{"id":18999,"date":"2026-10-22T21:02:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T18:02:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hyyat.com\/knowledgebase\/sftp-ftps-instead-of-ftp\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T21:02:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T18:02:32","password":"","slug":"sftp-ftps-instead-of-ftp","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/www.hyyat.com\/en\/knowledgebase\/sftp-ftps-instead-of-ftp\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Use SFTP or FTPS Instead of FTP to Upload Your Website Files?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In short<\/b>Plain FTP is old and sends your username, password and files as clear text that can be captured on the network, especially on public Wi-Fi. The secure alternatives are FTPS (FTP encrypted with TLS) and SFTP (over SSH). Both work with FileZilla, and switching takes a minute in the connection settings.<\/div>\n
\"Secure<\/figure>\n

Many site owners and designers still upload files with plain FTP because \u201cit just works\u201d. The problem is that it was designed in an era when encryption was not normal. When you connect from a caf\u00e9, a hotel or any shared network, your password travels across it as is.<\/p>\n

What is the difference between FTP, FTPS and SFTP?<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/th>\nFTP<\/th>\nFTPS<\/th>\nSFTP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Encryption<\/td>\nNone<\/td>\nTLS, like https<\/td>\nOver SSH<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Usual port<\/td>\n21<\/td>\n21 (explicit TLS)<\/td>\n22 or the server\u2019s SSH port<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Needs<\/td>\nAn FTP account<\/td>\nAn FTP account<\/td>\nSSH access enabled for the account<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Security<\/td>\nWeak<\/td>\nGood<\/td>\nGood<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

On shared hosting with cPanel, FTPS is usually the easiest, because it uses the same FTP accounts you create in cPanel. SFTP needs SSH access to be available for your account.<\/p>\n

How to set FileZilla to an encrypted connection<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. Open the Site Manager:<\/b> From the File menu choose Site Manager, then New site.<\/li>\n
  2. Choose the protocol:<\/b> Choose FTP, then set Encryption to \u201cRequire explicit FTP over TLS\u201d. Or choose SFTP if SSH is enabled for your account.<\/li>\n
  3. Enter the connection details:<\/b> The server name, FTP username and password, as shown in cPanel.<\/li>\n
  4. Accept the certificate on first connect:<\/b> FileZilla shows the server certificate. Check the name belongs to the server, then accept it.<\/li>\n
  5. Confirm encryption:<\/b> The connection log shows a line indicating TLS, or a lock icon appears at the bottom.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Tips for FTP accounts<\/h2>\n