Anabranch
FTP and FTPS
Multiple connections and resume on ftp:// and ftps:// servers. When a server limits connections, the download continues with the ones it was given.
Free and open source · Windows
A download manager that Claude can operate
Anabranch splits each file across parallel connections, resumes after interruptions and runs queues on a schedule. Its Model Context Protocol (MCP) server lets Claude, or any other MCP client, queue, schedule and monitor downloads for you.
Installer or portable exe, about 110 MB. The installed app updates itself. The executables are not yet code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen asks for confirmation on first launch (More info → Run anyway).
AI control through MCP
Describe the job; the assistant runs it
Anabranch ships with an MCP server. Once it is added to Claude Desktop (one block of configuration, shown in the app under Options → MCP / AI), the assistant can check links, queue files, set connections, manage the scheduler and report progress. Requests stay on your computer: the server talks to the app over a local, token-protected API.
- 16 tools: check a link, add, pause, resume, remove, supply a login, schedule, and read or change settings
- Works with any MCP client, not only Claude
- No Node.js needed: the app's own runtime runs the server
Example
Here are 40 Sentinel-2 tile links. Download them tonight from 01:30 with 4 connections each, then put the PC to sleep.
add_download ×40 connections: 4, schedule: true
update_scheduler startTime: "01:30", afterDone: "sleep"
All 40 tiles (about 4.8 GB) are in the scheduled queue. They start at 01:30, and the PC goes to sleep after the
last one finishes. You can cancel the sleep countdown in the app.
Built for large datasets
Scientific and GIS downloads
Satellite scenes, elevation models and climate archives arrive as large files on FTP servers and data portals. These are the features that matter for them.
Logins
HTTP Basic, HTTP Digest and FTP logins, stored encrypted with Windows DPAPI. Portals that use a browser sign-in work through the extension, which passes the session cookies.
Overnight queues
Start and stop times on chosen weekdays, then nothing, quit, sleep or shut down, with a 60-second countdown you can cancel.
Resume
Downloads continue from their saved offsets after a dropped connection or a restart of the computer.
Bulk lists
Drop a .txt file with one link per line, or use Download all links on a portal's results page.
Your formats
GeoTIFF, NetCDF, HDF, GRIB, GeoPackage, KMZ, LAS/LAZ and JPEG 2000 are in the browser extension's capture list by default.
Also included
Up to 32 connections
Each file is split into byte ranges; a connection that finishes early takes over half of the largest remaining range.
HLS and DASH
Video streams download in parallel and are merged into one MP4 with FFmpeg; AES-128 HLS is decrypted.
Browser extension
Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Hands chosen file types to the app and lists the streams a page plays.
Video sites
YouTube and similar pages through yt-dlp, for videos you have the right to save.
Speed limit
One global limit across all connections, with presets in the status bar.
Light and dark
Follows Windows, with six accent colours, a command palette (Ctrl+K) and keyboard shortcuts.
Install
Installer
Anabranch-Setup.exe from the latest release. Updates itself.
Portable
Anabranch-Portable.exe: one file, no installation.
Scoop
scoop install https://github.com/AranCastro/Download_Manager/releases/latest/download/anabranch.jsonClaude Desktop
In Anabranch, open Options → MCP / AI, copy the configuration, and paste it into %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json.