Which protocol is better for file transfer – FTP or SFTP? Read this FTP vs SFTP comparison article to determine which of the two file transfer protocols is better.
Overview
On a network, a protocol is a set of rules that networked devices follow while communicating with each other. During file sharing, these rules determine whether the files you share are visible to outside parties or not.
In that regard, the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) was developed by Abhay Bhushan in 1971. FTP transfers files in plain text, meaning the communication path or files aren’t encrypted.
Due to this, anyone who intercepts the file transfer can eavesdrop on the information you’re transferring.
On the contrary, the Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) adds security to its file-sharing standards. Tatu Ylönen and Sami Lehtinen developed this security-enhanced file transfer protocol in 1997.
Thus, even if a malicious person intercepts an SFTP file transfer, it won’t look comprehensible to the person. That’s due to the fact that the files are encrypted for additional security.
As for user experience, you may not notice any difference between FTP and SFTP protocols as it affects file transfer. Both of them allow you to connect to your server, browse all files, and download or upload files.
Differences definitely arise in how the protocols handle file transfer security in the background. Basically, SFTP encrypts files during transmission for protection, while FTP doesn’t encrypt its files.
Are you considering setting up an FTP or SFTP server or just trying to decide which is the best to use for file transfer? It is important to understand how these two protocols work.
In the next section, you will learn how FTP and SFTP work on a network.
How FTP Works in Comparison to SFTP
Starting with FTP, it may require initial authentication before data transfer begins. This authentication involves inputting a username and password to log into the FTP server.
However, once the server grants access to the FTP client, the data in transit is no longer secure. That’s because FTP does not encrypt files, as mentioned in the previous section.
Nonetheless, FTP uses two separate channels – command channel and data channel – to transfer files. The command channel sends commands and responses such as the right port/address to connect to the server.
Meanwhile, the data channel sends the actual file when a connection has been established.
As with FTP, you may also require a username and password to log into the SFTP server. However, unlike FTP, SFTP does not use two separate channels to transfer files.
Rather, it uses a single channel called SSH (Secure Shell) to communicate between the client and server. With Secure Shell (SSH), files undergo encryption before their transmission over a network begins.
Hence, with SFTP, file transfers are way more secure because they are encrypted. This is why sending business-critical information over an SFTP rather than an FTP is better.
In a sense, using SFTP is similar to moving a device with password protection in a secure box to another destination. That way, the box guarantees safe delivery while the password ensures authentic access.
Features Comparison of FTP vs SFTP
I briefly overviewed FTP and SFTP in my first section above. I also compared how the two file transfer protocols work in the previous section.
In the following sub-sections, I will compare some of the features of FTP and SFTP.
Both FTP and SFTP Allow Remote Access to A Server
Distance is never a barrier to communication using FTP and SFTP.
An FTP server may be in a different geographical location from the FTP client. However, the client’s device will still be able to log in to the server and share or download files remotely.
Similarly, SFTP clients are capable of remotely uploading and downloading files from an SFTP server.
FTP Uses Dual Channels While SFTP Uses a Single Channel Called SSH Tunnel
As mentioned earlier, FTP allows communication via two separate channels for transferring files. These channels include the command channel and data channel.
SFTP, on the other hand, uses a single channel known as a Secure Shell (SSH) tunnel.
Both Protocols Implement Initial Security Through Username and Password
The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) performs server-side authentication before data transmission actually begins. For instance, a client computer will be required to provide a username and password.
Similarly, SFTP authenticates a client’s computer by asking for a username and password. However, it goes beyond the initial authentication.
SFTP goes ahead to encrypt the data with SSH Keys. As a brief explanation, encryption is the act of transforming a file into codes that humans don’t easily understand.
It embeds a secret key on the file, which will be used to decode it back to the original form. Thus, after initial authentication via username and password, SFTP provides additional security using encryption.
They Deliver Detailed Metadata Alongside Files
Metadata is data that provides information about a file but not the content of the file itself. These include information such as last-modified date, date of creation, title, version information, and so on.
Thus, when you transfer files through the FTP and SFTP protocols, the protocols also deliver the metadata of the files. However, SFTP ensures more metadata delivery than FTP.
Various Operating Systems Support FTP And SFTP Protocols
Mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS support FTP and SFTP. Besides, Windows and Linux PCs also support various FTP and SFTP software.
As a matter of fact, some operating systems like Linux come with built-in SFTP client software. You can access the built-in SFTP from the Linux terminal.
Strengths and Limitations Comparision of FTP and SFTP
Having compared the features of these file transfer protocols above, let’s now compare their pros and cons in this section.
Pros of FTP Compared to SFTP
- They are ideal for large file downloads/uploads. FTP and SFTP are both fast for downloading and uploading large files from and to a server. Nevertheless, FTP is known for being faster.
