What types of connections does Cyberduck support?

Cyberduck boasts extensive support for a wide array of server and cloud storage protocols. This includes traditional options like FTP, SFTP, and WebDAV, crucial for web hosting and server management. For cloud storage, it integrates seamlessly with major platforms such as Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Google Drive, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, OpenStack Swift, and Backblaze B2. This comprehensive compatibility makes it a versatile tool for managing files across diverse remote environments from a single application.

Can I edit files on a remote server directly with Cyberduck?

Absolutely. One of Cyberduck's key strengths is its seamless integration with external editors. You can open any remote file directly from the Cyberduck interface using your preferred local text editor, image editor, or other application. Once you save your changes in the external editor, Cyberduck automatically detects these modifications and uploads the updated file back to the server or cloud storage. This feature significantly accelerates workflows by eliminating the need for manual download and upload steps.

How does Cyberduck ensure the security of my data?

Cyberduck prioritizes data security through several mechanisms. It supports secure transfer protocols like SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) and FTP-TLS (FTP over SSL/TLS) for encrypted connections to servers. For cloud storage, it offers client-side encryption using Cryptomator interoperable vaults, which encrypts file content, filenames, and obfuscates directory structures before data is uploaded. Passwords and certificates are securely stored in the system Keychain (on macOS), and it supports SSH key authentication for SFTP, further enhancing secure access.

Is Cyberduck available for operating systems other than Mac?

Yes, while primarily popular on Mac, Cyberduck is also available for Windows, offering a consistent user experience across both desktop platforms. For Linux users, a command-line interface (CLI) version, known as `duck`, is available and can be installed via package managers like Homebrew. This multi-platform availability ensures that users can manage their server and cloud storage connections regardless of their preferred operating system, although the full graphical interface is specific to Mac and Windows.

Does Cyberduck support folder synchronization?

Yes, Cyberduck includes robust features for synchronizing local and remote directories. This functionality allows users to mirror files and folders, ensuring that changes made in one location are reflected in the other. You can preview the affected files before initiating a synchronization, providing control over the process. This is particularly useful for tasks such as backing up website files, deploying updates, or keeping local development environments consistent with remote servers or cloud storage buckets.

Where does Cyberduck store connection bookmarks and passwords?

On macOS, Cyberduck intelligently integrates with system technologies for secure storage. Connection bookmarks are managed within the application and can be organized and searched. Crucially, all sensitive credentials, including passwords and SSH keys, are stored securely in the macOS Keychain. This leverages the operating system's built-in security features, ensuring that your login information for servers and cloud storage accounts is protected and accessible only by authorized applications and users.

What is the primary difference between Cyberduck and Mountain Duck?

While both are developed by iterate GmbH, Cyberduck and Mountain Duck serve distinct purposes. Cyberduck is a server and cloud storage *browser*, providing a graphical interface to navigate, upload, download, and manage files on remote locations. Mountain Duck, on the other hand, *mounts* remote servers and cloud storage as local disks in your macOS Finder or Windows File Explorer. This allows you to interact with remote files as if they were stored locally, enabling access from any application. Mountain Duck essentially extends your desktop with remote storage, while Cyberduck provides a dedicated browser for it.

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Cyberduck

Name: Cyberduck
Availability: InStock

Server and cloud storage browser

System UtilitiesFreeOpen SourceReplaces Transmit ($45)

Cyberduck screenshot — Cyberduck — Official Website

Quick Take: Cyberduck

4.7

Cyberduck is an outstanding Mac application for anyone needing to manage files on diverse servers and cloud storage platforms. Its intuitive interface, extensive protocol support, and powerful features like external editor integration and client-side encryption make it a top-tier choice. While some power users might miss a dual-pane view or find alternatives slightly faster for massive transfers, its overall reliability, security features, and open-source nature, combined with a fair pricing model, deliver exceptional value. It's a highly recommended tool for streamlining remote file management workflows.

