--- title: "AnyBucket vs Transmit 5: a Transmit alternative for Mac" description: "AnyBucket and Transmit 5 compared: price, two panes, server-to-server copies, commander keys and ⌘K, jump hosts, two-way sync and the queue." url: https://anybucket.app/compare/transmit lang: en --- # AnyBucket vs Transmit, key by key Both are Mac-only, dual-pane file transfer apps. AnyBucket adds commander keys, a ⌘K palette, jump hosts and a queue that survives quitting, for $9.99 once. ## The short answer **Pick AnyBucket** if you live on the keyboard, connect through jump hosts or want a queue that retries and survives a relaunch, for **$9.99 once, for two Macs**. **Transmit 5** costs $45 once from Panic, or $24.99 a year on the Mac App Store, and is known for Panic Sync, which keeps your servers in step across your Macs. This page compares Transmit 5, the current version when we checked; Panic's help site lists a Transmit 6 beta. ## At a glance Transmit's column comes from Panic's own pages: the Transmit 5 product page and Panic's Transmit 5 help (protocols, SFTP, SSH configuration, transfers, synchronize, editors, Mac App Store), checked November 4, 2026. | | AnyBucket | Transmit 5 | | --- | --- | --- | | SFTP, FTP, FTPS, WebDAV, Amazon S3 | ✓ | ✓ | | Two panes side by side | ✓ | ✓ | | Copy from one server to another | ✓ | ✓ | | Reads your `~/.ssh/config` | ✓ | ✓ | | Jump hosts (ProxyJump) | ✓ | Not described | | Commander keys: F5 copies, F6 moves | ✓ | Not described | | A palette to go to bookmarks and folders by name | ✓ | Not described | | Automatic retry on a fresh connection | ✓ | Not described | | The queue picks up again after quitting | ✓ | Not described | | Sync both ways | ✓ | Not described | | Save tabs as a workspace | ✓ | Not described | | Transfers in the menu bar | ✓ | Not described | | Price | $9.99 once, for two Macs | $45 once, or $24.99 a year on the Mac App Store | The [full comparison](https://anybucket.app/compare) has every row, with Cyberduck, ForkLift, Commander One, FileZilla and the Finder too. ## Price AnyBucket costs **$9.99, once**. One license covers two Macs, and there's no account to create. Transmit 5 costs $45 once from Panic, with a 7-day trial, for all the Macs one person uses. On the Mac App Store it's a $24.99 yearly subscription. Panic says a future all-new major version would likely be a paid upgrade for the direct copy. ## The keyboard and ⌘K Transmit has keyboard shortcuts for its menus, such as Go to Folder (⌥⌘G). AnyBucket is built around the keys of the two-pane commanders: **F5** copies, **F6** moves, **F2** renames, **F3** opens Quick Look, **F4** edits, **F7** makes a folder and **F8** deletes. Space marks a file, ⇥ switches panes and **+** marks by pattern. **⌘K** opens a palette that finds bookmarks, recent folders and open tabs by a few letters of their name, or connects to a pasted `sftp://`, `s3://` or `davs://` address. **⌘G** copies the marked files to any place you pick, without opening it first. See [the keyboard](https://anybucket.app/features/keyboard) and [the palette](https://anybucket.app/features/command-palette). ## Server to server Panic's help says Transmit uses your Mac as the intermediary between two servers, and duplicates on the server for S3, WebDAV and several cloud services. AnyBucket shows **any two places** in one tab: This Mac and a server, or two servers. On the same server the copy runs there: **S3 CopyObject**, **WebDAV COPY**, and `cp` over SSH when the SFTP account has a shell. Between two servers, files stream through a small, bounded spool on your Mac. See [server to server](https://anybucket.app/features/server-to-server). ## Transfers and sync AnyBucket's queue retries transient failures on a fresh connection after 1, 3 and 8 seconds, is saved as it runs and comes back after a relaunch. Checksums are verified where the protocol allows. When a file is already there, choose replace, replace if newer, keep both, skip or resume, with apply to all. Transmit syncs in one direction you pick, with an option to delete orphaned files and a dry run. AnyBucket's [Compare & Sync](https://anybucket.app/features/compare-sync) mirrors either way **or syncs both ways**, row by row, and you can change any row's action before anything moves. ## SSH and jump hosts Transmit reads keys and user names from your `~/.ssh/config`. Panic's SFTP help says `ProxyJump` is supported in Prompt 3, another Panic app. AnyBucket runs the `ssh` that comes with macOS, so whatever works with `ssh user@host` in Terminal works in AnyBucket: `Host`, `IdentityFile` and `ProxyJump` in your config, your agent and security keys. See [SSH keys and jump hosts](https://anybucket.app/guides/ssh-keys-and-jump-hosts). ## Where Transmit shines Panic Sync keeps your servers and keys in step across your Macs, and Transmit connects to many cloud services beyond the ones both apps share. ## Switching to AnyBucket 1. In AnyBucket, press **⇧⌘K** for each server, or paste its address into the palette (⌘K) and press ⌥↩ to save it as a bookmark. 2. SFTP hosts in your `~/.ssh/config` work as they are, with the same keys. 3. Save the tabs you use every day as a [workspace](https://anybucket.app/features/workspaces) with ⌥⌘S. You can [try it live](https://anybucket.app/try) in your browser first. ## Questions, answered ### Is AnyBucket cheaper than Transmit? Yes. AnyBucket is $9.99 once, for two Macs. Transmit 5 is $45 once from Panic, or $24.99 a year on the Mac App Store (prices checked November 4, 2026). ### Does AnyBucket have two panes like Transmit? Yes. Each tab holds one or two panes, and each shows This Mac or any server, so two servers can sit side by side. See [dual panes and tabs](https://anybucket.app/features/dual-panes). ### Does AnyBucket support jump hosts? Yes. Set `ProxyJump` in `~/.ssh/config` and connect by the host's name. AnyBucket uses the same `ssh` as Terminal. ### Which Transmit version is this compared with? Transmit 5, the current version on November 4, 2026. Panic's help site lists a Transmit 6 beta; we'll update this page when it ships. ## Read next - [Compare Mac SFTP, S3 and FTP clients](https://anybucket.app/compare) - [AnyBucket vs ForkLift](https://anybucket.app/compare/forklift) - [Keyboard-first](https://anybucket.app/features/keyboard) - [Compare & Sync](https://anybucket.app/features/compare-sync) **Buy for $9.99:** https://buy.polar.sh/polar_cl_pCF9yOjezTUaUqMPyUsxEho1EjcOvo6Bk49Q929LQCQ --- AnyBucket is independent software by [Clever Mechanisms](https://clevermechanisms.dev). It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Apple Inc. or any storage provider. Independent software in the spirit of Cyberduck and the classic two-pane commanders. Not affiliated with iterate GmbH (Cyberduck). Apple, Mac, macOS, Finder and Quick Look are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. Amazon S3 is a trademark of Amazon.com, Inc. Other product names are trademarks of their owners. Email support: support@clevermechanisms.dev