CrushFTP 11.3.1

Overview:

For people looking for a new way to accomplish running your own FTP server, consider checking out CrushFTP. This unique file server software is able to compress/zip the file before uploading/downloading it in order to minimize transfer time! This means your uploads will complete faster than usual, and that means more time saved for you. This feature is called ZipStreaming. 

This FTP software also comes with a wide range of options and features you won't find in other FTP programs. One of these is the ability to stay completely browser based while performing common FTP tasks like uploading and downloading. Another great feature is the ability to automatically resume transfers that have been affected by network interruptions. There's a huge list of feature includes that come with CrushFTP that you can check out. 

Installation:

Because the download file size is a little over 65 megabytes, it will take a little while to unzip and install. Once it's finished, you can start the CrushFTP server. This file server software is compatible with all versions of Windows and Linux operating systems. Additionally, you can download a seperate CrushFTP file server for the Mac OS X 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.8, and 10.9+ Mavericks.

The minimum system requirements to run CrushFTP aren't made clear within the documentation, but if you're serving a great many connections through this file server, you'll probably be needing a "beefy" machine to handle them all. 

Interface:

The amount of features available in CrushFTP can be a bit mind boggling at first, and it will take a skilled hand in order to master them all. However, beginning users will be able to get the hang of serving up files to connections pretty quickly, and without it requirinng much of a learning period to do it. 
The web interface can be customized to your liking, with things like custom colors and forms to gather user information from those who choose to log in. The amount of user control a FTP admin has with CrushFTP is truly impressive. 

Pros:

For those serious about serving files to their FTP users, CrushFTP makes perfect sense. It allows for many connections at once, it's able to use ZipStreaming in order to compress file sizes and minimize transfer times, and it has a wide range of customizable options you can use to your advantage. 
The full registered version of this file server software is relatively inexpensive when you calculate what you're actually getting out of the deal. And especially for FTP admins that have many connections to serve, the CrushFTP registered version investment will pay for itself rather quickly. 

Cons:

Can be a bit difficult to learn how to use all the custom features. The Java can take a little bit of time to start up on older machines.

Alternatives

Xlight FTP Server - Using a combination of low memory and CPU usage, this file server software option might just be what you're looking for. It has features like remote administration, SSL, ODBC, LDAP, Active Directory, email notification service, and more. It's constantly being updated by the program creators, so you can be sure you'll always have a fully functional and up to date file server to work with that includes all the latest innovations. 

Titan FTP Server - Both powerful and secure, the Titan FTP Server is a multi-threaded windows application that allows you to setup up multiple servers across multiple IP addresses/ports at once. This file server also generates log files of all activity so you can analyze this data and make improvements to how you serve up files. This is a great, low cost alternative to more expensive FTP file server software on the market today. 

Conclusion:

CrushFTP, with its ZipStreaming technology feature, represents the new wave in FTP file servers. It can host multiple connections at once, give you web based browser admin control, and has a wealth of features you can customize that other file server software doesn't have. The cost for the registered version is affordable, and most serious FTP server admins will recoup the investment cost very quickly after the initial purchase.

It should be noted that the CrushFTP file server isn't designed for newbies, and it does take a certain amount of skill to use the program properly. Those who lack the skills necessary to utilize this software should seek an easier to use FTP file server alternative.