Best For

•Web developers and designers
•Cloud storage power users
•System administrators
•Users prioritizing security and ease of use

Install with Homebrew

brew install --cask cyberduck

What is Cyberduck?

Cyberduck is a powerful and versatile open-source client designed for macOS and Windows, serving as a comprehensive browser for servers and various cloud storage services. It simplifies file transfers and management across a wide array of protocols, including FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft Azure, and Backblaze B2. Renowned for its intuitive graphical user interface, Cyberduck allows users to seamlessly upload, download, and organize files, making it an indispensable tool for web developers, system administrators, and anyone needing efficient remote file access. Beyond basic file operations, it offers advanced features like direct external editor integration, robust bookmark management, and client-side encryption, ensuring secure and streamlined workflows for both individual users and professional teams.

Deep Dive: Cyberduck

An in-depth look at Cyberduck for Mac.

History & Background

Cyberduck has been a staple in the Mac ecosystem. It was developed to address specific user needs on macOS.

How It Works

Cyberduck is built for macOS and integrates with the operating system's native APIs.

Ecosystem & Integrations

Cyberduck works well alongside other Mac productivity tools.

Future Development

Cyberduck continues to receive updates with new features and macOS compatibility improvements.

Key Features

Extensive Protocol Support

Cyberduck stands out with its broad compatibility, supporting virtually every major server and cloud storage protocol. This includes traditional file transfer protocols like FTP (File Transfer Protocol) and SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) for secure connections, as well as WebDAV for web-based authoring and versioning. Furthermore, it deeply integrates with leading cloud storage providers such as Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft OneDrive, OpenStack Swift, and Backblaze B2. This extensive support allows users to manage diverse remote storage locations from a single, unified interface, eliminating the need for multiple specialized clients. For instance, a developer can manage website files via SFTP and simultaneously organize large media assets on an Amazon S3 bucket.

Seamless External Editor Integration

One of Cyberduck's most powerful features is its ability to integrate with any external text or image editor installed on your Mac. Users can directly open and edit remote files from within Cyberduck, and once saved in the external application, changes are automatically uploaded back to the server or cloud storage. This eliminates the tedious process of downloading, editing locally, and then re-uploading files manually. For example, a web designer can quickly open a CSS file stored on an FTP server with Sublime Text, make changes, save, and have the updated file instantly deployed, significantly accelerating development and maintenance workflows.

Intuitive Bookmark Management

Cyberduck simplifies connecting to frequently accessed servers and cloud storage locations through its robust bookmarking system. Users can organize their connections with drag-and-drop functionality, assign custom nicknames, and even label them for easy identification and quick searching. Bookmarks can be dragged directly to the Finder for quick access or used as drop targets for immediate file uploads. This feature is particularly beneficial for professionals who manage multiple projects or clients, allowing them to switch between different server environments with just a double-click, saving valuable time and reducing the chances of connection errors.

Client-Side Encryption with Cryptomator

For enhanced security, Cyberduck offers client-side encryption through interoperable Cryptomator vaults. This means that users can encrypt their sensitive data before it ever leaves their local machine and is uploaded to any server or cloud storage. Cryptomator encrypts both file content and file/directory names, and it obfuscates directory structures, ensuring that even if the cloud storage provider is compromised, the data remains unreadable. This feature is crucial for handling confidential documents, intellectual property, or any data requiring a high level of privacy and compliance, providing peace of mind for users concerned about data breaches.

Efficient Drag & Drop Transfers and Synchronization

Cyberduck provides an incredibly user-friendly experience for file transfers, leveraging the familiar drag-and-drop mechanism directly within its browser interface. Users can easily upload or download single files, multiple items, or entire directories by simply dragging them to and from their local machine. The application also supports advanced transfer options, including limiting concurrent transfers, resuming interrupted downloads and uploads, and recursively transferring directories. Furthermore, Cyberduck includes robust synchronization capabilities, allowing users to mirror local directories with remote ones, and vice versa, with a preview of affected files before execution, ensuring data consistency across environments.

