How to Install the FTP Client Filezilla on Windows?

Download the official FileZilla Client for Windows, run the installer, choose your options, then launch FileZilla. If you cannot install software on your PC, use the ZIP build from the official site and run filezilla.exe.

Before you start

• Use a modern, supported version of Windows. Legacy Windows 9x, ME, NT4, 2000 and XP are not supported.
• Download only from the official FileZilla Project site. Do not use third‑party download sites.
• Make sure you are on the Client download page, not the Server page.

Step 1: Download the FileZilla Client from the official site

Go to the official Windows Client download page: https://filezilla-project.org/download.php?platform=win64. Confirm the page says FileZilla Client, not FileZilla Server. If you accidentally land on the Server page, it will be at https://filezilla-project.org/download.php?type=server, which is not what you need for uploads to Hostworld.

If you do not have administrative rights on this PC, download the ZIP build instead. The FileZilla Wiki documents a ZIP package that runs without installation. Download the ZIP from the official source, extract it anywhere you can write to, then run filezilla.exe.

If you downloaded the wrong package, or downloaded from a non‑official site, delete it and download the Client again from the official link above. If you installed FileZilla Server by mistake, remove it in Windows Settings under Apps before going any further.

Step 2: Run the installer and choose options

Double click the FileZilla Client installer you downloaded. Expect a Windows User Account Control prompt. Choose who to install for. You may be asked to install for your user only or for all users. Installing for all users and the Windows shell extension requires full administrative rights.

Choose optional components. The installer can include language files, icon sets and a Windows shell extension. Tick only what you need. Pick the install location and Start Menu shortcuts. The FileZilla Wiki warns against installing FileZilla 3 into the same directory as an older FileZilla 2, because mixing the two creates problems.

Finish the wizard and launch FileZilla if offered. If you used the ZIP build, extraction is the only step. Run filezilla.exe from the folder you extracted.

To remove FileZilla later, uninstall it in Windows Settings under Apps. Your settings live in %APPDATA%\FileZilla and are not removed by a normal uninstall. If you want a full reset, back up that folder, then delete it. Deleting it permanently removes saved Site Manager entries and preferences. For a clean reinstall, install again to a fresh folder.

Step 3: Launch FileZilla and confirm it opens

Open FileZilla from the Start Menu. The Client supports FTP, FTPS and SFTP. That is enough for ordinary website uploads to Hostworld. If you launched FileZilla directly from the end of the installer with elevation, close it and start it again from the Start Menu for normal behaviour later.

If it does not work

• You downloaded the Server by mistake. The Server package will not give you the client interface you need. Uninstall FileZilla Server in Windows Settings under Apps. Then download the Client from the official Client page and install it.
• Installer blocked or no admin rights on this PC. Use the official ZIP build documented by the FileZilla Wiki. Extract it to a folder you can write to and run filezilla.exe. If you want it portable with settings in the same folder, create fzdefaults.xml next to the executable using the template provided under ./docs in the ZIP.
• It worked right after install, then failed later. If you first launched FileZilla from an elevated installer, behaviour can differ from launching it normally later. Close FileZilla, start it from the Start Menu without elevation and try again.
• Installed into the same folder as an old FileZilla 2. The Wiki warns against this. Uninstall, remove the affected install folder, then reinstall FileZilla 3 to a clean directory.

Need your Hostworld FTP or SFTP details, or still stuck after installing? Please open a support ticket and we will help.

What next

You can now connect to your Hostworld hosting using FTP, FTPS or SFTP in the FileZilla Client. Your FTP accounts, including the username and the hostname to connect to, are managed in cPanel. If you want the background on transfer methods and how they differ, browse our guides. If you would rather we confirmed the correct connection details for your account, open a support ticket.