BitKinex for Windows
- By Barad-Dur
- Free
- User Rating
Key Details of BitKinex
- Integrate an FTP, SFTP and WebDAV client to your Windows computer.
- Last updated on
- There have been 2 updates
- Virus scan status:
Clean (it’s extremely likely that this software program is clean)
Editors’ Review
File transfer protocol (FTP) tools are among the oldest Internet software, yet they're still some of the most useful programs to have around, especially since today's FTP clients do so much. Case in point is BitKinex, a free FTP manager from Barad-Dur. It's a full-featured FTP client that not only transfers files but also synchronizes directories and performs server-to-server mirroring and backups; a Secure FTP (SFTP) client that accommodates all available secure protocols and also offers multiple connections and automatic download resumption in secure connections; and a Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) tool with all the conveniences of a modern FTP client.
During installation, we opted to integrate BitKinex with Windows Explorer, which required a reboot. The program's interface is quite basic but familiar and efficient, opening in minimized mode with a blank main view and a navigation tree view above the Status Bar, a log panel that displays file transfer data. We clicked the Quick Connect button, which opened a compact dialog that let us enter our server address, username, and password to quickly access frequently used sites, in this case, the hosting service for a personal Web site.
Next, we browsed to a DVD copied to our hard drive. We right-clicked it and selected Upload with BitKinex on the context menu, which opened a small dialog displaying Source and Destination fields, Request options, and properties selections. We set everything up and clicked OK, and BitKinex immediately began the transfer, displaying the progress, transfer rate, and other data in the Status Bar. Selectable tool tips, a good Help file, and considerable online assistance made the program easy to use. It offers some interesting options, too, such as transparency, a Command Prompt console, and the ability to run it as a Windows service via an entry on the File menu for running processes in the background.
The Help menu contained Wizards for setting up a network and establishing connections, while the navigation tree view included folders listing numerous FTP sites, two thoughtful additions. The description of the interface and workflow highlights the more manual nature of FTP compared to modern cloud services. While the features offered by BitKinex, like directory synchronization and server-to-server mirroring, are powerful, they require more technical expertise than the simple drag-and-drop functionality of cloud storage.
Bottom Line
The context of file transfer in 2024 has significantly changed. Cloud storage services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive have largely replaced FTP for many common file-sharing tasks. These services offer seamless synchronization, version control, and collaboration features, often integrated directly into operating systems and applications.
While cloud services have simplified many file-sharing tasks, they may not offer the granular control and specific functionality provided by a dedicated FTP/SFTP client. If your needs extend beyond simple file sharing and delve into website management, server administration, or secure file transfer in specialized environments, BitKinex or its modern equivalents like FileZilla or Cyberduck offer powerful tools worth exploring.
What’s new in version 3.2.3
BitKinex for Windows
- By Barad-Dur
- Free
- User Rating
