We review four top FTP apps and find a gem for beginners and advanced users alike.

Sure, your browser can download a music file here and a shareware program there. But can it upload your personal Web page? To upload and download, you need a file transfer protocol (FTP) program. FTP clients let you bounce from one file depository or FTP server to another in an instant without having to wade through page after page on the Web to find the downloads you're after. The software makes it easy to queue up scores of files for upload or download, then automates the process so that you can work on other projects while the bits stream into or out of your system. A few even include strong encryption for secure file transfers.

But how easy are these programs to use? How do they work, and do they work well? ZDNet put four FTP clients--BulletProof FTP, CuteFTP, FTP Voyager, and WS FTP Pro--through our annual download grinder. We connected to scads of servers and downloaded dozens of files, both manually and with the programs' download schedulers. Then we investigated how well each client synchronized files on the hard disk with those on a server, a repetitive chore for anyone who maintains a Web site.

The shareware versions of these clients are free and none of the permanent versions costs more than US$50 to register. But only one is worthy of your hard drive. Read on to find out why.

Bulletproof Software Bullet Proof FTP 2.4
This bargain-basement FTP client offers advanced users a no-frills interface but lacks key features.

CuteFTP 4.2.5
CuteFTP 4.2.5's easy-to-use interface makes it a good choice for FTP newbies, but experts who need SSL encryption and folder synchronization should look elsewhere.

Rhino Software Rhinosoft FTP Voyager 9.0.1
If you're open-minded and want a great deal of power and flexibility in the interface, give this a try. Otherwise, WS FTP Pro is a safer bet.

WS_FTP Pro 7.5
WS FTP Pro 7.5 combines outstanding features, ease of use, and performance to make it the best FTP client around.

Bulletproof Software Bullet Proof FTP 2.4

This bargain-basement FTP client offers advanced users a no-frills interface but lacks key features.

BulletProof FTP sits in the bargain bin of FTP clients. It costs a little less than the competition and, as you'd expect, delivers less with little polish. BulletProof's straightforward interface will appeal to experienced users, but it leaves novices without any help to get started. In a pinch, BulletProof gets the job done for less. But for the best FTP value, we recommend the more thorough WS FTP Pro.

Familiar features; lacks detail
After downloading and installing the free, 30-day BulletProof FTP trial, you'll see that the software offers you an interface similar to those of CuteFTP and WS FTP Pro. There are two windows; the one on the left shows the current local system directory, and on the right, you'll see the remote system. Most FTP clients launch with a site manager window that lets you create bookmarks to frequently visited sites. BulletProof FTP includes such a manager, but we found it hard to use, with site names displayed in a separate window.

The top of the screen offers data fields for entering the FTP server name and your username and password, simplifying the login process for advanced users who don't want to fumble through a site manager. The software remembers the last site you visited, so when you run the program again, all you need to do is click Connect to visit it again. Unfortunately, BulletProof FTP lacks a preloaded list of anonymous FTP sites, which is a handy feature for newbies.

Lacks advanced features, too
Although aimed toward experienced FTP users, BulletProof is missing the advanced features that they're likely to want. The Scheduling command lets you delay only downloads in the queue; it won't schedule recurring tasks, such as synchronizing folders. BulletProof FTP also lacks SSL encryption for secure downloads.

In our tests, BulletProof performed in line with other FTP clients in both downloading and uploading large files and multiple small files. Only WS FTP Pro performed better, transferring multiple small files twice as quickly as the competition.

Registering BulletProof FTP costs US$29.95, which is US$10 less than competitors such as WS FTP Pro and CuteFTP. The registration fee includes technical support via e-mail and lifetime upgrades; the others offer upgrades for only 60 days or at most a year. The company's Web site offers a good set of FAQs, to boot, but the included Windows help file is spartan. Worse, BulletProof includes no user manuals or built-in tutorials.

BulletProof FTP offers the minimum in an FTP app. For a little more money, WS FTP Pro, CuteFTP, and FTP Voyager 9.0 offer more features and polish.

Bulletproof Software Bullet Proof FTP 2.4
Company: Bulletproof Software
Price: US$29.95 via download

GlobalScape CuteFTP 4.2.5

CuteFTP 4.2.5's easy-to-use interface makes it a good choice for FTP newbies, but experts who need SSL encryption and folder synchronization should look elsewhere.

