FileZilla facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
FileZilla Client

FileZilla 3.7.3 running under Ubuntu MATE
Developer(s)	Tim Kosse
Initial release	22 June 2001; 24 years ago (2001-06-22)
Stable release	3.69.3  / 31 July 2025
Preview release	Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Written in	C++, wxWidgets
Operating system	Cross-platform
Size	7.3 MB
Available in	Multilingual
Type	FTP client
License	GPL-2.0-or-later

FileZilla is a free computer program that helps you send and receive files over the internet. It's like a special delivery service for your computer files! It works on many different types of computers, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.

FileZilla has two main parts: the FileZilla Client and the FileZilla Server. The Client is what you use to connect to other computers and transfer files. The Server is what helps other computers connect to yours to send or receive files. Both parts can use secure ways to transfer files, like FTP, FTPS, and SFTP.

The Story of FileZilla

FileZilla started as a school project in January 2001. A student named Tim Kosse and two classmates worked on it.

Before they even wrote any code, they decided to make FileZilla a free program. There were already many other file transfer programs available. They thought that making it free would help more people use it. So, they released FileZilla under a special license called the GNU General Public License (GPL). This license means people can use, share, and even change the program for free.

In November 2003, FileZilla was chosen as the "Project of the Month" by SourceForge. SourceForge is a website where many free and open-source software projects are shared.

FileZilla Client: What It Can Do

The FileZilla Client is the part of the program you use to send and receive files. It has many helpful features:

• Secure File Transfers: It can send files using FTP, which is a common way to transfer files. It also supports more secure methods like FTPS and SFTP. These methods encrypt your files, keeping them safe as they travel across the internet.
• Pause and Resume: If you're sending a very large file, you can pause the transfer and continue it later. This is super handy if your internet connection drops or you need to turn off your computer. It even works for files bigger than 4 gigabytes!
• Organized Transfers: You can choose to replace older files with newer ones if they have the same name. It can also keep the original date and time stamps on your files when you move them.
• Easy to Use:
  • Tabbed Interface: FileZilla lets you open multiple connections at once, like having many tabs in a web browser. This means you can work with several servers or transfer files between different places at the same time.
  • Site Manager: This is like an address book for your favorite websites or servers. You can save their details here to connect quickly next time.
  • Transfer Queue: When you have many files to send or receive, FileZilla puts them in a list called a transfer queue. It then handles them one by one.
  • Bookmarks: You can set bookmarks to quickly jump to important folders on your computer or on a server.
  • Drag and Drop: Moving files is as simple as dragging them from one window and dropping them into another.
• Compare Directories: FileZilla can compare files on your computer with files on a server. It highlights files that are different, making it easy to see what's new or changed.
• Other Handy Features:
  • You can set limits on how fast files are transferred. This helps if you don't want FileZilla to use all your internet speed.
  • It has filters to help you find specific files.
  • A network setup wizard helps you get connected easily.
  • You can edit files on a server directly without downloading them first.
  • It can send "keep-alive" commands to prevent your connection from timing out.
  • It supports different network settings like HTTP/1.1, SOCKS5, and FTP-Proxy.
  • It can record everything that happens in a log file, which is useful for figuring out problems.
  • You can save your transfer lists to an XML file.
  • You can browse folders on your computer and a server at the same time, keeping them in sync.
  • You can search for files directly on the server.

FileZilla Client works on many operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. It's also available in 47 different languages around the world!

FileZilla Server: What It Can Do

FileZilla Server

FileZilla Server main interface
Developer(s)	Tim Kosse, et al.
Stable release	1.10.3  / 11 April 2025
Preview release	Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Written in	C++
Operating system	Linux, MacOS, Windows
Type	FTP server
License	2021: AGPL-3.0-or-later 2001: GPL-2.0-or-later

FileZilla Server is like the FileZilla Client's partner. It's a free and open-source program that lets your computer act as an FTP server. This means other people can connect to your computer to send or receive files, if you give them permission.

Server Features

FileZilla Server also supports FTP and FTPS (secure FTP). Here are some of its features:

• Secure Connections: It uses SSL/TLS to encrypt data for FTPS, keeping transfers private.
• User Permissions: You can set specific rules for each user. This controls which files and folders they can access on your computer.
• Easy Setup: It has a graphical tool that makes it simple to set up and manage the server.
• Speed Control: You can limit the transfer speed for users connecting to your server.
• IP Filtering: You can block or allow connections from specific internet addresses (IPs).

Operating System Support

FileZilla Client

See also

In Spanish: FileZilla para niños

• Comparison of FTP client software
• Comparison of FTP server software packages
• WinSCP