SFTP, FTPS, or Something Better? Choosing the Right File Transfer Approach for 2026

Despite the explosion of APIs and cloud-native integrations, file-based data exchange hasn’t gone away.

Enterprises still rely on batch processing, nightly ETL jobs, data exports, and vendor file drops to move critical data between systems.

APIs are great, but they don’t solve everything. Compliance rules, legacy vendor systems, and auditors still demand secure file-based transfers.

That leaves developers maintaining fragile SFTP servers, managing SSH keys, user permissions, and backups just to keep “simple” nightly jobs running.

This post gives a ground-level look at FTP and SFTP, explains where they fit in modern systems, and shows how SFTP To Go can simplify secure file transfers without requiring you to manage servers yourself.

The Protocols: FTP, SFTP, and Where They Fit in Modern Systems

FTP: The Legacy Protocol Developers Still Encounter

FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is one of the oldest ways to move files across networks.
It uses two channels, one for commands and another for data, and that architecture shows its age.

The downsides are obvious:

• No encryption: Usernames, passwords, and file contents are all sent in plaintext.
• Firewall hassles: Multiple ports and active/passive mode confusion make setups unreliable.
• Not compliant: Fails most modern security checks and regulations.

Even with these issues, FTP still appears in old ERPs, banking systems, manufacturing software, and legacy middleware where developers have no say in the protocol choice.

Here’s what a basic FTP session looks like:

Connected to localhost.
220 (vsFTPd 3.0.5)
Name (localhost:lovestaco):
331 Please specify the password.
Password:
230 Login successful.
Remote system type is UNIX.
Using binary mode to transfer files.
ftp> pwd
Remote directory: /home/lovestaco
ftp> cd /srv/ftp/test/
250 Directory successfully changed.
ftp> get sample.txt
local: sample.txt remote: sample.txt
229 Entering Extended Passive Mode (|||30019|)
150 Opening BINARY mode data connection for sample.txt (10 bytes).
100% |************************************************************************|    10      114.88 KiB/s    00:00 ETA
226 Transfer complete.
10 bytes received in 00:00 (14.79 KiB/s)

This is exactly how FTP behaves:
login, navigate, transfer — all in plaintext.
Anyone sniffing the network can see every command, filename, and byte being moved.

Despite its flaws, it lingers because it’s simple, familiar, and widely embedded in legacy workflows.

But the lack of encryption, two-channel design, and outdated security model make it unsuitable for modern systems.

FTPS: FTP With Encryption, But Still Complicated

FTPS (FTP over TLS) is essentially the original FTP protocol with TLS encryption added.

It keeps FTP’s two-channel architecture—one port for commands and separate ports for data—but secures those channels so credentials and file contents are no longer sent in plaintext.

While FTPS meets modern security requirements, it still carries several operational drawbacks:

• It still relies on multiple ports, which complicates firewall and NAT configurations
• TLS certificates must be issued, renewed, and trusted by all clients
• Client support varies, especially between implicit and explicit FTPS
• Debugging passive/active modes becomes even harder once TLS is layered on top

FTPS is undeniably more secure than FTP, but because it inherits FTP’s dual-channel design, it’s often considered fragile and difficult to operate at scale.

For this reason, many teams skip FTPS entirely and adopt SFTP instead—a protocol with built-in encryption and simple, single-port connectivity.

SFTP: Secure and Still the Enterprise Standard

SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) fixes nearly all the weaknesses of FTP.

Instead of juggling multiple channels, it runs entirely over SSH on port 22, so all commands, credentials, and file data are encrypted.

Developers continue to rely on SFTP because it’s predictable, secure, and works almost everywhere.

Why it remains popular:

• Uses a single encrypted channel (no firewall complexity)
• Supports SSH keys, passwords, or both for authentication
• Works reliably behind firewalls and load balancers
• Handles file permissions, ownership, and directory isolation

Common SFTP use cases:

• Automated nightly imports and exports
• Vendor file drops for orders or reports
• Financial and healthcare integrations that require encryption
• Workflows needing full audit trails of transfers

Here's a SFTP session from a remote Linux server:

lovestaco@i3nux-mint:~$ sftp master-do
Connected to master-do.
sftp> ls
backup            crons             ec2_controllers   go                listmonk.dump     orders.csv        searchsync_repo   
sftp> get orders.csv
Fetching /home/ubuntu/orders.csv to orders.csv
orders.csv                                                                                                                                                                                                 100%    7     0.0KB/s   00:00    
sftp> put orders
orders.csv   orders2.csv  
sftp> put orders2.csv 
Uploading orders2.csv to /home/ubuntu/orders2.csv
orders2.csv                                                                                                                                                                                                100%    4     0.0KB/s   00:00    
sftp> version
SFTP protocol version 3
sftp> bye

SFTP is still widely used in enterprise environments because it’s reliable and well-understood.

Once SSH is set up, SFTP just works, it's encrypted, authenticated, and reliable.

SFTP To Go: Handling the Infrastructure for You

While SFTP solves the security problem, it doesn’t fix the operational one.
That’s where SFTP To Go steps in.

It’s a fully managed cloud service that provides SFTP, FTPS, S3, and HTTPS access to the same secure storage.
You don’t need to maintain an SFTP server, apply OS updates, or deal with firewall setups.

