WinSCP for Mac? Here's the native option

Does WinSCP run on macOS?

No. WinSCP is built for Windows. You could run it through a virtual machine or Wine, but that's heavy and non-native. On a Mac, a purpose-built app is a far better experience.

WinSCP and Noden at a glance

Platform	WinSCP: Windows only Noden: native macOS app
Two-panel transfers	Both use a dual-pane layout. Noden shows local and remote side by side with drag-and-drop upload and download.
Remote editing	Noden opens a remote file in a Mac editor and uploads your changes back automatically.
Built-in terminal	Noden includes a full SSH terminal in the same window, plus a grid for multiple sessions.
Protocols	Noden focuses on SSH and SFTP. For SCP/FTP-heavy or Windows-specific needs, WinSCP on Windows remains an option.
Keys & security	Noden uses your ~/.ssh keys and stores secrets in the macOS Keychain.

Why Noden feels natural on a Mac

Noden is a native SwiftUI app, notarized by Apple, running on Apple Silicon and Intel. It imports ~/.ssh/config and your existing Ed25519/ECDSA keys. SFTP and the terminal are free for up to five connections; Pro adds unlimited connections, full history and an optional AI assistant for $5.99 your first year, then $10.99/year.

When WinSCP is still the answer

• You need FTP or FTPS. WinSCP speaks both; Noden transfers files over SFTP inside an SSH session and nothing else.
• You depend on WinSCP's scripting and .NET assembly for unattended jobs. Noden is an interactive app, not an automation runtime.
• You are staying on Windows. There is no Windows build of Noden.

Coming from WinSCP: the parts that matter day to day

WinSCP users tend to want three things on a Mac: the two-pane layout, keyboard-driven transfers, and somewhere safe for credentials. Here is how each one works in Noden.

• Dual-pane, local on the left, remote on the right. Drag straight from Finder into the remote pane. A remote file opens in whatever editor you already use, and saving it sends it back.
• Saved sites → saved connections with groups, imported from ~/.ssh/config and using the Ed25519 or ECDSA keys already in ~/.ssh.
• A shell in the same window. The file manager and the terminal for the same server sit side by side, so you can fix a permission and re-upload without switching apps. ⌘T opens a local terminal on your own Mac for the scp-style jobs.
• Credentials in the macOS Keychain, not in an application configuration file — with a vault for passwords, SSH keys, API tokens and secure notes, every read gated by Touch ID and a grace window you choose (every time, 5 minutes or 30). Copied secrets clear from the clipboard after 30 seconds.
• Getting to machines you cannot reach directly. Pick a saved connection as a jump host and Noden goes through it; local port forwarding comes with it, so a database or admin console behind the bastion opens on your Mac.
• The Windows servers you still administer. RDP is built in — clipboard and file copy-paste both ways, shared folders, RD Gateway — as a tab beside the shells.

Troubleshooting

You are looking for the Site Manager

Connections live in the left sidebar. Each one stores host, port, username and authentication, and a connection can be edited at any time from the sidebar.

Your edits to a remote file are not saved back

Use Edit in place — Noden opens the remote file in your Mac editor and uploads it automatically when you save. Opening a downloaded copy instead will not sync anything.

A large directory transfer needs to be stopped

The transfer panel runs concurrent transfers with progress, and the cancel button stops one immediately.

Install Noden on macOS

brew install --cask useroamteknoloji/tap/noden

Frequently asked questions

See also: Mac SFTP client · FileZilla alternative for Mac · Best SSH client for Mac · How to use SFTP on Mac