FTP vs Online File Sharing

FTP (file transfer protocol) has been a standard in file sharing for a number of years. By building a client-side and a server-side, FTP enables the sharing of files across the web or internal networks for organizations. For many years, this was the dominant form of file sharing used by organizations, but in recent years a number of FTP alternatives have emerged.

“Online file sharing is now growing as the main challenger to FTP,” says Jeanie Hines, a tech expert at Liahelp and Bigassignments. “Online file sharing allows individuals and organizations to upload their files to the web and share them as a link. Cloud-hosted files can then be accessed and downloaded by anyone with that link across the world. This is proving to be a faster and more efficient way for sharing files, increasingly secure and able to facilitate collaboration in the workplace.” We’ll explore how FTP has become an outdated protocol before moving on to discover the value offered by using online file sharing instead of FTP.

Why FTP Is Dying

Before we take a look at our number one FTP alternative, online file sharing, is redefining the future of file transfer, let’s take a look at FTP. FTP is now an outdated protocol - here’s why.

It’s Unintuitive And Needlessly Confusing

Although FTP clients have been slowly modernizing, it’s still rare to encounter an interface with FTP that’s intuitive. For those without a tech background, using FTP can become a serious barrier to efficiency and productivity in the workplace. Inevitably, when setting up FTP the user is forced to refer to tutorials, manuals, and FAQs, creating a lag in progress along the way.

Any time users want to share something through FTP they are forced to navigate complex directories which often change from client to client. The clunky interface and unintuitive processes required by FTP create inefficiency, but they also hinder collaboration and make it easy to create accidental security flaws as you leave elements of your website unprotected.

It’s Hard To Integrate With Remote Working

One thing 2020 taught us was the value of working remotely. From working from home to digital nomadism, 2020 and the corresponding global pandemic may have heralded the end of the office as we know it. That’s why any file transfer has to be easily accessed from any internet connection around the world.

With FTP, this isn’t the case. Whether you’re working from open WiFi connections on business trips or setting up shop in the local cafe, firewall issues will cause your FTP connection to time out. This means more time spent logging in, searching for directories and libraries again and again, and less time when your employees are getting on with valuable, value-adding work for your organization.

Accessibility Issues

Even connecting to FTP can prove a barrier in some instances. As FTP clients proliferated across the web it became more frequent to find these clients incompatible, meaning multiple client and server setups which don’t work together. This causes serious headaches as even once you’ve navigated FTP on your end, it still doesn’t guarantee that the end-user will receive the file you’ve shared.

Worse still, setting up access for multiple staff in your organization creates more headaches. Sharing access to your FTP client can only be done by creating multiple FTP accounts on your local dashboard, and requiring every staff member to set up usernames, passwords and then crucially remember what they were.

An Absence Of Security

FTP clients are known to be particularly vulnerable to attack so any files sent over FTP can never be truly considered safe. After all, FTP was never intended to be a security protocol - security has always been an afterthought with FTP. Encryption, an essential element of digital security, isn't included as standard so your files are left wide open for anyone to read - think a postcard, vs a letter in a secure envelope. Further, FTP is only capable of sending plain text which means that any sensitive information, such as passwords and account details, is open to read. Even with encryption, this leaves your most private details vulnerable.

Recent work to secure FTP has not been a resounding success. Whilst SSH tunnels have been incorporated into FTP to provide additional security, this solution struggles to mesh with the number of connections required by FTP. When there are modern FTP alternatives, these security solutions seem like flogging a dead horse.

A Barrier To Collaboration

File transfer allows dispersed organizations to collaborate dynamically across the web, sharing ideas and resources. Collaborative efforts are vital to innovation in a competitive world. Yet rather than accommodating and encouraging collaboration, FTP presents barriers to collaboration.

Sharing multiple files and keeping track of files that have reached their destinations are complicated on FTP due to its reliance on various ports. Often, heavy strain on FTP causes file transfers to time out, meaning you’re starting from scratch. This creates frustrating stop-start processes which prevent collaboration across locations.