Selecting the right FTP server software can make all the difference between making managing your website the easiest thing in the world, or a pain in the neck. As tricky as it can be to learn an OSX or Windows ftp server program, it will be even trickier to learn a new one when you finally give up on that clunky old software you have been using, so in the name of selecting the right one right away, here are some of the more popular FTP server programs out there…

Cerberus FTP Server

Based in Windows, Cerberus supports encrypted FTP sessions thanks to the FTPS and SFTP protocols. Cerberus exposes your files using a virtual filing system, supporting user authentication with built in users and user groups, public key authentication and LDAP. Cerberus still receives regular updates, so it may be worth a look for Windows based webmasters.

FileZilla Server

FileZilla is free and open source, which settles the argument once and for all for some users. The source code can be found at SourceForge, and the program itself supports FTP, FTPS, encryption with SSL/TLS, compression, message logging, a virtual file system, and the ability to limit access to internal LAN traffic, or to allow external internet traffic. If you wish you can set upload and download bandwidth limits, but unless you are building a website that will have a lot of users on at once, you probably will not have to worry about that. The program is based in Windows.

Rumpus

Rumpus is a pretty decent choice for Mac OS X users. Supporting a wide variety of protocols including FTP, SFTP, HTTP, HTTPS, WebDAV and SSL, Rumpus offers a customizable interface, remote access, remote app administration, email notices, deep linking and drop ship files to your email address. The program does require an Intel/PPC machine, and is commercial, though.

The answer to what’s the best FTP software is really: well, which one do you like? Luckily, most offer a trial edition which will allow you to check it out before you buy.