Who Should Use Cyberduck?

1Web Developer

A web developer frequently manages multiple client websites hosted on various FTP and SFTP servers. With Cyberduck, they can consolidate all server connections into easily accessible bookmarks. They use the external editor integration to quickly modify HTML, CSS, or JavaScript files directly on the remote server using their preferred IDE, saving time by avoiding manual download-edit-upload cycles. For deploying new features, they leverage the synchronization feature to efficiently upload updated project files, ensuring all changes are accurately mirrored without missing any files. This streamlines their development workflow and enhances productivity.

2Cloud Storage User

A marketing professional needs to organize and share large media files across different cloud storage platforms like Amazon S3 for archival, Google Drive for team collaboration, and Dropbox for client deliveries. Cyberduck provides a unified interface to browse, upload, and download files from all these services. They utilize the client-side encryption with Cryptomator vaults for confidential campaign assets stored on S3, ensuring data privacy. The ability to generate shareable URLs directly from Cyberduck simplifies sharing specific files with clients and colleagues, regardless of the underlying cloud provider.

3System Administrator

A system administrator is responsible for managing configurations, logs, and backups on several remote Linux servers and cloud instances. Cyberduck allows them to securely connect to these servers using SFTP and SSH keys, providing a familiar graphical browser experience for remote file systems. They can quickly download log files for analysis, upload updated configuration scripts, or initiate full server backups to a designated Backblaze B2 bucket using Cyberduck's robust transfer capabilities. The bookmarking feature helps them maintain an organized list of all managed systems, ensuring quick and reliable access for routine maintenance and emergency troubleshooting.

How to Install Cyberduck on Mac

Installing Cyberduck on your Mac is straightforward, with options for both direct download and using the Homebrew package manager. Homebrew offers a convenient command-line installation experience.

Install Homebrew

If you don't have Homebrew already, open Terminal (Applications/Utilities) and run the Homebrew install script from its official website: /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Install Cyberduck

Once Homebrew is installed, return to Terminal and execute the command: brew install --cask cyberduck. This will download and install the Cyberduck application to your Applications folder.

Verify Installation

After the installation completes, you can launch Cyberduck by searching for it in Spotlight (Cmd+Space and type 'Cyberduck') or by navigating to your Applications folder and double-clicking its icon.

Pro Tips

• Ensure your macOS is up to date for optimal compatibility.
• If you prefer not to use Homebrew, you can download the .zip file directly from the official Cyberduck website and drag the app to your Applications folder.
• For command-line access to Cyberduck features, install `duck` using `brew install duck` after Homebrew.

Configuration Tips

Optimize Transfer Settings

To enhance transfer speed and reliability, navigate to Cyberduck > Preferences > Transfers. Here, you can adjust the number of concurrent transfers to suit your network conditions, especially useful for large batches of small files. You can also configure actions for existing files, like overwriting or resuming, to prevent interruptions.

Set Up SSH Key Authentication for SFTP

For more secure and password-less SFTP connections, configure SSH key authentication. Go to Cyberduck > Preferences > SSH. Add your private SSH key, and Cyberduck will automatically use it for SFTP connections to servers configured with the corresponding public key. This significantly improves security and convenience.

Configure External Editor Preferences

Personalize your editing workflow by setting your preferred external editor. In Cyberduck > Preferences > Editor, you can specify which application Cyberduck should use to open different file types (e.g., VS Code for code files, Pixelmator Pro for images). This ensures a seamless transition from browsing to editing remote files.

Alternatives to Cyberduck

While Cyberduck is a highly capable Mac app for server and cloud storage browsing, several alternatives offer similar or complementary functionalities, each with its own strengths.

FileZilla

FileZilla is a popular, free, and open-source FTP client available across macOS, Windows, and Linux. It offers a traditional dual-pane interface, which some users prefer for local-to-remote comparisons. While robust for FTP/SFTP, its cloud storage integrations are not as extensive or seamlessly integrated as Cyberduck's.

