WebDAV mount is the simplest way to make a remote server look like a local drive. But it's also the easiest way to lose data if you get the basics wrong.
Here are three mistakes I've made personally. Don't be like me.
Mistake 1: Assuming locks work automatically
WebDAV has a locking mechanism. It prevents two people from editing the same file at the same time. Without locks, you can have a write race: machine A writes, machine B writes, machine A's write is silently lost.
The problem: not all WebDAV clients honor locks. Some ignore them entirely. Some honor them but don't propagate them properly.
Fix: When evaluating a mount client, check that it actually respects WebDAV locks. Test it: open the same file on two machines, edit on both, save both. If the second save clobbers the first, your client is broken.
ScsDriver honors locks correctly. I tested it across three machines. Mountain Duck too. RaiDrive has historically had weak lock support — check before you trust it.
Mistake 2: Not setting up a cache
Without a local cache, every file open is a network roundtrip. Open a 10MB image? Wait 5 seconds. Open a 100MB video? Wait 50 seconds. Open a directory with 1000 files? Wait a minute.
Worse, every save is also a network roundtrip. The whole experience is laggy.
Fix: Use a client with a local cache layer. ScsDriver caches files locally, so the second open is instant. Mountain Duck has a similar feature. RaiDrive has it in the Pro tier.
A cache layer also means offline access. If the server goes down, you can still open cached files.
Mistake 3: Trusting the server URL
WebDAV URLs often look like https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav/files/USERNAME/. If you put https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav/files/ (no USERNAME) or https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav/ (no /files/), the server might return a directory listing — or worse, return a 200 OK for files that don't exist.
Some servers will create empty files at any URL you write to. If you accidentally point to a parent directory, you can pollute the entire WebDAV tree with bogus files.
Fix: Always double-check the WebDAV path. Test it with curl before configuring a mount client.
curl -u user:pass https://cloud.example.com/remote.php/dav/files/USERNAME/test.txt -X PUT -d "hello"
If that works, your path is correct.
Bonus: the credential storage mistake
Don't store your WebDAV password in plaintext on disk. Use the OS keychain (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, Linux libsecret). All three major mount clients support this.
ScsDriver, Mountain Duck, and RaiDrive all integrate with the OS keychain by default. If your client doesn't, switch clients.
The verdict
WebDAV mount is a simple technology. The complexity is in the corners. Get these three things right:
- Honored locks
- Local cache
- Correct path + secure credentials
And you'll have a mount that "just works" for years.
Pricing recap (overseas, ScsDriver)
- $1.5 monthly
- $5.5 yearly
- $5.5 lifetime (was $9.99)
For users in mainland China, the package is sold at CN ¥20 lifetime (separate pricing region).
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