The problem
FTP clients were built for websites.
They grew up moving small web files. Rushes are huge files sent from a hotel line, where one connection never fills the line and nothing proves the file arrived whole.
How it works
The FileZilla layout, a transfer engine for media.
Your disk on the left, the server on the right, a queue underneath. Large files travel over several SFTP connections at once, every file is checked when it lands, and LIVE SYNC keeps a folder in step between two computers.
Measured on our own Synology DS920+: a 20 GB file downloaded in 1′41″ over four connections, against 2′40″ with FileZilla.
LIVE SYNC · one folder, two computers, always in step
Drop a render in the folder and it appears on the other computer. Directly between two computers running filo (Syncthing mode), through your FTP, FTPS or SFTP server (S‑FTP mode), or both (Dual sync). The computer that creates the session wins conflicts, and a deleted file goes to the other side's trash, never straight to nothing.
Under the hood: Syncthing
Computer to computer, the files are moved by Syncthing, an independent open source project (MPL‑2.0) that filo ships unmodified and drives for you. What filo adds is around it: sessions, conflict rule, trash, server copy and the view.
- Finding each other. Each computer announces its Syncthing ID and IP address to the discovery servers run by the Syncthing project.
- No direct path? The data goes through volunteer relays. They only see encrypted data, but it is much slower.
- Encryption. TLS, end to end, between the two computers.
- In your folder. Syncthing adds
.stfolderand.stignore, filo adds.filo-trash.
The S‑FTP mode does not use Syncthing: filo talks to your server directly.
SFTP, FTPS and FTP
Plain FTP is clearly flagged as not encrypted.
Checksum on every file
By the server when it can, by reading the file back otherwise.
Resume
A cut transfer starts again where it stopped.
Bring your FileZilla sites
Import the site list in one click.
Passwords in the keychain
Stored by the system, never in clear.
When it finishes
A push on your phone, then quit, sleep or shut down.
The competition
Two good tools, built for something else.
| filo | FileZilla | Cyberduck | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local and server side by side | Server only | ||
| One large file over several connections | SFTP, both ways | Downloads only | |
| Every file verified after transfer | Any server | Cloud storage only | |
| Passwords in the system keychain | Own file, optional master password | ||
| Folder kept in step, live, between two computers | Manual sync | ||
| Phone notification when the queue ends | |||
| Price | Free, open source | Free, open source | Free, donation asked |
For a website, any of them will do. For a day of rushes on a client's server, the difference is the speed you actually get and the certainty that every file is whole.