FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a network protocol used for transferring files between a client and a server on a computer network.

In the early days, FTP applications were primarily built for the command line, long before GUI (Graphical User Interface) Operating Systems became popular.

Even though many GUI-based FTP clients are now available, developers still create CLI-based (Command-Line Interface) FTP clients to serve users who prefer the traditional approach.”

[ You might also like: 5 Best Command Line HTTP Clients for Linux ]Below is a list of top FTP clients based on the command-line interface for Linux systems.

1. FTP

Most Linux Operating Systems come with an integrated FTP client that you can access by typing the ftp command in your terminal.

Using FTP, you can connect to servers anonymously (if the server supports it) or authenticate using your credentials, transfer files to and from connected servers, use aliases, and more.

However, keep in mind that file transfers via standard FTP are not secure and do not involve encryption. For safer transfers, opt for sFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) or SCP (Secure Copy).

[ You might also like: How to Install, Configure and Secure FTP Server in Linux ]### 2. LFTP

LFTP is a free and open-source command-line tool that supports various file transfer protocols (like sftp, fish, torrent) across Unix-like Operating Systems.

It includes features such as bookmarks, job control, readline support, a built-in mirror command, and the ability to perform multiple parallel transfers.

You can install lftp directly from your system’s default repositories using the appropriate package manager command below.

<code>$ sudo apt install lftp         [On <strong>Debian, Ubuntu and Mint</strong>]
$ sudo yum install lftp         [On <strong>RHEL/CentOS/Fedora</strong> and <strong>Rocky/AlmaLinux</strong>]
$ sudo emerge -a sys-apps/lftp  [On <strong>Gentoo Linux</strong>]
$ sudo apk add lftp             [On <strong>Alpine Linux</strong>]
$ sudo pacman -S lftp           [On <strong>Arch Linux</strong>]
$ sudo zypper install lftp      [On <strong>OpenSUSE</strong>]    </code>

3. NcFTP

NcFTP is a free, cross-platform FTP client and the first notable alternative to the default FTP program, created to improve usability and performance.

Its capabilities include automatic host redialing, background processing, auto-resume for downloads, filename completion, progress indicators, and integration with helper utilities like ncftpput and ncftpget.

You can install NcFTP using your system's package manager from the default repositories as shown:

<code>$ sudo apt install ncftp         [On <strong>Debian, Ubuntu and Mint</strong>]
$ sudo yum install ncftp         [On <strong>RHEL/CentOS/Fedora</strong> and <strong>Rocky/AlmaLinux</strong>]
$ sudo emerge -a sys-apps/ncftp  [On <strong>Gentoo Linux</strong>]
$ sudo apk add ncftp             [On <strong>Alpine Linux</strong>]
$ sudo pacman -S ncftp           [On <strong>Arch Linux</strong>]
$ sudo zypper install ncftp      [On <strong>OpenSUSE</strong>]    </code>

4. cbftp

cbftp is a powerful FTP/FXP client that allows efficient and secure large file transfers without relying on email. It operates mainly through the command line but offers a semi-GUI interface via ncurses.

It provides features like an internal viewer supporting multiple encodings, skip-list functionality, remote commands for UDP call actions such as race, download, fxp, raw, idle, etc., and AES-256 encryption for data security.

5. Yafc

Yafc is an open-source FTP client intended to replace the default FTP utility on Linux systems, supporting all POSIX-compliant platforms.

It comes packed with useful features including recursive get/put/fxp/ls/rm operations, queuing, tab completion, aliases, SSH2 support, and proxy compatibility.

Yafc can be installed using your system’s package manager as shown:

<code>$ sudo apt install yafc         [On <strong>Debian, Ubuntu and Mint</strong>]
$ sudo yum install yafc         [On <strong>RHEL/CentOS/Fedora</strong> and <strong>Rocky/AlmaLinux</strong>]
$ sudo emerge -a sys-apps/yafc  [On <strong>Gentoo Linux</strong>]
$ sudo apk add yafc             [On <strong>Alpine Linux</strong>]
$ sudo pacman -S yafc           [On <strong>Arch Linux</strong>]
$ sudo zypper install yafc      [On <strong>OpenSUSE</strong>]    </code>

6. Wget

Wget is mainly used for downloading files but also supports FTP and FTPS protocols. It's praised for its simplicity and capability to perform recursive downloads.

To fetch files from an FTP server using wget, simply provide the username, password, and the FTP URL pointing to the desired file:

<code>$ wget ftp://username:password@ftp_server_address/path/to/file</code>

Have you ever used any of these command-line FTP tools? Or perhaps there are other great alternatives you'd recommend adding to this list? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

The above is the detailed content of The 6 Best Command-Line FTP Clients for Linux. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!