This is because it does not spend time encrypting data or handshaking, unlike SFTP. - They have the ability to resume transfer if the connection is lost. Have you ever experienced a network interruption during a file download? Then, you’ll agree that resuming the download after re-establishing your connection is better than starting afresh.
Unfortunately, some server protocols do not support the “resume” functionality. Nonetheless, both FTP and SFTP protocols can resume file download after a network interruption. - They offer good file transfer speed. The rate at which FTP and SFTP transfer files are appreciable.
Besides, the speed of both protocols ranges from hundreds of kilobytes to megabytes per second. However, this speed can be affected by some factors.
One more thing – downloading files is generally faster than uploading files. - Ability to queue multiple files to be uploaded or downloaded. FTP and SFTP support multiple downloads or uploads at a time. Moreover, when the number of concurrent downloads tries to exceed the limit, both protocols can add the excess into a download queue.
Therefore, they put files in a queue, waiting for their turn to download or upload.
Limitations of FTP in Comparison to SFTP
- Unlike SFTP, FTP doesn’t encrypt files for additional security. FTP transfers files in plain text without encryptions for added protection.
This enables malicious people (hackers) to eavesdrop on the files you are trying to send. Hence, SFTP is more secure for transferring files than FTP as it encrypts files before transmission. - SFTP is generally slower than FTP. SFTP transfers data at a slower rate compared to FTP. Why is this, though?
Well, it is because, before SFTP transfers data, it has to perform data encryption and SSL handshaking. - Compliance may be an issue when using FTP. Using FTP requires opening multiple channels and ports. Some instances may lead to non-compliance with governmental/regulatory standards in data communication.
- Unlike SFTP, an FTP server can be spoofed. Spoofing is a process of redirecting a request for a resource to a website that resembles its intended destination.
Tricking a server this way may send its data to the wrong computer. This data might be used to carry out fraudulent acts by hackers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both file transfer protocols are useful in many similar ways.
However, FTP is better in terms of transfer speed. On the other hand, SFTP guarantees higher security of files in addition to satisfactory speed.
Although the choice is yours, I advise you to choose SFTP over FTP due to security.
SFTP employs a more secure SSH tunneling to protect data that is moving from server to client computer (and vice versa). This offers better security than the command channel and the data channel used by FTP.
Moreover, SFTP encrypts data prior to its transfer. This encryption ensures that if for any reason someone accesses the data (during transmission), it will not be readable or easy to crack.
These data security features make SFTP preferable over FTP. Apart from that, both protocols share similar capabilities in many other ways.
No, SFTP is not faster than FTP.
In fact, data encryption and SSH handshaking make SFTP communication a bit slower than FTP. Nevertheless, these are what make the former more secure than the latter.
SFTP uses port 22. This is the only port that connects its SSH tunnel.
No, FTP does not encrypt data. Nevertheless, an FTP server performs server-side authentication before the file transfer begins.
Basically, it uses a username and password to verify whether a client should have access to files.
Secure Shell (SSH) is a network protocol that focuses on the use of encryption to send files. In case you are wondering, encryption is a method of converting files or data into codes to prevent unauthorized access.
SFTP, however, is a file transfer protocol that makes use of SSH to encrypt files before transferring them. As expected, this provides security and prevents malicious people from eavesdropping on the files being sent.
As a matter of fact, we can refer to SFTP as SSH File Transfer Protocol.
FTP uses port 21 and a randomly chosen port (for example, port 20).
As an old protocol, the developers of FTP felt that the amount of data passing through port 20 would be too much. Therefore, to avoid slowing down commands, they chose port 21 as the command port.
Moreover, the two ports handle the two separate FTP channels for transmission – the command channel and the data channel.
An FTP server uses ports number 21 and number 20. While port 21 is used for establishing a connection with a client, port 20 is used for sending the files.
Not necessarily. If the FTP server you’re trying to connect is over the internet, yes, you need internet.
However, if the FTP server is within your local network (LAN or WAN), you do not need the internet to connect to it.
The hostname of an SFTP server is the IP address of the server.
The SFTP port is a port for establishing a connection between an SFTP server and a client. Moreover, by default, SFTP uses port 22.
However, a server administrator can assign a different port.
Conclusion
At this point, we can safely conclude that using SFTP is better than using FTP, although both share some features.
However, the fast transfer speed of FTP is appreciable, even though SFTP also has a decent transfer speed. Nevertheless, no organization would sacrifice the security and integrity of its information for a negligible difference in speed.
That’s why I believe SFTP is the best transfer protocol, as it encrypts files before transmission for security. Nonetheless, not everyone transfers sensitive data over the internet.
So, if you frequently send non-sensitive but bulky files on your network, FTP is a good choice. Regardless, knowing the kinds of files you wish to send beforehand is best.
By doing so, you can choose the right transfer protocol using this guide.
I hope you were able to understand FTP vs SFTP and how they work. I also hope that you found this article easy to comprehend?
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