SSH vs FTP

Developers should learn SSH for securely accessing and administering remote systems, such as Linux servers, cloud VMs, or containers, especially in DevOps, sysadmin, and backend roles meets developers should learn ftp for scenarios involving simple, direct file transfers between systems, such as deploying web applications to hosting servers, sharing large files in legacy environments, or automating batch file operations in scripts. Here's our take.

SSH

Nice Pick

Developers should learn SSH for securely accessing and administering remote systems, such as Linux servers, cloud VMs, or containers, especially in DevOps, sysadmin, and backend roles

Pros

• It is critical for tasks like deploying applications, troubleshooting issues, and automating scripts via remote execution, offering a more secure alternative to older protocols like Telnet or FTP
• Related to: linux-command-line, networking-basics

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

FTP

Developers should learn FTP for scenarios involving simple, direct file transfers between systems, such as deploying web applications to hosting servers, sharing large files in legacy environments, or automating batch file operations in scripts

Pros

• It is particularly useful in contexts where security is not a primary concern or when interacting with older systems that lack support for more modern protocols
• Related to: tcp-ip, network-protocols

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

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

The Bottom Line

SSH wins

Based on overall popularity. SSH is more widely used, but FTP excels in its own space.