Built on AWS, SFTP To Go is scalable, multi–availability zone, and compliant with SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA standards.

Supported access methods:

• SFTP (SSH)
• FTPS (TLS)
• HTTPS (browser)
• Amazon S3 API (object storage compatible)

This lets teams and partners connect however they need while working with the same underlying data.

Developers often rely on features such as:

• API-based provisioning of users
• Fine-grained permissions and directory control
• Event-driven automation using webhooks
• Compatibility with standard SFTP clients and S3 SDKs
• Zero infrastructure or scaling concerns

Partner File Exchange with Programmatic Automation

The Developer Challenge

Enterprise partners often demand SFTP endpoints for data exchange.
Setting up and maintaining one means dealing with:

• Key management and credential rotation
• User directory isolation
• Failover and backup
• Monitoring and audit logs
• Ongoing OS patching

Even a short outage can break dozens of partner workflows.

How SFTP To Go Helps

SFTP To Go lets you provision an SFTP endpoint quickly through the API or dashboard in minutes.
User management and permissions can be handled entirely through its API.

Example workflow:

1. A vendor uploads orders.csv via SFTP.
2. SFTP To Go fires a webhook notification.
3. Your backend processes the file and archives it through the S3 API.

This removes the need for your own servers, scheduled polling scripts, or manual checks.

Event-Driven Automation with S3 APIs and Webhooks

Why Polling Falls Short

Most SFTP workflows still rely on polling. A script checks the folder every few minutes, looks for new files, and processes whatever it finds. It works, but it’s slow, inefficient, and can miss files during busy periods.

Using Webhooks for Real-Time Automation

SFTP To Go supports webhooks that notify your application when a file is uploaded, renamed, deleted, or downloaded.
Instead of checking periodically, your app reacts instantly.

This is ideal for workflows like:

• order ingestion
• invoice processing
• nightly ETL flows
• batch financial reports

Easy Integration Through S3

Since the storage layer uses S3, you can work with files using standard S3-compatible SDKs. It plugs directly into modern ETL systems, data pipelines, and serverless functions without extra glue code. Below is a minimal end-to-end example.

Example: Uploading orders.csv via SFTP

// examples/upload-orders.js
const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');
const { SFTPClient } = require('../lib/sftp');
const config = require('../lib/config');

async function uploadOrders() {
  const sftp = new SFTPClient(config.sftp);

  await sftp.connect();

  const localFile = path.join(__dirname, 'orders.csv');
  const remotePath = 'orders.csv';

  const fileStream = fs.createReadStream(localFile);
  await sftp.uploadStream(fileStream, remotePath);

  await sftp.end();
  console.log('Upload complete');
}

uploadOrders();

A partner or internal system uploads a file via SFTP, triggering your automation.

Example: Webhook Handler + S3 File Retrieval

In this example, the partner uploads via SFTP, but your backend interacts only with S3 using AWS SDK — no need to read files via SFTP.

// api/webhook-orders.js
const { S3Client, GetObjectCommand } = require('@aws-sdk/client-s3');
const csv = require('csv-parser');
const config = require('../lib/config');
const { getRawBody } = require('../lib/webhook-utils');

module.exports = async (req, res) => {
  const rawBody = await getRawBody(req);
  const event = JSON.parse(rawBody);

  const rawFilePath = event.Data.Path;
  const filePath = decodeURIComponent(rawFilePath.replace(/\+/g, ' '));

  const s3Client = new S3Client({
    region: config.s3.region,
    credentials: {
      accessKeyId: config.s3.accessKeyId,
      secretAccessKey: config.s3.secretAccessKey,
    },
  });

  const command = new GetObjectCommand({
    Bucket: config.s3.bucket,
    Key: filePath,
  });

  const response = await s3Client.send(command);
  const stream = response.Body;

  stream
    .pipe(csv())
    .on('data', (row) => {
      processOrder(row);
    })
    .on('end', () => {
      res.status(200).end('OK');
    });
};

function processOrder(eachOrder) {
  console.log('Processing order:', eachOrder);
}

This handler:

1. Receives the webhook event
2. Extracts the uploaded file path
3. Fetches the file from S3
4. Streams and parses the CSV
5. Runs your processing logic

Helper utilities (SFTPClient, config, webhook-utils) are available in the official repo:
crazyantlabs/sftptogo-webhook-handlers

When Developers Should Choose SFTP To Go

Use SFTP To Go when you need:

• Secure data ingestion for partners or vendors
• File-drop workflows for legacy systems
• Managed infrastructure with zero maintenance
• Event-driven automation
• Browser-based file access for non-technical users
• Strong compliance and audit capabilities
• Real-time processing.

It’s not a replacement for APIs, but it’s a modern upgrade for workflows that still depend on file exchange.

Conclusion

FTP-family protocols (FTP, FTPS, and SFTP) continue to power mission-critical enterprise workflows.
But maintaining your own servers drains development time and creates unnecessary security risks.

SFTP To Go makes this simple by combining SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS, and S3 APIs into a single managed platform that’s secure, scalable, and fully compliant.

You get the flexibility of traditional file transfer with the convenience and automation of modern cloud infrastructure.

Whether you’re handling compliance-heavy environments or just need reliable partner integrations, SFTP To Go lets you focus on your application logic instead of babysitting servers.