FileZilla Pro is the cross-platform commercial transfer client for FTP, SFTP, and most major cloud services. FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive is the companion product that mounts that same remote storage inside Finder on Mac (or File Explorer on Windows), so remote files behave like a local drive. Forklift 4 is a macOS-only file manager and FTP client with deep iCloud Drive integration. This page covers when each of the three is the right fit.
| Criterion | FileZilla Pro | FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive | Forklift 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows (File Explorer), macOS (Finder) | macOS only |
| Workflow model | Two-pane transfer client with an explicit upload/download queue | Remote storage appears as a drive — open and edit files inside Finder/Explorer with no separate app | Dual-pane Finder replacement; a separate file-management app |
| Cloud & remote coverage | FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, S3, Azure, OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, OpenStack Swift, Backblaze B2 | Same backends as FileZilla Pro | FTP, FTPS, SFTP, WebDAV, S3 (+ S3-compatibles), Backblaze B2, Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Rackspace, SMB, AFP, NFS, iCloud Drive |
Verdict: choose FileZilla Pro for cross-platform parity and broad cloud coverage including Azure, Box, and OpenStack Swift. Choose FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive when you want remote storage to mount inside Finder (or File Explorer) as a normal drive. Forklift 4 is the right fit when iCloud Drive or local-network SMB/AFP/NFS access is central to your workflow.
FileZilla Pro — the cross-platform transfer client
FileZilla Pro is a commercial file-transfer client built on the long-running FileZilla codebase. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with feature parity across all three, and connects to FTP, FTPS, SFTP, and the major cloud-storage services — Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, Dropbox, OpenStack Swift, Backblaze B2, and WebDAV.
The product is built around an explicit transfer queue: queue jobs, watch them run, retry the failed ones, walk away with a transfer log. It is the right tool when you are moving known volumes of data across mixed FTP and cloud destinations, and when team members on different operating systems need the same product on their machines.
FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive — Finder and File Explorer integration
FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive is a separate product in the FileZilla Pro lineup. It does not replace Finder — it mounts your remote storage inside Finder (on macOS) or File Explorer (on Windows) as a regular drive. You browse it like any other volume; you double-click files to open them in their default applications; you save changes back to remote storage transparently. Files stream on demand: only the bytes the application actually reads cross the network.
RemoteDrive supports the same backends as FileZilla Pro, so credentials and connection profiles transfer between the two products. The decision between them is workflow shape, not capability — see FileZilla Pro vs RemoteDrive for a direct comparison.
If your goal is for cloud and FTP storage to feel like a native Mac (or Windows) drive — openable from any application, with no separate transfer app to context-switch into — RemoteDrive is the most direct way to get there.
Forklift 4 — the Mac-only Finder replacement
Forklift 4 is a commercial macOS-only file manager and FTP client developed by BinaryNights. Its core proposition is a dual-pane Finder replacement: a separate application designed for keyboard-driven navigation, batch operations, integrated archive handling, an application deleter that sweeps preference and support files, and notably deep integration with iCloud Drive.
It is the right tool for Mac power users whose primary need is improving how they manage files locally on their Mac, with cloud and remote storage as secondary capabilities.
How they compare on platforms
FileZilla Pro is cross-platform: Windows, macOS, and Linux on a single license. RemoteDrive runs on Windows and macOS, integrating with the native file manager on each. Forklift 4 is macOS-only.
For mixed-OS teams, this is decisive — supporting two different transfer products usually costs more in friction than either tool’s individual feature edge is worth, and Forklift cannot serve non-Mac team members at all. For Mac-only individuals, the platform difference doesn’t matter and the comparison turns on workflow shape and cloud coverage instead.
How they compare on cloud and remote-storage support
FileZilla Pro and RemoteDrive share the same set of backends, so their coverage is identical. Where the FileZilla Pro family is uniquely strong:
- Azure Blob Storage — used widely in Microsoft-centric and enterprise environments.
- Box — used heavily in regulated industries (healthcare, legal, financial services).
- OpenStack Swift — used in private and public OpenStack clouds.
Where Forklift 4 is uniquely strong:
- iCloud Drive — Forklift has deep iCloud integration, including multi-item download removal, cloud-status icons in list and icon views, preview-without-download, and favorites synced across Macs via iCloud. The FileZilla Pro family does not currently connect to iCloud Drive.
- SMB, AFP, NFS — protocols for local-network file servers and NAS devices. Forklift handles these natively; the FileZilla Pro family is focused on FTP-family and cloud, not local-network file systems.
If your workflow lives in iCloud Drive or includes SMB shares on a local NAS, Forklift covers that natively. If your workflow includes Azure, Box, or true OpenStack Swift, the FileZilla Pro family covers those natively.
How they compare on Mac-native file management
“Mac-native” can mean two different things, and the products take different approaches:
FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive: Finder integration. Remote storage appears as a drive inside the Finder you already use. There is no separate app to switch to; remote files behave like local files, openable from any application that can open files. Strongest when you want remote storage to disappear into the OS and behave like everything else on your Mac.
Forklift 4: Finder replacement. A separate, polished app modelled on dual-pane Mac file managers. You launch Forklift when you want to do file work; you stay in Forklift while you do it; you switch back to Finder for everything else. Strongest when you spend significant time managing files locally and want an opinionated tool optimised for that — and especially when iCloud Drive is part of that work.
Both are legitimate definitions of “Mac-native”. The choice is not which is more polished — both are — but whether you want remote storage to live inside the local file manager you already have (RemoteDrive) or whether you want a better local file manager in the first place (Forklift).
Pricing
FileZilla Pro and FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive are sold as separate one-time licenses; current pricing is on the FileZilla Pro pricing page. Forklift 4 has its own commercial pricing model, consult their website.
Which should you choose?
Use the criteria below — the decision is not binary.
- Any non-Mac users on the team: FileZilla Pro. Forklift cannot serve them.
- You connect to Azure, Box, or OpenStack Swift: FileZilla Pro.
- You move large batches on a schedule and want a transfer queue with logs: FileZilla Pro (or FileZilla Pro CLI for unattended runs).
- You want remote storage to mount inside Finder or File Explorer as a normal drive: FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive.
- You want every application on your machine to open and save remote files transparently: FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive.
- iCloud Drive is part of your workflow: Forklift 4. The FileZilla Pro family does not connect to iCloud.
- You connect to local-network SMB / AFP / NFS shares: Forklift 4.
- You want a better Mac file manager (with cloud as a side feature): Forklift 4.
Many Mac-only users will find the right answer is more than one product: FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive for everyday remote-storage access through Finder, FileZilla Pro for batch transfers and team work, and Forklift if iCloud or local-network shares matter.
Frequently asked questions
Does FileZilla Pro connect to iCloud Drive?
No. FileZilla Pro and FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive do not currently connect to iCloud Drive. Mac users who need iCloud integration alongside FTP and other cloud services typically combine the FileZilla Pro family with another tool — or use Forklift 4 if iCloud is the primary need.
Does Forklift 4 work on Windows or Linux?
No. Forklift 4 is macOS-only. Cross-platform teams that need a single transfer tool across Windows, macOS, and Linux typically choose FileZilla Pro.
What’s the difference between FileZilla Pro and FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive?
FileZilla Pro is a transfer client with a two-pane interface and an explicit upload/download queue. FileZilla Pro RemoteDrive mounts the same remote storage as a drive inside Finder or File Explorer, so files open and save transparently from any application. They share backends and credentials. See FileZilla Pro vs RemoteDrive.