Despite being over 50 years old, FTP (File Transfer Protocol) refuses to die. A surprising number of deployment workflows still rely on it — not because it's the best option, but because it's the default on shared hosting, baked into legacy systems, and familiar enough that teams never migrate away.
But still used
isn't the same as still recommended.
Let's look at where FTP genuinely makes sense in 2026, where it doesn't, and what you should use instead.
Where FTP Is Still Used
Shared Hosting and Budget Providers
Many shared hosting providers — especially those targeting beginners and small businesses — still offer FTP as the only file transfer option. If your host doesn't provide SSH access, FTP (or FTPS if you're lucky) is what you've got.
This is the single biggest reason FTP persists. Not because it's good, but because it's the only door some hosts open.
WordPress and Other CMS Platforms
WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal all support FTP-based deployments. For non-technical users managing a small site, uploading theme or plugin files via an FTP client like FileZilla or Cyberduck feels straightforward. For teams using GitLab, you can automatically deploy your GitLab repository to your FTP server — eliminating the manual upload entirely.
That said, if you're running WordPress on a VPS or managed host with SSH access, there's no reason to use FTP. Git-based deployments with tools like DeployHQ are faster, auditable, and don't risk uploading half a directory when the connection drops. See our guide on automating WordPress deployments with Git.
Legacy Systems
Older applications — especially in industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and finance — were built around FTP integrations for batch file processing. Migrating these to SFTP or API-based transfers is often a significant project, so FTP lingers.
Bulk File Transfers
FTP's simplicity means less protocol overhead per file. For transferring thousands of small files or very large archives on a trusted internal network, some teams still prefer it. But modern alternatives like rsync handle this better with delta transfers and compression.
Why FTP Should Be Your Last Resort
No Encryption by Default
Plain FTP sends everything — credentials, file contents, commands — in cleartext. Anyone on the network can intercept it. This isn't a theoretical risk; it's trivially exploitable with basic packet sniffing tools.
No Integrity Verification
FTP has no built-in mechanism to verify that files weren't tampered with during transit. SFTP and FTPS both solve this.
Fragile Connections
FTP uses separate control and data channels, which makes it painful with firewalls, NAT, and dynamic IPs. Passive mode helps, but it's another thing to configure and troubleshoot.
FTP vs SFTP vs FTPS: Quick Comparison
| Feature | FTP | FTPS | SFTP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Encryption | None | TLS/SSL | SSH |
| Authentication | Password only | Password + certificate | Password + SSH key |
| Default port | 21 | 21 (implicit: 990) | 22 |
| Firewall-friendly | No (multi-port) | No (multi-port) | Yes (single port) |
| Remote commands | No | No | Yes |
| Recommended in 2026 | Only if no alternative | Acceptable fallback | Yes — preferred |
For a deeper comparison, see our full article on the differences between FTP, FTPS, and SFTP.
How to Move Away from FTP
If you're still using FTP because it works,
here's a practical migration path:
Check if your host supports SFTP or SSH. Most VPS providers and managed hosts do. Even many shared hosts now offer SFTP — you may just need to enable it in your control panel.
Generate an SSH key pair. Key-based authentication is more secure than passwords and eliminates the risk of credential interception. Our guide covers 5 ways to create SSH keys from the command line.
Set up Git-based deployments. Instead of manually uploading files, connect your repository to a deployment tool. DeployHQ supports FTP, FTPS, SFTP, and SSH — so you can migrate incrementally. Even if your server only supports FTP, DeployHQ can deploy from Git over FTP, giving you version control without changing your hosting.
If you're stuck on FTP, use FTPS. If SSH isn't available, enable TLS on your FTP server. It's not as good as SFTP, but it encrypts the connection.
The Verdict
FTP isn't dead — but it's on life support, and for good reason. Every deployment workflow that still uses plain FTP is carrying unnecessary security risk and operational fragility. The protocol survives because of inertia, not merit.
If your hosting supports SFTP, switch today. If it doesn't, it might be time to switch hosts.
Ready to modernise your deployment workflow? Get started with DeployHQ — connect your Git repository and deploy to any server over FTP, FTPS, SFTP, or SSH. Check out our pricing plans for teams of every size.
If you have any questions, reach out to us at support@deployhq.com or on Twitter/X at @deployhq.