Although it is possible to download files from public FTP servers simply with your web browser you often achieve better results with specialized FTP clients. For example a good FTP client is able to resume an interrupted FTP download or even manages to connect to an anonymous FTP site where a web browser fails. Here are some pointers to software directories which lists FTP programs for some common operating systems.
FTP Clients for Windows
Linux/BSD Related FTP Software
- FTP programs listed on Icewalkers
- FTP clients listed on Linux Center
- FTP software listed on Freshmeat
FTP clients, FTP servers, and other FTP related software are listed.
- LFTP download page
"LFTP is a sophisticated ftp/http client, file transfer program. Like BASH, it has job control and uses readline library for input. It has bookmarks, built-in mirror, can transfer several files in parallel. It was designed with reliability in mind."
- NcFTP client download page
"The program has been in service on UNIX systems since 1991 and is a popular alternative to the standard FTP program, /usr/bin/ftp. NcFTP offers many ease-of-use and performance enhancements over the stock ftp client, and runs on a wide variety of UNIX platforms as well as operating systems such Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X."
FTP Programs for Mac OS X