Over the years, CuteFTP has earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the easiest FTP clients. Version 4.2.5 follows suit, but its feature set has fallen behind that of products that offer more for the same price. Although still an excellent choice for novices, more advanced users may want to sample other options, such as our Editors' Choice, WS FTP Pro.

Still easy to use
Downloading and installing CuteFTP is easy. Launch the application, and the FTP site manager gives you the option to connect to a site you specify, or you can just browse through the software's categorized list of dozens of anonymous FTP sites. A helpful wizard simplifies the connection process even further. You select your ISP from a list, type in your username and password, and connect to your FTP account without needing to type in the FTP server address.

Once connected, the software offers a familiar two-pane display. Folders of the current local directory sit to the left, and the remote directory shows up on the right. To transfer files, double- click, then drag and drop; you can also transfer files by right-clicking. The software also integrates with Windows: Just right-click a file or folder in Windows Explorer and select CuteFTP Upload. Without launching the CuteFTP interface, the CuteFTP Connection Wizard guides you through the upload process.

Has basic features
CuteFTP's long-held reputation for being easy to use continues with the product's macro engine, which lets you record common tasks while you perform them, letting you repeat them later with a single click. Novices and experienced users alike will appreciate CuteFTP's MP3/ File Search feature, which searches multiple FTP search engines, then lists results in a window below the search query. The extensive settings menus control an impressive array of features, including advanced firewall support and one that keeps you connected to an FTP server even when your system is inactive. You'll also find some of the more mundane features, such as fonts, colors, and sounds.

Lacks advanced features
Unfortunately, CuteFTP doesn't have many advanced features. Perhaps most disappointing is its lack of a folder synchronization tool, which would compare two folders and synchronize them by transferring only the files that have changed. In addition, CuteFTP doesn't support SSL encryption and includes no sophisticated scripting tools for automating and scheduling regular tasks. To take advantage of these features, you'll need to purchase CuteFTP Pro 2.0, which costs US$59.95, compared to US$39.95 for CuteFTP.

The software performed well in our time trials but fell short of equaling WS FTP Pro's. Although all of the FTP clients we tested produced indistinguishable results downloading a single large file, downloading a directory with several dozen files took about two minutes with CuteFTP and only one minute with WS FTP. (We reproduced these results both uploading and downloading files using several FTP servers.)

The company's Web site offers extensive online help and troubleshooting, as well as PDF and HTML versions of the detailed user manual. We found the Windows help file terse and incomplete.

Overall, CuteFTP remains an easy-to-use FTP manager. However, WS FTP Pro and FTP Voyager offer advanced features that are available with only the more expensive CuteFTP Pro.

GlobalScape CuteFTP 4.2.5
Company: GlobalScape
Price: US$39.95 via download

Rhino Software Rhinosoft FTP Voyager 9.0.1

If you're open-minded and want a great deal of power and flexibility in the interface, give this a try. Otherwise, WS FTP Pro is a safer bet.

Can a piece of software be daunting and confusing yet easy to use? Absolutely, if that software is FTP Voyager 9.0. This feature-rich FTP client doesn't offer much support to beginners, but power users who master its love-it-or-hate-it interface will find it an elegant tool. Once you understand the four-pane window and appreciate the logic, you'll be an FTP master. Unfortunately, this may be more than most beginners are after. For the same price, WS FTP Pro offers helpful wizards and tutorials for those who are just starting out.

Launch the program, and the Site Profile Manager offers a familiar, folder-based interface for storing bookmarks to frequently used FTP sites. It also serves up dozens of anonymous FTP sites to choose from, a nice feature that most FTP clients offer.

There's a method to its interface madness
Like many applications, FTP Voyager uses a Windows Explorer-style design to manage files, with folders displayed in the left pane and individual files on the right. However, FTP Voyager displays two complete Explorer interfaces, one on top for the remote directories and one below for the local ones. So, to upload a certain file to a specific folder on the remote server, you must drag the file from the bottom-right pane to the top-left window. Though counterintuitive at first, this interface offers a great deal of power and flexibility once mastered. For instance, you can quickly and easily compare the directory and file structure of your remote server and local disks and easily copy a file to a specific folder without having to drill down through the directory structure.

