Zip Files on FTP, Cloud & NAS from Windows
Right-click a folder on a remote server and get a zip back in the same place. FTPie does the download, the zipping and the re-upload for you.
Create and extract zip archives directly from any storage location. Right-click any file or folder to compress, or preview archive contents without full downloads. FTPie handles everything automatically.
Quick Compression from Context Menu
- Right-click any file or folder in the current storage location
- Select "Compress" from the context menu
- Set archive name, compression level, and password protection if needed
- FTPie downloads files, creates the zip archive, and uploads it to the same folder
- Your new zip file appears in the current location, ready to use
Smart Archive Preview
Open any zip file to preview its contents instantly. FTPie only downloads the first ~1MB of the archive to display the file structure, saving time and bandwidth.
View archive contents without downloading the entire file
Only ~1MB header downloaded for instant preview
Flexible Archive Management
- Unzip & Open - Download entire archive to temp storage and open for full access to files
- Remove & Close - Clean up downloaded files and close the preview tab when done
- Password Protection - Add passwords during compression for secure archives
- Customizable Defaults - Set preferred compression and protection levels in app settings
- Archive Name: Custom names with automatic .zip extension
- Compression Level: Choose from multiple levels for optimal speed vs file size
- Password Protection: Optional passwords with encryption for secure archives
- Smart Location: Archives created in the same folder as source files
Smart Workflow Options
When you need to work with the files
- Downloads entire archive to temp storage
- Extracts all files for full access
- Keeps files available for future work
- Perfect for editing or processing files
When you're done viewing
- Cleans up downloaded temporary files
- Closes the preview tab
- Saves local storage space
- Ideal for quick inspections
Usage Scenarios
Use Integrated Compression to save storage space, bundle multiple files for sharing, or protect sensitive documents with encryption. Perfect for archiving old project files, creating download packages, or securing confidential documents before cloud storage.
For a step-by-step guide, see how to zip files on FTP or cloud storage. Compression also works seamlessly with Auto Backups for encrypted, compressed backup archives.
Bundle multiple files into single archives for easy sharing with colleagues or clients
Protect sensitive files with password encryption before uploading to cloud storage
Compress large files or folders to save storage space on cloud services
Preview archive contents without full downloads to check what's inside
What it does not do
FTPie does not compress files on the server itself - there is no remote shell involved. It downloads, zips locally and uploads the result, which means a very large folder over a slow link is bounded by your connection in both directions. Archive preview is the exception: it reads only the archive header, so listing the contents of a big zip is near-instant.
Common questions
No, and it is worth being precise about this. FTPie downloads the files, builds the archive locally, then uploads the zip back to the same folder. The steps are automatic so you never handle them, but the data does travel both ways - a large folder on a slow connection takes real time.
Yes. Archive preview reads roughly the first megabyte of the file to list what is inside, so you can check the contents of a large archive almost instantly. Extracting the files themselves does download the archive.
Yes. Set a password when you create the archive, along with the name and compression level. For stronger protection of the file contents themselves, see AES-256 file encryption.
Yes. An Auto Backup job can compress its contents before upload, and can encrypt them as well.
Integrated Compression is part of FTPie Pro. The free plan covers up to 3 FTP/FTPS/SFTP connections, with a 14-day Pro trial available. See the plan comparison.
Related
- File encryption - AES-256 before files leave your machine
- Auto Backup - compressed, encrypted backup jobs
- Zipping files on FTP or cloud - the longer walkthrough
- Built-in viewers - open what is inside an archive
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