Introduction
macSCP is a fast, native SFTP client for the Mac. It brings the classic two-pane file-transfer workflow to macOS as a true native app: browse your Mac on the left, your server on the right, and move files between them with drag and drop, buttons, or straight into the Finder.
Privacy and data storage
Section titled “Privacy and data storage”macSCP keeps your passwords and passphrases in the macOS Keychain only. Everything else — saved sessions, known host keys, app settings — is stored on your machine. There is no cloud account to create, no sign-in, and no telemetry. See Security for the details, including where the per-session audit logs live.
Features
Section titled “Features”| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Three server protocols | SFTP over SSH, S3-compatible object storage, and WebDAV (Basic, Digest, and TLS authentication; a one-click Nextcloud/ownCloud preset). Mix and match freely, including transfers between two different protocols in the same window. |
| Two-pane browser | Local and remote side by side, folder navigation by double-click, drag & drop in both directions (including dragging remote files straight into the Finder). A sortable Type column shows what each row is at a glance. |
| Saved sessions | One-click reconnect, groups, tags, inline rename; a click on a session shows its details before connecting — connection facts, recent connections, and its snippets with a one-click Run. New groups inside a folder, and group pickers that show each group’s full path. |
| Multiple windows | Move a tab into a window of its own, drag it into another open window, keep a window above the rest with Keep on Top, and optionally have your windows reopen the way you left them the next time you launch. |
| SSH key authentication | ed25519, RSA, and ECDSA keys, from a file or your SSH agent, with or without a passphrase. PEM-format private keys open directly, and the key manager converts a PEM file to OpenSSH format on import. |
| SSH agent support | Authenticate with the identities already loaded in your local agent; the private key never leaves it. |
| Host-key pinning | First-connect confirmation with the key fingerprint; a changed host key is a hard stop, never a dialog. |
| Connection diagnostics | Name lookup, reachability, ping, the connection attempt, a network route trace, and protocol-specific checks for S3 and WebDAV — run everything at once or just one, from a tab, a session’s context menu, or a failed connection’s error message. Sessions behind a jump host are checked through the jump host, addresses are named by their reverse lookup, and a throughput test measures upload and download speed. |
| Port forwarding | Local, dynamic (SOCKS5), and remote forwardings as saved profiles per session, started from its context menu, with optional automatic start at app start or at login. A failed forwarding names its cause, and failed connections through a running one are counted. |
| Integrated terminal | A real shell on the same connection, one keystroke (⌘T) away, sized to match its panel. Optional copy on select and paste on right-click, and a choice of terminal type. |
| Snippets | Save command sequences with declared variables, colour-highlighted multi-line editing, a dry run preview, and one-click Run that connects and sends. |
| Transfer queue | Parallel transfers, conflict handling (overwrite / skip / rename / apply-to-all), recursive folders, resume after connection loss, per-direction bandwidth limits, cancel one or all. |
| Checksums | An optional column computes a checksum for a file or a selection, always labelled with where the number came from — computed here, computed on the server, or read from the object store’s own tag. |
| Edit remote files in place | Double-click opens the file in your editor; saving uploads it back automatically. |
| Import from Cyberduck | Bring in your existing bookmarks with a preview, selection, and duplicate handling; passwords can be copied over from Cyberduck’s own keychain entries on request. |
| Notifications | A macOS notification when a connection is lost, a transfer fails or a port forwarding fails while you are looking elsewhere. |
| Diagnostic log | macSCP can write a diagnostic log you can send with a bug report; choose the level in Settings → General. |
UI languages
Section titled “UI languages”The interface is available in English, German (Deutsch), French (Français), and Polish (Polski). You can choose a language in Settings → General, or let the app follow your OS locale.
Next steps
Section titled “Next steps”- Install macSCP on macOS 15 or newer.
- Make your first connection, then browse and transfer.