How to Install and Configure FileZilla Server on Windows

FileZilla Server is a free, open-source FTP server for Windows. It lets you share folders on your Windows PC or server with other people, who connect with an FTP client such as FileZilla. This guide covers FileZilla Server version 1.x. Version 1 was a complete rewrite, so if you have seen older guides with menus like Edit › Settings or Shared folders, those belong to the old 0.9 series and no longer exist.

FileZilla Server supports FTP and FTP over TLS (FTPS). It does not support SFTP; that is only in the paid FileZilla Pro Enterprise Server. (The FileZilla client does connect to SFTP servers.)

Before you start

• A Windows 10 or 11 PC, or Windows Server, with administrator rights.
• The folder you want to share, for example C:\FTP\webuser.
• If people will connect from the internet: a public IP address, or access to your router to forward ports.

Step 1: Download and install FileZilla Server

1. Download FileZilla Server for Windows (64-bit) from the official FileZilla website, filezilla-project.org. The file is named like FileZilla_Server_1.12.x_win64-setup.exe.
2. Run it and accept the licence (GNU AGPL).
3. Keep All components: the server and the Administration interface.
4. Keep the default service setting: FileZilla Server is installed as a Windows service that starts automatically.
5. Keep the administration port 14148.
6. Set an administration password of at least 12 characters, with upper- and lower-case letters, a number and a special character.
7. Finish. The server starts and the Administration interface opens.

Step 2: Connect the Administration interface

1. Enter host 127.0.0.1, port 14148 and your administration password, and click Connect.
2. The first time, it shows the fingerprint of the server’s certificate. Because the server is on the same computer, you can trust it.
3. Open the settings with Server › Configure.

Step 3: Create an FTP user and share a folder

1. Go to Rights management › Users and click Add. Type a user name.
2. Under Credentials, require a password to log in and set a strong password.
3. Under Mount points, click Add: set the Virtual path to / and the Native path to the folder, for example C:\FTP\webuser. Choose Read + Write access (or Read only for downloads only) and tick Create native directory if it doesn’t exist.
4. Make sure User is enabled is ticked and click Apply.

Each user can see only the folders you mount for them, so you can give every client or colleague their own folder.

Step 4: Encryption is already on

FileZilla Server 1.x creates a certificate during installation, and its FTP listener is set to Require explicit FTP over TLS, so logins and files are encrypted and plain FTP logins are refused. You don’t need the old “enable FTP over TLS” steps. Because the certificate is self-signed, FTP clients show a warning the first time; to avoid it, FileZilla Server can get a free Let’s Encrypt certificate under Protocols settings › FTP and FTP over TLS (FTPS) › Connection security.

Step 5: Passive mode and the firewall

1. Go to Protocols settings › FTP and FTP over TLS (FTPS) and open the Passive mode tab.
2. Tick Use custom port range and choose a range, for example 50000 to 50999.
3. If the computer is behind a router (NAT), enter your public IP address in Public IP or hostname. On a server whose public IP is on its own network adapter, leave it empty.
4. Click Apply, then allow the ports in Windows Firewall. In PowerShell as administrator:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "FileZilla Server" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 21,50000-50999 -Action Allow

At home, also forward TCP port 21 and the same passive range on your router to this computer.

Step 6: Test the connection

In the FileZilla client, open File › Site Manager and add a site with protocol FTP – File Transfer Protocol, encryption Require explicit FTP over TLS, your server’s IP address, and the user name and password from step 3. Accept the certificate once, and you should see the user’s folder.

If it doesn’t work

• Login is refused with 503: the client is using plain FTP. Set it to require explicit FTP over TLS.
• Login works but the folder list times out: the passive port range is closed in the firewall or router, or the public IP setting is wrong.
• Can’t reach the server at all: check that port 21 is allowed and that the FileZilla Server service is running in Services.

Run FileZilla Server on a Windows VPS

A home PC is only reachable while it is on, and many home connections can’t accept incoming connections at all. A Windows VPS from Ucartz runs 24/7 with its own public IP address and the Windows Server licence included, so you can follow this guide on it and share files with anyone. Every plan includes Free Basic Managed Support, and our engineers can set up FileZilla Server for you.

More detail, including Let’s Encrypt and the Linux version: how to install and configure FileZilla Server on Windows and Linux. On Linux, see how to configure FileZilla Server on Linux.