lftp

What is lftp?

lftp is a feature-rich file transfer program that supports FTP, SFTP, HTTP, HTTPS, and more. It's been actively developed since the late 1990s and is known for stability and scriptability. Packaged in major distributions like Debian, Fedora, and Ubuntu, it's a mature, well-tested tool used in both interactive and automated environments.

It's ideal for system administrators, developers, and advanced users comfortable with the terminal. If you rely on reliable, resume-capable transfers or need automation via scripts, lftp excels. It's not designed for casual users who prefer drag-and-drop interfaces.

Compared to WinSCP Pro, lftp feels more technical and less visual. There’s no GUI, but it offers finer control over connections, transfers, and retries. Power users appreciate its scripting and background job capabilities, though newcomers may find the learning curve steep.

Best for: Automated or reliable file transfers from the command line.

Key features of lftp

• Supports FTP, SFTP, HTTP, HTTPS, HFTP, FISH
• Can resume broken downloads/uploads
• Background jobs and transfer queuing
• Tab completion and command history
• Configurable mirroring for sync tasks
• Scriptable with batch commands
• IPv6 support
• Bandwidth throttling

Tips for Windows users

If you're used to WinSCP, think of lftp as the terminal equivalent for transfers. You won't drag files, but you can script sessions, queue transfers, and resume reliably. Use bookmarks in ~/.lftprc or save commands in scripts. Tab completion helps with paths. For syncing, 'mirror' and 'reverse-mirror' replace GUI sync tools.