How to Set Up Encrypted FTP for Secure File Transfers

Best Encrypted FTP Clients and Servers in 2025Secure file transfer remains essential in 2025 as remote work, cloud integration, and regulatory requirements keep raising the bar for confidentiality and integrity. This guide reviews the best encrypted FTP clients and servers available in 2025, explains encryption options, compares protocols, and gives recommendations for typical use cases and deployment scenarios.

What “Encrypted FTP” means in 2025

“Encrypted FTP” is a broad term often used to describe secure file-transfer solutions that protect data in transit. The most common encrypted file-transfer protocols you’ll encounter:

• SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) — operates over SSH (port 22). Encrypts both commands and data, provides strong authentication (passwords, keys), and is widely supported.
• FTPS (FTP over TLS/SSL) — uses explicit (AUTH TLS) or implicit TLS to secure FTP connections (ports ⁄₉₉₀). Allows certificate-based security and granular control of secure channels.
• FTP with tunneling (VPN / SSH tunnel) — wraps FTP in an encrypted tunnel; less common now because native secure alternatives exist.
• Managed file transfer (MFT) platforms — enterprise-grade products that combine encryption, automation, auditing, and compliance features. MFT solutions may support SFTP/FTPS/AS2 and built-in at-rest encryption.

Key differences: SFTP is simpler to secure end-to-end and handles NAT/firewall traversal more predictably. FTPS may be preferable where FTP feature compatibility (multiple channels, explicit TLS) and certificate-based access control are required.

Top encrypted FTP clients in 2025

Selection criteria: up-to-date protocol support (SFTP, FTPS), modern ciphers and TLS versions, public-key authentication, integrity checks (HMACs), ease of automation, and active maintenance.

1. FileZilla Pro

   • Pros: Cross-platform, supports SFTP and FTPS, active updates, integrates cloud backends (S3, Azure, Google Drive).
   • Cons: The free FileZilla (non-Pro) has had privacy concerns in earlier years; verify installer source.
   • Best for: Users needing a graphical client with cloud integrations.

2. WinSCP

   • Pros: Windows-focused, solid SFTP/FTPS support, scripting and automation, strong key management, PuTTY integration.
   • Cons: Windows-only GUI.
   • Best for: Windows sysadmins and automation-heavy workflows.

3. Cyberduck

   • Pros: Mac/Windows GUI, supports SFTP, FTPS, WebDAV over TLS, and many cloud providers; user-friendly.
   • Cons: Less scripting power than CLI tools.
   • Best for: Mac users and creatives who need cloud/storage integration.

4. rclone

   • Pros: Command-line powerhouse for syncing to/from many backends; supports SFTP and advanced crypto; ideal for automation and server scripts.
   • Cons: CLI-only; learning curve for complex configs.
   • Best for: DevOps and automated sync tasks.

5. OpenSSH sftp/scp clients

   • Pros: Ubiquitous on Unix-like systems, minimal attack surface, well-audited crypto, supports key-based auth and modern KEX/cipher suites.
   • Cons: Basic feature set vs GUIs; scp has caveats with recursion and timestamps (use rsync or sftp for robust transfers).
   • Best for: Administrators needing reliable, scriptable transfers.

Top encrypted FTP servers in 2025

Selection criteria: protocol support, security posture (modern TLS, FIPS options), performance, auditing/compliance features, ease of integration.

1. OpenSSH Server (SFTP subsystem)

   • Pros: Widely deployed, actively maintained, strong security defaults, chroot/sftp-server and internal-sftp for confinement; supports certificate and key authentication.
   • Cons: Configuration nuances for isolation; not FTPS.
   • Best for: Secure, lightweight SFTP server needs.

2. vsftpd (with FTPS)

   • Pros: Fast, secure FTP server with FTPS support and small codebase; good for legacy FTP compatibility.
   • Cons: FTP protocol complexity with multiple ports; careful TLS configuration required.
   • Best for: Environments that must support FTPS or legacy FTP features.

3. ProFTPD (with mod_tls)

   • Pros: Flexible configuration, strong TLS/SSL options, virtual hosting, and enterprise features.
   • Cons: Complexity can introduce misconfigurations if not managed carefully.
   • Best for: Complex hosting environments requiring granular control.

4. Bitvise SSH Server

   • Pros: Windows-native SFTP server with robust user management, virtual file systems, and fine-grained access controls.
   • Cons: Windows-only; commercial licensing for advanced features.
   • Best for: Windows servers requiring SFTP with enterprise features.

5. Complete Managed File Transfer (MFT) platforms (eg. Globalscape EFT, GoAnywhere MFT)

   • Pros: Enterprise features — end-to-end encryption, workflow automation, compliance reporting, HSM integration, PKI support, high-availability.
   • Cons: Cost and complexity; potential overkill for simple needs.
   • Best for: Large organizations with compliance and auditing requirements.

Security best practices (quick checklist)

• Use SFTP or FTPS with TLS 1.3 and strong cipher suites (AEAD: AES-GCM, ChaCha20-Poly1305).
• Prefer key-based authentication (SSH keys or client TLS certificates) over passwords.
• Enforce least privilege and chroot/jail users to their home directories.
• Enable logging and centralized SIEM integration for transfer metadata and auditing.
• Use modern key-exchange algorithms (ECDH/ECDSA) and rotate keys/certificates regularly.
• For public-facing servers, use fail2ban or equivalent, and monitor for brute-force attempts.
• For high compliance needs, use an MFT solution with built-in encryption at rest, HSM/PKI, and tamper-evident audit logs.

Performance and firewall considerations

• SFTP uses a single TCP connection (port 22) — easier through NAT/firewalls.
• FTPS may require multiple dynamic ports for data channels (passive mode recommended); configure firewall helper or NAT rules.
• For large transfers, prefer tools/protocols that support resume and checksums (rsync over SSH, or clients with partial-transfer support).
• Consider multi-threaded transfer clients or managed transfer appliances for very large datasets.

Comparison table (clients)

Comparison table (servers)

Recommendations by use case

• Small team, low budget: OpenSSH SFTP server + OpenSSH/rclone/FileZilla clients.
• Windows shops: Bitvise SSH Server or OpenSSH Windows build + WinSCP.
• Large enterprise/compliance: MFT platform with built-in auditing, HSM/PKI, and certificate management.
• Hybrid cloud & backups: rclone for automation and cloud connectors; pair with server-side SFTP or cloud-native storage gateways.

Deployment checklist (minimal secure setup)

1. Choose SFTP or FTPS based on compatibility needs.
2. Configure TLS 1.3 (for FTPS) or modern SSH KEX/ciphers.
3. Enforce key-based auth and disable password auth where feasible.
4. Chroot/jail users; apply filesystem quotas.
5. Enable logging, monitoring, and rotate credentials/certificates.
6. Test firewall/NAT behavior and enable passive ports if using FTPS.
7. Automate backups of configs and maintain an incident response plan.

Closing notes

Encrypted FTP in 2025 is dominated by SFTP for straightforward, secure transfers and by MFT platforms for enterprise compliance and automation. FTPS remains important where legacy FTP compatibility and certificate-based TLS are required. Pick tools that support modern cryptography, automate where possible, and enforce strict access controls to keep file transfers secure.