manage each individual account manually and connect using command lines. Pros WinSCP is easy to use and makes transferring files from a Windows computer via SFTP quick and pain free. It is only a small download and installs within seconds. There are no costs to using WinSCP and the built-in import/export for SFTP sites means that you easily transfer the settings between systems. Cons The only thing that I would change with WinSCP is the ability to upload/download the files by double clicking on them rather than having to right click and select from the menu or click the button on the toolbar. However, this is because I am modifying individual files as opposed to bulk transfers. Review Source Brian H. Software Engineer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Power and Utility of WinSCP makes it an essential tool for IT Professionals" November 17, 2021 5.0 I use WinSCP to help other IT professionals navigate Linux and Linux file structures. For anyone intimidated by navigating around in Linux, this tool should be the first one you search for and install. Even with knowledge of Linux and commands, I still use WinSCP for editing files, sync'ing and comparing directory contents, and finding files. Other commands like generating a session with code/script and automatic directory sync'ing are really neat features and in the right situation could be incredibly helpful. Pros Not everyone knows how to get around in Linux, get file details, find files, and compare files. WinSCP provides an easy to use familiar UI to guide anyone who feels comfortable with Windows Explorer. With the price (free with an option to donate), its really a must have. Cons There are times where window resizing is off (namely the file searching) which can be a nuisance. Other little UI glitches come up from time to time, but overall I would say its pretty minimal. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [File Sharing](https://www.capterra.com/file-sharing-software/) ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.