The key difference between FTP vs SFTP is that SFTP uses a secure channel to transfer files while FTP doesn’t. What’s the Difference Between FTP vs SFTP, Then? SFTP only uses a single channel and lets you authenticate your client using either a username/password or SSH cryptographic keys. SSH, short for Secure Shell, is a cryptographic protocol that offers secure access to a machine (your server, in this case) over unsecured networks. SFTP offers the same basic function as FTP, but it uses tunneling and performs file transfers over SSH, which is different from FTP’s client-server and direct transfer approach. Join 20,000+ others who get our weekly newsletter with insider WordPress tips! Want to know how we increased our traffic over 1000%? SFTP is short for SSH File Transfer Protocol, though it’s also commonly called Secure File Transfer Protocol. By default, both of these channels are unencrypted, which means malicious actors could potentially eavesdrop on the information that you’re transferring. Using the client/server model, FTP supports the direct transfer of files between your chosen FTP client and your web server.įTP uses two separate channels to transfer information: a command channel and a data channel. What Is FTP?įTP is short for File Transfer Protocol. However, there are some key differences under the hood, which is why it’s important to understand the difference between FTP vs SFTP.
To the end-user (you), there’s pretty much zero difference in experience between FTP and SFTP. Confused by the difference between FTP & SFTP? Learn more about the file transfer protocols right here ⬇️ Click to Tweet FTP vs SFTP Explainedįirst, let’s talk about what’s the same between FTP vs SFTP.īoth protocols let you use an FTP client, like FileZilla, to connect to your website’s servers.
Well, the short answer is that SFTP is a lot more secure than FTP, which is why we only offer SFTP here at Kinsta and recommend that all our users use SFTP.įor the longer answer, you can keep reading and we’ll take you through everything that you need to know about these two protocols and which one you should use.