Nifty SFTP

Upload on save and sync folders over SFTP, compatible with existing sftp.json files: download, diff with the server, browse remote files, profiles, and passwords kept in the OS keychain.

Maintained. No sign-in. No telemetry. Works in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium and other editors that use Open VSX.

Features

Sync Local → Remote lists the 2 changed files, uploads them after you confirm, and the new css folder appears in the SFTP Remote view

Sync shows what will be uploaded before it starts

Comparing a changed page with the copy on the server

The SFTP Remote view listing the server

Upload on save. Save a file and it's on the server a moment later. Or right-click files and folders to Upload or Download them.
Your existing sftp.json just works. If you used another SFTP extension, keep your .vscode/sftp.json: host, port, username, password or privateKeyPath, SSH agent, remotePath, context, uploadOnSave, ignore, syncOption.delete, profiles and several servers in one file are all understood.
Sync that only sends what changed. Sync Local → Remote, Remote → Local or Both Ways compares sizes and modification times, shows you what will happen, then transfers only new and changed files. Optionally delete what's gone.
Compare with Remote. See a diff between your file and the copy on the server before you overwrite anything.
Browse the server. The SFTP Remote view in the Explorer lists the remote folder; open files to read them or download them into your project.
Profiles. Switch between staging and production from the status bar.
Passwords stay out of your project. Leave password out of sftp.json and you're asked once; it's saved in your OS keychain (Windows Credential Manager, macOS Keychain, libsecret). Private keys and a running SSH agent work too.
gitignore-style ignore patterns: node_modules, *.log, /build, cache/, !keep.log.
Connections are reused and closed when idle; everything is logged in the Output panel.

Example `.vscode/sftp.json`

{
  "name": "My Site",
  "host": "example.com",
  "username": "deploy",
  "privateKeyPath": "~/.ssh/id_ed25519",
  "remotePath": "/var/www/html",
  "uploadOnSave": true,
  "ignore": [".vscode", ".git", "node_modules", "*.log"],
  "profiles": {
    "staging": { "host": "staging.example.com", "remotePath": "/var/www/staging" }
  }
}

Run Nifty SFTP: Open sftp.json to create one with the common settings filled in.

Commands

Command	What it does
`Nifty SFTP: Upload` / `Download`	Transfer the selected files or folders
`Nifty SFTP: Sync Local → Remote`	Upload new and changed files
`Nifty SFTP: Sync Remote → Local`	Download new and changed files
`Nifty SFTP: Sync Both Ways`	Newer copy wins, in both directions
`Nifty SFTP: Compare with Remote`	Diff the file with the server copy
`Nifty SFTP: Switch Profile…`	Use another profile from sftp.json
`Nifty SFTP: Open sftp.json (Create If Missing)`	Edit the configuration
`Nifty SFTP: Forget Saved Passwords`	Remove passwords from the keychain

Settings

Setting	Default	What it does
`nifty.sftp.idleSeconds`	`120`	Close idle connections after this long

FTP and FTPS aren't supported yet; "protocol": "ftp" configs show a clear message.

Install

VS Code: search for "Nifty SFTP" in the Extensions view, or install from the Visual Studio Marketplace.
Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium, Kiro, Antigravity: install from Open VSX.

Privacy

This extension collects no telemetry and needs no account.

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Nifty SFTP: Upload on Save & Folder Sync

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