FTPie vs NetDrive

Updated July 2026

NetDrive is a long-running Windows (and Mac) tool for mounting cloud, FTP and NAS storage as a drive. It is a capable mounter with broad protocol support and is popular for making a NAS or FTP server appear in Explorer. FTPie takes the file-manager route instead, and is sold once rather than on subscription.

As always with these tools, the real question is how you want to interact with your files: a mounted drive every app can see (NetDrive), or a dedicated workspace to manage everything (FTPie).

How NetDrive works

NetDrive connects an account and presents it as a drive letter, with caching to smooth over network latency. It covers a wide range of backends - cloud services, FTP/SFTP/WebDAV and NAS - and is generally licensed as a subscription. Its job is access, not file management; organizing and moving files is still done through Explorer.

How FTPie works

FTPie is a dual-pane file manager rather than a mounting layer. You browse and transfer between storages inside the app, with built-in viewers and editors, scheduled backups, compression and sharing - and a one-time lifetime license available instead of a recurring fee.

Side-by-side comparison

Where NetDrive has the edge

• Drive mounting with caching, so any app can use the storage as local.
• Cross-platform with a Mac version.
• Set-and-forget access to a NAS or server from Explorer.

Where FTPie has the edge

• Real file management - dual-pane, server-to-server, organize across storages.
• Built-in tools for editing, viewing, backups, compression and sharing.
• One-time price instead of a subscription.

Pricing compared (2026)

NetDrive is generally licensed as a subscription. FTPie's model:

• FTPie Free - up to 3 FTP/FTPS/SFTP connections, free forever
• FTPie Pro - $9/month or $59/year
• Lifetime - a one-time license (currently $99 founder pricing), no recurring cost

If the yearly renewal is what sent you looking for a NetDrive alternative, the one-time option is the difference - see the full plan comparison.

Switching from NetDrive to FTPie

• Re-add your connections. Same NAS, FTP, SFTP, WebDAV or cloud accounts - same credentials, nothing to migrate.
• Trade the drive letter for a workspace. Instead of Explorer over a cached mount, a dual-pane manager where all storages sit side by side.
• Pick up what a mounter can't do. Server-to-server transfers, scheduled backups, built-in editors and share links.
• NAS users: FTPie connects to Synology, QNAP and other NAS boxes over SMB directly - see accessing your NAS from Windows.

Try it with the free version or the 14-day Pro trial.

So which should you pick?

Choose NetDrive if a mounted drive that any app can use - especially for a NAS or FTP server - is what you are after, and you are fine with a subscription. Choose FTPie if you want a one-time-purchase Windows file manager that browses, transfers, edits, backs up and shares across all your storage. As a NetDrive alternative, FTPie is the management workspace rather than the mount.

Common questions

Related comparisons

Looking at other drive-mounting tools? See how FTPie compares to RaiDrive, Mountain Duck, CloudMounter and ExpanDrive - or browse all comparisons.