Top DirectNet Drive Alternatives for Seamless Cloud and FTP Access
DirectNet Drive offers a unique solution for accessing remote storage like a local drive, allowing users to drag-n-drop files in Windows Explorer, stream media, and edit documents directly from FTP, WebDAV, or SFTP sites without needing to save local copies. While incredibly convenient, users often look for DirectNet Drive alternatives that offer similar functionality, expanded cloud service compatibility, or specific features tailored to their workflow. This article explores the best options available to replace or complement your DirectNet Drive experience.
The Best DirectNet Drive Alternatives
Whether you're seeking a free, open-source solution, broader cloud integration, or enhanced security features, the following alternatives provide excellent ways to mount remote storage as local drives on your system.
Cyberduck
Cyberduck is a libre and open-source FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, S3, Backblaze B2, Azure, and OpenStack Swift browser available for Mac and Windows. It's a fantastic DirectNet Drive alternative if you're looking for a versatile client that supports a wide array of protocols and cloud storage providers, offering features like cloud browsing, file sharing, and Google Drive integration.
Rclone
Rclone is a powerful, free, and open-source command-line program often described as 'rsync for cloud storage'. Available across Mac, Windows, Linux, BSD, and Solaris, Rclone is an excellent DirectNet Drive alternative for users who prefer command-line interfaces for syncing files and directories to and from various cloud services, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and SFTP.
RaiDrive
RaiDrive is a freemium Windows application that allows you to mount NAS, Router, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox to a network drive in File Explorer. As a DirectNet Drive alternative, it excels in providing seamless access to cloud storage without the need for synchronization or web browsers, supporting features like mounting FTP drives and direct uploads to Google Drive.
ExpanDrive
ExpanDrive is a commercial DirectNet Drive alternative for Mac, Windows, and Linux that lets you map or mount Amazon Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, SFTP, WebDAV, S3, and more as a network drive. It provides seamless file access without syncing, making it ideal for users who need a virtual filesystem with integration into various cloud services.
Mountain Duck
Mountain Duck is a commercial application for macOS and Windows that enables you to mount server and cloud storage as a disk in Finder or File Explorer. It's an excellent DirectNet Drive alternative for opening remote files with any application and working with them as if they were local, supporting mounting remote filesystems and cloud service management.
NetDrive
NetDrive is a commercial remote storage tool for Mac and Windows that allows you to access your cloud files as if they're on a local disk. Similar to DirectNet Drive, it supports various cloud storage services including Mega.nz, Amazon S3, and WebDAV, making it a robust option for users seeking broad compatibility and local drive mounting.
WebDrive
WebDrive is a commercial DirectNet Drive alternative for Mac and Windows that puts the cloud on your desktop, allowing access to Amazon S3, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and more. It enables editing files on corporate SFTP and SharePoint Servers as if they were local, featuring support for WebDAV, Box.com integration, and offline work capabilities.
SFTP Net Drive
SFTP Net Drive is a commercial Windows application that allows you to work with a remote file system as if it were a local disk drive, provided the remote system supports the SFTP protocol. It's a straightforward DirectNet Drive alternative for users who primarily need SFTP access mapped to a local drive letter.
StableBit CloudDrive
StableBit CloudDrive is a commercial Windows and self-hosted solution that provides a secure virtual hard drive powered by the cloud. As a DirectNet Drive alternative, it enables storing encrypted data in various cloud service providers like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Amazon S3, offering features like AES encryption and cloud sync.
DriveMaker
DriveMaker Freeware is a Windows application that mounts or maps an FTP site to your desktop or Windows Server as a drive letter. It's a simple DirectNet Drive alternative for those primarily needing FTP access, allowing the use of various software directly with files on the mapped FTP drive, and also supports SFTP.
Choosing the best DirectNet Drive alternative depends on your specific needs, whether it's broader cloud service integration, cross-platform compatibility, open-source preference, or specific security features. Explore these options to find the perfect fit for your remote file access requirements.