The modern alternative to FTP
FTP has been moving files for forty years — with a server to maintain, credentials to hand out and a client to install on the other end. TransferNow does the same job with a link: sending and receiving up to 500 GB, encrypted, tracked, with no infrastructure.
Comparison updated on .
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FTP vs dedicated transfer
The same job, without the infrastructure
FTP isn’t bad — it’s from another era: the one where you ran a server to exchange files. Here’s what each approach really involves, line by line.
| Criterion | FTP / SFTP server | TransferNow |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Server to install, configure and secure | None: the browser is enough |
| On the recipient’s side | Credentials + FTP client to install | One link, account-free download |
| Security | Plain FTP in cleartext; SFTP/FTPS to configure yourself | SSL/TLS encryption, antivirus, password included |
| Traceability | Server logs to process manually | Notification for every download, per recipient |
| Maintenance | Updates, accounts, quotas, user support | None — managed service |
| Access expiration | Permanent accounts you must remember to close | Time-limited links, revocable at any time |
| Transfer size | Depends on the server and disk quota | 5 GB free · up to 500 GB per transfer |
Migration
Your three FTP use cases, translated into links
Deliver to clients
The folder delivered on “the FTP” becomes a download link: the client clicks, grabs the files, you get notified — no account or heavy client on their side.
Receive files
The shared “drop” account becomes a permanent upload link or a widget on your website: your suppliers upload from their browser, and every drop is notified.
Automate
FTP scripts migrate to the API: scheduled transfers up to 5 TB per file, password protection, storage region and notifications — over HTTPS.
Frequently asked questions
Why replace an FTP that “works”?
Because its cost lies elsewhere: a server to maintain and secure, credentials to hand out and revoke, a client your recipients must install, user support. A link-based transfer does the same job without any of those burdens.
Isn’t FTP more secure than an online service?
Legacy FTP transmits credentials and files in cleartext; SFTP/FTPS fix that at the cost of expert configuration to maintain. TransferNow encrypts transfers (SSL/TLS), scans files with antivirus, and offers password protection and passphrase-based SSE-C encryption depending on the plan — with no configuration.
How do I replace my clients’ or suppliers’ FTP “drop”?
With an upload link or a reception widget: your contacts upload their files from their browser — no credentials, no FTP client — and you’re notified with every drop.
What about automating like an FTP script?
The TransferNow API covers programmatic use: creating transfers, handling up to 5 TB per file, password protection, choice of storage region and notifications.
When does FTP remain the right choice?
For existing internal machine-to-machine flows, embedded in legacy pipelines that would be costly to rework. For exchanges with humans — clients, vendors, teams — the transfer link has replaced FTP.
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Guide
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Switch off the server, keep the service