In addition to this funky, cool interface, FTP Voyager's scheduling capabilities are impressive. From the toolbar, Scheduler creates a specific task to perform at a designated time. For instance, you can schedule Voyager to download a Web log file to your hard drive every day, then delete the file from the server. Or you can use FTP Voyager's synchronization feature to back up a directory to an FTP server every night. Voyager's menu-based interface makes it relatively simple to create these scheduled tasks, though novices may find it a bit difficult to use, since there's no wizard to help assign tasks.

In our speed tests, except for our tests of uploading and downloading many small files, FTP Voyager performed on a par with the competition. However, in our test results with the numerous small files, WS FTP Pro bested its competitors in half the time.

Beginners, beware
We don't recommend FTP Voyager for beginners, as it lacks wizards to guide you through the download process and its Windows help file is too terse. The company's Web site offers some FAQs and tutorials, but CuteFTP or WS FTP Pro would be better choices for anyone new to the FTP process. Voyager offers free tech support only via e-mail.

At US$39.95, FTP Voyager costs as much as most other FTP software, though SSL support will run you another US$10 extra; WS FTP Pro includes it. If you're experienced with FTP software, it's worth downloading Voyager's trial version. You may hate the interface, but then again, you might wonder how you ever got along without its flexibility and power.

Rhino Software Rhinosoft FTP Voyager 9.0.1
Company: Rhino Software
Price: US$39.95 via download

Ipswitch WS_FTP Pro 7.5

WS FTP Pro 7.5 combines outstanding features, ease of use, and performance to make it the best FTP client around.

Over the years, WS FTP Pro has earned a reputation as a powerful but hard-to-use FTP client. Fortunately, version 7.5 sports improvements that make the software easy for beginners to master, yet it still offers impressive tools for advanced users. WS FTP Pro also bests the competition in our performance tests. Although a few of its features require some expertise, WS FTP Pro is now a wise choice for beginners as well as experts.

Two views
The installation process for WS FTP Pro places two icons on your desktop: WS FTP Pro and WS FTP Explorer.

Click the WS FTP Pro icon, and the program launches a traditional-looking FTP interface with two parallel windows. The left window displays files and directories on your local machine, and the right shows those on a remote FTP server. To transfer files either direction, just click a file or directory in either pane, then click the arrow in the middle pointing to the other frame.

The WS FTP Explorer icon, on the other hand, launches a more Windows-like interface. This view mimics that of Microsoft's Windows Explorer, with the directory structure of both the local drives and the FTP server on the left. Select a drive or server, and the files and folders within show up on the right. Though the Explorer version offers easier folder navigation, we find the traditional interface more useful because it lets you see the contents of both directories simultaneously; this way you can make sure you're not replacing files.

Help for first-time users; tools for advanced users
With version 7.5, WS FTP Pro introduces an array of features for novices. The Assistance Center, accessed via a button on the remote-host dialog box, offers step-by-step, illustrated help and includes a wizard that guides you through the process of entering an FTP site. The program itself comes preloaded with dozens of interesting anonymous FTP sites.

WS FTP 7.5 also supports 128-bit SSL encryption for secure connections and the ability to resume disconnected file transfers--handy if, say, your ISP disconnects you in middownload. The directory-synchronization feature, the WS FTP Synchronize Utility that's accessed through the Tools menu, lets you automatically sync your PC directory with the FTP server or vice versa. You can even use the program's scheduling tool to automate this synchronization process or perform automatic backups on a remote PC. Unfortunately, the software's scripting feature, which lets you create macros to perform complex functions, is extremely difficult to use. It requires you to hand-code commands using a scripting language.

Performance is good
WS FTP stood out as the fastest FTP client we tested. Although all of the clients took the same amount of time to download a single large file, about two minutes per file, WS FTP could download or upload multiple files in a minute, roughly half the time of its competitors, CuteFTP and FTP Voyager. WS FTP is the only app we reviewed that opens multiple port connections, maximizing your bandwidth to perform multiple tasks at once, something the other apps do not do.

In addition to the Assistance Center tutorials, we found both the user manual and the Windows help to be well written and complete. The company's Web site provides additional tutorials and troubleshooting.

WS FTP Pro 7.5's features, performance, and ease-of-use leave a lasting impression, and its 30-day free trial makes it a must-have download for anyone looking for a new FTP client.

Ipswitch WS_FTP Pro 7.5
Company: Ipswitch
Price: US$39.95 via download

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