FileZilla
Shares rank 5 of 17 file transfer apps by recommenders
Easy-to-use FTP and SFTP client that people find fast, especially for Windows users. Critics object that paid Pro buyers may be unable to re-download the version they purchased.
Easy-to-use FTP and SFTP client that people find fast, especially for Windows users. Critics object that paid Pro buyers may be unable to re-download the version they purchased.
33 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 12
- criticize it
- 21
- approval share
- 36%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 12 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 0.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, not met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Low-cost license with long-term updates
“The lifetime license purchased today is not a perpetual license. FileZilla says that it will update it for life.”
Comment from 28 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users” “The license itself is ~$13 for a perpetual license and a year of support and updates.”
Comment from 28 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Old installers and purchased versions unavailable
“Since it would cost them roughly nothing to keep old installers around forever for paid users, it's really hard to imagine a justification.”
Comment from 27 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users” “given they said they refuse to allow downloads it doesn't sound like they lost the data”
Comment from 28 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users” “FileZilla refused to give me a copy of the version I purchased for 'security reasons,'”
Comment from 28 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users” - Comment from 27 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users”
- Comment from 27 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users”
- Comment from 27 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users”
Developer's practices seen as unethical
“Good faith ended at sale and support.”
Comment from 27 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users” “I just don't want to do business with people who think that's an ethical way to do things.”
Comment from 28 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users” “it does confirm some concerns I already had about the developer's questionable practices”
Comment from 28 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users” - Comment from 28 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users”
- Comment from 27 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users”
Installer bundled with adware
“FileZilla author was caught red handed, shipping app with IronCore adware downloader”
Comment from 28 Nov 2025 in “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users” “FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users”
Comment from 18 Jun 2026 in “FileZilla is still after 24 years”
Other file transfer apps people recommend
The four most recommended other file transfer apps, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LocalSend | 81 | 25 | 76% | 11 | — | Approved |
| Magic Wormhole | 21 | 6 | 78% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Kermit | 15 | 4 | 79% | 2 | — | — |
| croc | 13 | 3 | 81% | 5 | — | Approved |
| FileZillaThis page | 12 | 21 | 36% | 4 | — | — |
What people said
40 of the 51 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“And free/paid apps for your phone to sync your files automatically over SFTP.”
“FileZilla now contains adware if you download from the official homepage”
“FileZilla Pro "Perpetual License" – A Warning to All Users”
“Nothing wrong with those stacks.”
“has had a history of intentionally bunding adware/spyware”
“Awesome, FileZilla 3.70.0 RC3: 60-62MB/s”
“the perpetual license wasn't quite so perpetual”
“I think it's an easier GUI for non-technical windows users to get to grips with”
“They sold you a license, they said so themselves.”
“They have a solution to the problem, and sharing the solution costs nothing, but they refuse to share it.”
“it does confirm some concerns I already had about the developer's questionable practices”
“If we're talking about a single version of filezilla that rarely gets downloaded, the hosting cost is somewhere below a penny per month, possibly actual zero.”
“FileZilla author was caught red handed, shipping app with IronCore adware downloader”
“this is about them having very bad customer support”
“The license itself is ~$13 for a perpetual license and a year of support and updates.”
“The lifetime license purchased today is not a perpetual license. FileZilla says that it will update it for life.”
“given they said they refuse to allow downloads it doesn't sound like they lost the data”
“It speaks to what the company really stands for”
“FileZilla explicitly and emphatically sells a license, not a download.”
“Which is a bad thing, and it's good to warn people about that clause loudly.”
“If the manufacturer had a button that could summon the car I lost, and refused to press it, that would reflect extremely badly on them”
“questionable practice aimed at pushing long-time supporters to spend more money”
“FileZilla refused to give me a copy of the version I purchased for 'security reasons,'”
“The only reason I can think of, to make me understand in a much more derogatory sense, is they want to give a deliberately bad experience to customers”
“I just don't want to do business with people who think that's an ethical way to do things.”
“Based on this post, I wouldn't buy their professional subscription.”
“despite the spyware that's bundled with the installer”
“downloads will be available as long as the vendor is still in business”
“FileZilla runs fine in a VM”
“It's not customer friendly, but it doesn't seem like it's going back on a promise, unless the license especially called for it.”
“Good faith ended at sale and support.”
“Filezilla is horrible software compared to software like Transmit.”
“is it not just following the norm?”
“A perpetual license doesn't mean that Filezilla should be a free hosting provider for installation media for eternity.”
“Since it would cost them roughly nothing to keep old installers around forever for paid users, it's really hard to imagine a justification.”
“They are not, nor have ever been interested in solving customer problems.”
“I guess this is akin to Microsoft not allowing you to download Windows XP any more.”
“it's for sure not the nicest customer move”
“Lifetime licenses are basically a scam these days.”
“If a customer cannot download the installer, the "perpetual license" is dead.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.