File Transfer Protocol vs SCP

Developers should learn FTP for scenarios involving legacy system maintenance, simple file transfers in controlled environments, or when working with web hosting services that rely on it for uploading website files meets developers should learn scp when they need to securely copy files in environments where ssh is already configured, such as deploying code to servers, backing up data, or transferring configuration files in devops workflows. Here's our take.

File Transfer Protocol

Nice Pick

Developers should learn FTP for scenarios involving legacy system maintenance, simple file transfers in controlled environments, or when working with web hosting services that rely on it for uploading website files

Pros

• It is particularly useful in situations where security is not a primary concern, such as internal networks or for transferring non-sensitive data, but its lack of encryption makes it unsuitable for modern secure applications
• Related to: tcp-ip, network-protocols

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

SCP

Developers should learn SCP when they need to securely copy files in environments where SSH is already configured, such as deploying code to servers, backing up data, or transferring configuration files in DevOps workflows

Pros

• It is particularly useful for automation scripts, remote server management, and scenarios where GUI-based tools are unavailable or inefficient, offering a simple and reliable method for file transfers with minimal setup
• Related to: ssh, sftp

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. File Transfer Protocol is a protocol while SCP is a tool. We picked File Transfer Protocol based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

File Transfer Protocol wins

Based on overall popularity. File Transfer Protocol is more widely used, but SCP excels in its own space.