September 12, 2026 · 4 min read
What is SFTP
FTP’s job, inside an encrypted tunnel.
David KrugManila · @realDavidKrug
SFTP is SSH File Transfer Protocol. It is not FTP with a sticker. It runs over SSH, so the login and the bytes are encrypted.
The distinction that matters
Developers use it because servers already speak SSH. Clients should not have to. A link is still the humane interface. SFTP is the correct interface when a person is also a system.
Developers use it because servers already speak SSH. Clients should not have to. A link is still the humane interface. SFTP is the correct interface when a person is also a system.
Written by
David Krug
Twenty-plus years of building cute little websites, and big ones, with an independent footprint. In the Philippines since 2016. Based in Manila, with two children and one amazing partner.
Follow the build · @realDavidKrug
