Articles
Guides, comparisons and troubleshooting notes on mounting and browsing object storage, cloud drives, WebDAV, FTP and SFTP from the desktop.
Mount as a drive
Turn S3, R2, Google Drive, SFTP and other storage into a drive in Finder or Explorer, and fix what goes wrong.
- A Local WebDAV Server for All Your Cloud StorageHow AnyStorage exposes 20 kinds of cloud and remote storage through one local WebDAV endpoint that Finder, Explorer and any WebDAV-capable app can read.
- Run a WebDAV Server on Your Mac and Mount Any Cloud in FinderHow to run a local WebDAV server on macOS and mount cloud storage in Finder without kernel extensions or a reduced-security boot.
- A WebDAV Server on Windows, Without IISStart a local WebDAV server on Windows in seconds, then work through the registry keys and services that Windows' own WebDAV client needs.
- Mount Cloud Storage as a Local Drive Without Syncing EverythingThe practical difference between syncing and mounting cloud storage, and how to get a mounted drive without kernel extensions or FUSE drivers.
- Map an S3 Bucket as a Network Drive on Windows and macOSTurn an S3 bucket into a mapped network drive on Windows or macOS through a local WebDAV endpoint, without installing a kernel driver.
- Mount Cloudflare R2 as a Local DriveHow to turn a Cloudflare R2 bucket into a drive you can browse in Finder or File Explorer, using a local WebDAV endpoint instead of a FUSE driver.
- Mount Google Drive as a Network Drive Without Drive for DesktopConnect Google Drive in AnyStorage, start the local WebDAV server on port 3211, and reach every account as one network drive on macOS, Windows or Linux.
- Mount OneDrive as a Network Drive on Windows and MacOneDrive ships sync, not a drive letter. The subst trick, the legacy WebDAV endpoint, and a local WebDAV mount that covers every other connection too.
- Mount Dropbox as a Network Drive on Windows 11 or MacWhy mapping Dropbox with net use is impossible, what subst over the sync folder really gives you, and how a local WebDAV bridge produces a genuine drive letter.
- Mount Azure Blob Storage as a Local Drive on WindowsWhy a blob container is not an Azure file share, what Microsoft's two mount paths actually demand, and the route that works on Windows and macOS.
- Mount an SFTP Server as a Network Drive (Windows Has No Native Way)Turn an SFTP or FTP server into a mapped drive in Explorer or Finder without installing WinFsp, macFUSE or any kernel driver.
- An rclone mount Alternative With a GUI (and No FUSE)Where rclone mount actually costs you time (FUSE drivers, cache modes, autostart) and how a local WebDAV endpoint covers the everyday case.
- Why WebDAV Is So Slow in macOS Finder (and What Helps)Finder's WebDAV client is chatty by design. Here is what that costs you, which tweaks actually help, and why a localhost endpoint sidesteps most of the pain.
- Fix the Windows WebDAV 50 MB File Size Limit (Error 0x800700DF)Why Windows kills WebDAV copies at 50 MB with error 0x800700DF, how to raise FileSizeLimitInBytes, and where the real ceiling sits.
- Windows Can't Connect to WebDAV: A Diagnosis ChecklistA symptom-first checklist for Windows WebDAV mappings, from the WebClient service and BasicAuthLevel to the timeouts and caches that hide a working server.
- WebDAV Error 0x80070043: The Network Name Cannot Be FoundWhat Windows means by 0x80070043 on a WebDAV mapping, the four causes worth checking, and the exact service and registry changes that clear them.
- Net Use Error 67: The Network Name Cannot Be FoundWhy net use answers a WebDAV URL with system error 67, what Microsoft documents as the causes, and the commands that map the drive once they are fixed.
- The Folder You Entered Does Not Appear to Be ValidWhat Map Network Drive means when it says the folder is not valid, the one-line check that tells you whether the server or Windows is at fault, and Microsoft's documented cause.
- WebDAV Not Working on Windows 11: What ChangedWhy WebDAV mappings that worked on older Windows fail on Windows 11, with Microsoft's own deprecation wording, the commands that re-enable the service, and every documented limit.
- rclone mount FUSE Errors: Linux, macOS, WindowsThe four FUSE errors rclone mount produces on each platform, what rclone's own documentation requires, and why a local WebDAV server needs no driver at all.
- Nextcloud WebDAV Is Slow: The Causes, in OrderWork down the documented causes of slow Nextcloud WebDAV — app passwords, client behaviour, PHP-FPM, file locking, chunking and proxy buffering — with the check for each.
- Mount Backblaze B2 as a Drive on Windows, Mac or LinuxHow to turn a B2 bucket into a drive letter or a mounted volume, with or without a filesystem driver, and what B2's S3 API does not do.
- Mount SFTP as a Drive on Windows 11: Four WaysWhy net use cannot map SFTP on Windows 11, and the four documented ways to get a drive letter anyway — two with a kernel driver and two without.
Object storage clients
Desktop clients for S3-compatible services: AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, MinIO, Backblaze B2, Azure Blob and Google Cloud Storage.
- S3 GUI Client & Browser for macOS, Windows and LinuxA focused desktop workspace for browsing buckets, moving files and managing S3-compatible storage without living in a terminal.
