How To Mount SFTP To Go Locally With Mountain Duck

Mountain Duck lets you mount remote servers and cloud storage as a local drive on your computer. Instead of working through a separate file transfer client, you can access remote files from macOS Finder or Windows File Explorer.

For SFTP To Go users, this means you can connect to your SFTP To Go storage through Mountain Duck and work with files in a familiar desktop interface.

This is useful when users need browser-free access to remote files, when non-technical teams prefer Finder or File Explorer, or when a workflow needs local-style file access without moving everything into a general file-sharing tool.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to mount SFTP To Go locally with Mountain Duck using your SFTP To Go hostname, username, and password.

For related file movement and automation options, see SFTP automation and SFTP Google Drive Sync.

Mountain Duck features:

Mountain Duck is a desktop tool for mounting remote storage as a local drive. It supports macOS and Windows, and it can connect to servers and cloud storage services through several protocols.

Key Mountain Duck features include:

• SFTP support: Connect to SFTP servers, including SFTP To Go, from Finder or File Explorer.
• Local file system access: Work with remote files through the desktop file manager you already use.
• Smart Synchronization: Keep selected files available locally and sync changes back when connected.
• Online access mode: Work directly with files on the remote server or cloud storage when an active connection is available.
• Integrated connect mode: Mountain Duck 5 adds an integrated mode that uses macOS File Provider and Windows Cloud Files APIs.
• Cross-platform support: Use Mountain Duck on macOS or Windows.
• Multiple protocols and storage services: Mountain Duck supports protocols and services such as SFTP, WebDAV, FTP, Amazon S3, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive.

For SFTP To Go users, Mountain Duck can make managed SFTP storage easier to access from a desktop environment while keeping the underlying SFTP connection in place.

How to mount your SFTP To Go storage locally using Mountain Duck

The process is mainly the same on macOS and Windows. The screenshots in this guide use macOS Finder, but Windows users can follow the same connection flow through File Explorer.

Mountain Duck can work in different connection modes. Smart Synchronization lets you work with files that can be kept locally and synced later. Online mode shows the mounted drive locally, but files are accessed through the active connection.

Here’s how:

Install Mountain Duck

1. Open Mountain Duck and download the version for your operating system.
2. Install Mountain Duck using the standard installation process for macOS or Windows.

Connect your SFTP To Go cloud storage

3. Open Mountain Duck.
4. In the connection window, change the protocol from the default option to SFTP.
5. Open your SFTP To Go dashboard and go to the Credentials tab.
6. Copy the relevant connection details from SFTP To Go:

• Hostname
• Username
• Password
• Port, if required by your setup

7. Enter those details into the Mountain Duck connection window.
8. Click Connect.

Allow system permissions if prompted

Depending on your operating system and Mountain Duck settings, you may be asked to allow Finder or File Explorer integration.

On macOS, this may involve enabling the Mountain Duck Finder extension in System Settings. On Windows, Mountain Duck may ask for permissions related to File Explorer integration.

Follow the prompt from your operating system, then return to Mountain Duck.

Check or edit the connection

If the connection fails, check the SFTP To Go credentials first.

Common causes include:

• Incorrect hostname
• Incorrect username
• Incorrect password
• Wrong protocol selected
• Missing port details, if your setup requires them
• Network or access restrictions that prevent the connection

To update the connection, open the Mountain Duck menu from the macOS menu bar or Windows system tray, then reopen or edit the connection details.

Through this same drop-down menu you can access app preferences and connect or disconnect from drives you’ve mountain in the past, view your history, and more.

Choose a connection mode

Mountain Duck supports different ways to work with mounted storage.

• Smart Synchronization: Files can be available locally and changes sync when a connection is available.
• Online mode: The mounted drive appears locally, but files are accessed through the active connection to the server or cloud storage.
• Integrated mode: Mountain Duck 5 includes an integrated connection option using native macOS and Windows file-provider APIs.

You can review these options in Mountain Duck preferences. The best mode depends on how your team wants to work with local storage, remote files, and offline access.

For Mountain Duck’s current documentation, see its guide to connect modes.

Access your mounted SFTP To Go storage

Once connected, open Finder on macOS or File Explorer on Windows.

Your SFTP To Go storage should appear as a mounted drive or location. From there, you can browse folders and work with files according to your SFTP To Go permissions.

When should you mount SFTP To Go locally?

Mounting SFTP To Go locally is useful when people need secure file access without working directly in an SFTP client.

Common use cases include:

• Finance file handling: Teams can access reports, reconciliation files, statements, or payment-related documents through a familiar desktop view.
• Operations workflows: Users can pick up, review, or place files in shared folders without switching tools.
• Partner file exchange: External partners can upload or download files through restricted SFTP folders while internal users work through Finder or File Explorer.
• Customer file delivery: Support or customer operations teams can access files locally while SFTP To Go manages the remote storage and credentials.
• Non-technical user access: Teams that don’t usually work with SFTP clients can still access files through a local-style interface.

For browser-based access, SFTP To Go also supports the SFTP To Go web portal.

Security notes for mounted SFTP access

Mounting SFTP To Go locally can make file access more convenient, but the usual access controls still matter.

Before giving users mounted access, check:

• Credential scope: Each credential should only reach the folders it needs.
• Home directory settings: Use home directory restrictions to keep users in the right storage path.
• Permissions: Apply upload, download, delete, and folder permissions according to the user’s role.
• Local device risk: A mounted drive gives users desktop access, so endpoint security and device access still matter.
• Audit logs: Review file and login activity when you need to investigate access or confirm file movement.
• Network rules: Use inbound network restrictions where appropriate and available for the plan.

For more on secure file transfer protocols, see SFTP security and SFTP encryption.

In conclusion

Mountain Duck gives SFTP To Go users a practical way to mount managed SFTP storage as a local drive on macOS or Windows.

The setup is simple: install Mountain Duck, choose SFTP as the protocol, enter your SFTP To Go credentials, allow any required system permissions, and access the mounted drive through Finder or File Explorer.

This can make SFTP To Go easier to use for teams that prefer desktop file access, while still keeping SFTP To Go’s managed storage, credentials, permissions, and audit visibility in place.

Mountain Duck is built by iterate GmbH, the same company behind Cyberduck. Cyberduck is a more traditional file transfer client, while Mountain Duck focuses on mounting remote storage into the local file system. You can read more about that Here and Here.

Frequently asked questions