WinSCP

WinSCP (Windows Secure Copy) is a free and open-source SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol), FTP, SCP, and WebDAV client for Microsoft Windows. It allows users to securely transfer files between a local Windows computer and a remote server using encrypted connections over SSH.

WinSCP is widely used for managing files on web servers, seedboxes, VPS servers, and other remote Linux-based systems.

Key Features

Graphical user interface (GUI) – Easy-to-use file explorer interface for browsing remote and local files
Secure file transfer – Supports SFTP and SCP protocols over SSH
FTP and FTPS support – Supports plain and encrypted FTP connections
Integrated text editor – Edit remote files directly within the program
Session manager – Save login profiles for frequent connections
Drag-and-drop support – Easy file uploads and downloads via mouse
Command-line interface – Automate file transfers with scripts or batch files
Directory synchronization – Keep folders in sync between local and remote systems
PuTTY integration – Launch PuTTY from within WinSCP for SSH terminal access

Supported Protocols

SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol)
SCP (Secure Copy Protocol)
FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
FTPS (FTP over TLS/SSL)
WebDAV

Typical Use Cases

Uploading website files to a remote web server
Managing seedbox files securely via SFTP
Transferring logs, media, or backups from a remote Linux system
Editing configuration files on a server via SSH
Automating backups or file deployment via WinSCP scripting

Installation

WinSCP can be downloaded from the official website:

https://winscp.net/

Available as a setup installer or a portable executable.

Connecting to a Server

1. Launch WinSCP 2. Select your protocol (e.g., SFTP) 3. Enter the hostname, port (default for SFTP: 22), username, and password 4. Click Login to connect 5. Once connected, the interface displays a two-pane file browser (local on the left, remote on the right)

Integration with PuTTY

WinSCP can launch PuTTY directly from a session, allowing for easy transition between file management and terminal control.

To enable this:

Install PuTTY on your system
Configure the path in Preferences → Integration → Applications

Then, click the terminal icon in the WinSCP toolbar to open a session in PuTTY using the same credentials.

Scripting and Automation

WinSCP includes a powerful command-line and scripting interface. Example batch file:

 winscp.com /script=upload.txt

Example script file (`upload.txt`):

 open sftp://user:password@host
 put myfile.txt /remote/path/
 exit

Useful for cron jobs, scheduled backups, or automatic deployments.

Alternatives

FileZilla – Popular FTP/SFTP client