- S3 Browser for Linux: GUI Client for Ubuntu, Fedora and ArchAnyStorage is a desktop S3 browser for Ubuntu 20.04 and later, delivered as an AppImage or a .deb, with an optional mount through a local WebDAV server instead of a kernel driver.
- S3 Client for Mac: Browse and Mount Buckets in FinderAnyStorage is a signed, native S3 client for Apple silicon and Intel Macs, with a Homebrew cask and an optional Finder mount served from a local WebDAV endpoint.
- Cloudflare R2 Storage Client for Desktop TeamsA desktop Cloudflare R2 client for macOS, Windows and Linux, with the endpoint, token, region and CORS details R2 actually requires, checked against Cloudflare's own documentation in September 2026.
- Backblaze B2 Client for macOS, Windows and LinuxA desktop B2 client for teams that use Backblaze for backups, archives and delivery, with the same file workflow they already use for S3.
- Google Cloud Storage Client for DesktopA desktop GCS client for developers and teams who need bucket access without living in the Cloud Console or gsutil.
- MinIO Client GUI for macOS, Windows and LinuxA desktop GUI for self-hosted MinIO on macOS, Windows and Linux, with the port, path-style, region and TLS details a MinIO connection actually needs, checked against MinIO's documentation in September 2026.
- S3 Presigned URL Generator for DesktopA desktop presigned URL generator for object storage, so you can hand out time-limited access to one object instead of credentials or a public bucket.
- MinIO SignatureDoesNotMatch: Causes and FixesWhat MinIO means by SignatureDoesNotMatch, how to tell it apart from the neighbouring errors it is confused with, and the check for each of the seven causes.
- R2 CORS Error: No Access-Control-Allow-OriginWhy R2 returns no Access-Control-Allow-Origin header, what each CORS policy field controls, and how to set the policy from the dashboard, Wrangler or the S3 API.
- S3 Client for Windows 11: Six GUI Tools ComparedA dated comparison of the S3 clients that actually run on Windows 11, what each one costs, which of them can produce a drive letter, and where AnyStorage fits.
- Hetzner Object Storage Client: Connect, Mount, Fix ErrorsThe endpoints, credentials, limits and documented gaps of Hetzner Object Storage, and how to reach a bucket from a desktop client or mount it as a drive.
- Wasabi Client: Desktop Tools for Hot Cloud StorageWasabi's own free Explorer is a rebadged CloudBerry build, its service URLs are per region, and two billing rules decide which desktop client is cheap to use.
- S3 CORS Error: Fix Access-Control-Allow-Origin on a BucketWhat S3's two CORS 403 responses mean, how it matches a rule, the wildcard limits in AllowedOrigins and AllowedHeaders, and why ETag needs ExposeHeaders.
WebDAV, FTP and SFTP
Protocol clients and the details that trip people up on each platform.
- WebDAV Client for a Modern Desktop WorkflowA modern desktop WebDAV client for teams that still rely on open file protocols and remote folders.
- FTP and SFTP Client with a Unified Transfer WorkflowA cross-platform FTP and SFTP client for delivery folders, servers and mixed storage workflows.
- SFTP Permission Denied (publickey): The Fix ListWhat OpenSSH actually means by Permission denied (publickey), the file permissions and key formats the server insists on, and the algorithm change that broke old RSA keys.
- Does Google Drive Support WebDAV? No, and Here Is What DoesDrive has a REST API and a desktop app, and no WebDAV server. Here are the documented alternatives, verified on vendor documentation in September 2026.
- NAS WebDAV: Synology and QNAP Setup, Then Mounting ItEnable WebDAV on a Synology or QNAP NAS with the documented ports and permissions, connect from every desktop, and fix the slowness that is specific to each vendor.
- Free WebDAV Client for Windows 11: A Dated ComparisonWhat Windows 11 ships with, what Microsoft said about it in November 2023, and the seven clients worth considering, compared on the four things that actually differ.
- SFTP Client for Windows 11: Six Options ComparedThe built-in sftp command plus five graphical clients, with the licence terms and the feature each one is actually chosen for.
Managing many accounts
One workspace for every storage account.
Comparisons and alternatives
How AnyStorage compares with Cyberduck, Mountain Duck, CloudMounter, ExpanDrive and Transmit.
- Cyberduck Alternatives in 2026: Seven ComparedA dated, tabled comparison of the seven desktop tools people actually move to from Cyberduck, and which one fits which job.
- Cyberduck vs FileZilla 2026, and a Third OptionTwo free transfer clients that look interchangeable and are not, plus what to use when your storage is object storage rather than a server.
- Mountain Duck Alternatives in 2026What Mountain Duck 5 actually is after the File Provider rewrite, and the five tools worth moving to, including the two that are free.
- Free CloudMounter Alternatives in 2026CloudMounter has no free tier on macOS and a narrow one on Windows. Here are the four tools that do mount cloud storage for nothing.
- ExpanDrive Alternatives in 2026: Five Options ComparedWhat ExpanDrive became after the Files.com acquisition, and how AnyStorage, Mountain Duck, Cyberduck, CloudMounter and rclone actually differ from it.
- Transmit Alternatives for Mac in 2026Transmit 5 costs $45 once and is macOS only. Here is what the rest of the Mac field charges, and which of them do the job Transmit does not.
- WebDrive Alternatives in 2026: Seven ComparedWhat South River Technologies actually sells as WebDrive, what it costs per seat per year, and the seven tools people move to, including four that are free.