Transmit 5.11.7 — macOS

Transmit 5 is the file transfer client that many Mac users—designers, developers, and IT folks—have relied on for years. It handles FTP, SFTP, S3, and WebDAV, and it also connects to cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Backblaze B2. If you manage a website or move files between servers regularly, this is the kind of tool that becomes part of your daily routine.

Before you download, here's the short version of what to expect:

• Requires macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later, works on both Intel and Apple Silicon.
• Places Bar gives you one-click access to frequently used folders.
• Batch renaming for local and remote items, plus tags and file synchronization.
• Manage and generate secure keys inside the app, and use two-factor login.
• Handles very large Amazon S3 files without complaint.

Transmit 5.11.6 is the current version, dated April 27, 2026. It supports English, German, Simplified Chinese, French, and Japanese. If your Mac runs Ventura or newer, Transmit 5 should fit right in.

Transmit 5 is reliable but these snags trip people up

Transmit 5 is reliable, but a few things trip people up more often than others. Here are the snags I've seen most and the straightforward fix for each.

Connection drops or timeouts

This usually comes down to the server's idle timeout setting. If you step away and come back to a disconnected session, open the site settings and check the "Keep Alive" option. Also make sure your network isn't sleeping the connection; macOS power saving can interfere. A quick toggle of Wi-Fi often clears a stuck state.

Files won't upload to S3

Version 5.11.6 improved error reporting for files that are too large for S3. If you see a new, more specific error message, the file exceeds Amazon's single-upload limit (5 TB for a single object, but practical limits vary by region and bucket settings). Use the S3 multipart upload option in Transmit's preferences to split large files into smaller chunks. This isn't on by default for every connection, so you need to enable it per site or globally in the advanced S3 settings.

Transmit crashes when dragging into other apps

The 5.11.6 release fixed a crash that happened when you dragged files from Transmit into IntelliJ. If you use another JetBrains IDE or a text editor, make sure you're on the current version. If you still get a crash, try dropping files into a Finder window first, then dragging from there. It's a workaround, but it beats restarting.

A workflow: syncing a local project to a staging server

Here's a typical task I do weekly. This assumes you have a web project on your Mac that needs to go to a remote staging server over SFTP.

1. Set up the site. Open Transmit and click the plus sign in the sidebar to add a new site. Choose SFTP, then enter your server's hostname, username, and port (usually 22). Under Authentication, you can paste a private key or let Transmit generate one inside the app. Save the site.
2. Connect and browse. Click the site name to connect. The left panel shows your local folders; the right shows the remote server. Use the Places Bar (View menu, Show Places Bar) to bookmark your local project folder and the remote web root. Now you can switch between them in one click.
3. Set up sync rules. From the Tools menu, choose Synchronize Folders. Pick your local folder on the left and the remote target on the right. Transmit compares timestamps and sizes. I usually leave "Simulate" checked first to see what would change before anything gets moved.
4. Review the differences. After the scan, Transmit shows a list of files that differ. You can exclude certain patterns—like .DS_Store or node_modules—by setting up ignore rules in the sync preferences. Check the list for anything unexpected, like a stale config file.
5. Run the sync. Uncheck Simulate and click Synchronize. Transmit uploads only the changed files. If you have a lot of small files, the queue window shows progress. You can pause or cancel mid-stream without corrupting anything.
6. Verify. Click the Get Info toolbar button (which is now active immediately after launch, thanks to 5.11.6) on a few uploaded files to confirm timestamps and sizes match. Then open the site in a browser to double-check.

This workflow works for FTP, WebDAV, and cloud storage too. The key is using Synchronize Folders instead of dragging everything manually—it saves time and reduces mistakes.

Common early missteps and how to avoid them

Forgetting to set passive mode for FTP

FTP behind a firewall often fails in active mode. If you see "Failed to retrieve directory listing" right after connecting, go to the site settings and switch Transfer Mode to Passive. Most modern servers expect this, but not all defaults are set that way.

Overwriting files by accident

Transmit's default transfer behavior is to overwrite files with the same name unless you tell it otherwise. New users sometimes drag a folder and lose local changes or overwrite a remote file they meant to keep. Before any large transfer, check the Conflict Resolution setting in the Queue window. You can set it to skip, rename, or ask every time. "Ask" is safer until you know what you're doing.

Not using Panic Sync for multiple machines

If you work on a desktop and a laptop, you can end up with two different site lists. Panic Sync keeps your sites, logins, and Places Bar entries in sync between machines. Beginners often set up each computer from scratch, then wonder why one can't find a server. Enable Panic Sync once with your Panic account, and every new site or bookmark appears on all your Macs.

Ignoring the sidebar

The information sidebar shows file permissions, ownership, and timestamps at a glance. Beginners close it to save space and then wonder why they can't quickly see whether a file is writable or when it was last modified. Toggle it back on from the View menu—it's worth the screen real estate.

• Fixed a crash when dragging files into IntelliJ.
• Improved error reporting for files too large to upload to S3.
• Get Info toolbar button is active immediately after launch.
• Larger German File Rename text entry fields.

• macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon
• Interface languages: English, German, Simplified Chinese, French, Japanese