FTP vs SFTP: How to Upload Files to a Server

FTP clients

To transfer files, you use a client program on your own computer:

• FileZilla: Free for Windows, macOS and Linux; supports FTP, FTPS and SFTP.
• WinSCP: Free for Windows; very capable with SFTP and lets you edit files on the server directly.
• Cyberduck: A free client for macOS and Windows.
• Command line: sftp, scp and rsync come built in on Linux and macOS, and on current versions of Windows too.

Uploading files to web hosting with FTPS

1. Create an FTP account. Open an FTP account from FTP Accounts in cPanel or FTP Management in DirectAdmin, or use your main hosting account's details. You can restrict an account so it can only access a specific folder; this is handy when giving a developer temporary access.
2. Set up the connection in FileZilla. Go to File → Site Manager → New Site and enter these details:
   • Protocol: FTP - File Transfer Protocol
   • Host: Your domain name or your hosting server's address
   • Encryption: Require explicit FTP over TLS
   • Logon Type: Normal
   • User and password: Your FTP account's details
3. Upload the files to the right folder. The main domain's files go in the public_html folder. On the left you see the files on your computer, and on the right the files on the server; just drag and drop the files.

On the first connection, FileZilla may ask you to approve a certificate. If the name on the certificate matches the name of the server you're connecting to, approve it.

Connecting to your own server with SFTP

If you can connect to your VPS or dedicated server with SSH, SFTP is ready too:

• Protocol: SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol
• Host: Your server's IP address
• Port: 22 (or the new port if you changed the SSH port)
• Logon Type: Normal (password) or Key file

If you connect with an SSH key, set the logon type in FileZilla to Key file and select your private key; in WinSCP, point to the key under Advanced → SSH → Authentication. If needed, the programs offer to convert the key to their own format. We explain how to create an SSH key in our What is SSH? article.

For one-off transfers from the command line:

scp site.zip user@203.0.113.10:/var/www/
rsync -avz ./site/ user@203.0.113.10:/var/www/site/

Because rsync only sends files that have changed, it's the most efficient way to sync large folders.

A user who can only use SFTP

You may want to let a developer or client upload files only to a specific folder on your server, without giving them command-line access. OpenSSH can do this on its own:

1. Create a group and a user:

   sudo groupadd sftpusers
   sudo useradd -m -g sftpusers -s /usr/sbin/nologin developer
   sudo passwd developer
   

2. Prepare the folder the user will be jailed in. The root folder must be owned by root; the user can only write to a folder inside it:

   sudo mkdir -p /srv/sftp/developer/uploads
   sudo chown root:root /srv/sftp/developer
   sudo chown developer:sftpusers /srv/sftp/developer/uploads
   

3. Add this to the end of the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file:

   Match Group sftpusers
       ChrootDirectory /srv/sftp/%u
       ForceCommand internal-sftp
       AllowTcpForwarding no
       X11Forwarding no
   

4. Test the configuration and restart the SSH service:

   sudo sshd -t
   sudo systemctl restart ssh
   

When this user connects with SFTP, they only see their own folder and can't run commands over SSH. On some distributions, the service is called sshd instead of ssh.

Common errors

• 530 Login incorrect: The username or password is wrong. Remember that for additional FTP accounts in cPanel, the username is in the form user@yourdomain.com.
• Failed to retrieve directory listing or timeout: The data connection can't be established over FTP/FTPS. Make sure the transfer mode in FileZilla is Passive; if it's your own FTP server, open the passive port range in the firewall.
• Connection refused (SFTP): The SSH service isn't running or you're connecting to the wrong port. If you changed the SSH port, change it in the client too.
• Permission denied: The user doesn't have write permission for that folder. On Linux, check the folders' owner and permissions; 644 for files and 755 for folders are common values.
• The files uploaded but the site didn't change: Make sure you uploaded to the right folder, and clear the browser or CDN cache.

We explain how ports work in our What is a port? article.

File transfer at Nodesty

On Nodesty web hosting plans, you can create FTP accounts through cPanel or DirectAdmin and upload your files securely with FTPS, or use the control panel's file manager; for security reasons, SSH and SFTP access aren't offered on shared servers. On AMD Ryzen 9 9950X VPS plans, you can connect to your Linux server with SSH and SFTP, or to Windows Server with Remote Desktop, and transfer your files directly.