Transmit 5

Transmit 5, developed by Panic, is a premium FTP/SFTP client exclusively for Mac, known for its exceptional speed, reliability, and polished user interface. It provides extensive cloud storage support, including S3, Google Drive, and Backblaze B2, often with faster transfer rates than Cyberduck for very large files, though it comes at a higher one-time purchase price.

Commander One

Commander One is a powerful dual-pane file manager for Mac that also functions as a multi-protocol FTP client. It supports FTP, SFTP, and WebDAV, alongside integrations with major cloud services. Its dual-pane layout is excellent for intricate file management and transfers, often appealing to users who find Finder's single-pane restrictive.

Pricing

Freemium / One-time Purchase

Cyberduck operates on a freemium model. The application is open-source and can be downloaded for free from its official website, with donations encouraged to support development. Alternatively, a paid version is available on the Apple App Store for a one-time purchase, which includes automatic updates and direct support. As of early 2026, the one-time purchase price on the Mac App Store is typically around $23.99 USD. Both versions offer the same core features, with the paid option primarily serving as a way to support development and gain convenience through the App Store ecosystem. Discounts may be available for academic users or owners of previous versions.

Pros

✓Comprehensive protocol and cloud storage support.
✓Intuitive and user-friendly graphical interface.
✓Seamless integration with external editors.
✓Robust client-side encryption with Cryptomator.
✓Efficient drag-and-drop file transfers and synchronization.
✓Open-source and actively developed with community support.

Cons

✗Large transfers can occasionally be slower compared to some premium alternatives.
✗Some advanced settings may be less intuitive or tucked away in menus.
✗Lacks a native dual-pane interface, which some power users prefer.
✗No official enterprise deployment features for large organizations.

Community & Support

Cyberduck benefits from an active and supportive community. Users can find comprehensive help documentation and tutorials on the official Cyberduck website (cyberduck.io). For direct interaction, feature requests, or troubleshooting, the project actively uses GitHub Discussions as its primary community forum, replacing older platforms like Google Groups. This allows users to engage directly with developers and other community members. Additionally, support is available via email for issues and bug reports, particularly for those who purchase the application through the Mac App Store.

Video Tutorials

Getting Started with Cyberduck

Tony Teaches Tech49.8K views

How to Use Cyberduck Tutorial - Connecting with FTP, FTPS, SFTP, uploading and downloading

Hosted~FTP~ Resources • 81.0K views

AWS EC2 File Transfer with Cyberduck on Mac

Silver Lining Cloud Solutions • 107 views

How to Use Cyberduck FTP Client

ExaVault • 43.3K views

Frequently Asked Questions about Cyberduck

Yes, Cyberduck is fundamentally a free and open-source application, available for download from its official website without cost. The developers encourage donations to support ongoing development. Alternatively, it is also offered as a one-time purchase on the Apple App Store, which includes streamlined updates and supports the project directly. Both versions provide the same core functionality, so users can choose the option that best fits their preference for acquisition and support.

Our Verdict

4.7/5

Best for:Web developers and designersCloud storage power usersSystem administratorsUsers prioritizing security and ease of use

About the Author

Jordan Kim

Productivity & Workflow Analyst

Productivity ApplicationsNote-Taking & Knowledge ManagementTask & Project Management

8+ years in operations management · PMP certified

Related Technologies & Concepts

CyberduckSFTPAmazon S3CryptomatorBookmark Management

Sources & References

Fact-Checked

Last verified: Feb 15, 2026

Key Verified Facts

Cyberduck is an open-source client supporting FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, and major cloud storage services like Amazon S3 and Google Drive.[cite-2, cite-3, cite-12]
Cyberduck allows direct editing of remote files using external editors and features client-side encryption with Cryptomator.[cite-2, cite-12]
Cyberduck offers a free version with donations encouraged, and a paid version on the Apple App Store for approximately $23.99 USD as of 2026.[cite-17, cite-24, cite-30]

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