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Freedom251 › Blog › FileZilla

The Best Ways to Transfer Files to Your Linux VPS

By Freedom251 Team · · 12 min read

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For most Linux VPS users, SFTP over SSH is the best default: it encrypts files and credentials, uses the SSH service your server already needs, and works from either a terminal or a graphical client. Use SCP for a quick one-off copy, rsync over SSH for recurring deployments and directory synchronization, and FileZilla with SFTP when you prefer a graphical interface. Do not use plain FTP for sensitive transfers because it sends credentials and data without encryption.

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Choose the transfer method that matches the job

The right method depends less on the VPS provider than on the shape of your task. A single archive, an interactive upload session, a deployment repeated every day, and a first-time graphical workflow have different requirements.

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Method Best use Transport and authentication Interface Directory and recovery features
SFTP General-purpose uploads, downloads and browsing Encrypted SSH transport; uses the same SSH authentication as the VPS Interactive terminal or graphical client Current Ubuntu documentation describes recursive transfers, resume attempts, permission and timestamp preservation, and bandwidth limiting
SCP A quick one-time file or directory copy Uses SSH for data transfer and SSH login authentication Terminal Recursive copying is supported; resume and metadata behavior are not stated in the cited scp documentation
rsync over SSH Repeated deployments and synchronization of large directory trees SSH when invoked with an SSH transport Terminal and scripts A typical workflow sends only changed data; detailed feature and performance specifications are not stated in the cited documentation
FileZilla over SFTP Users who want a visual file manager SFTP provides encrypted SSH transport and key-based login Graphical Uses the SFTP capabilities exposed by the client; DigitalOcean documents key setup and Site Manager configuration
Plain FTP Not suitable for secure VPS transfers Credentials and transferred data are unencrypted Graphical or terminal clients Use OpenSSH/SFTP instead when confidentiality matters

DigitalOcean’s transfer guide, last verified 13 July 2026, recommends SFTP with FileZilla for newer users and lists OpenSSH SFTP, SCP and rsync for command-line workflows. Ubuntu describes SFTP as a program that performs all operations over an encrypted ssh(1) transport. That makes SFTP the sensible starting point unless your task specifically favors SCP or rsync.

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What you need before transferring anything

An SSH service on the VPS

Your server must run an SSH server and expose an address and port that your local machine can reach. A normal SSH login should work before you troubleshoot file transfer. Ubuntu packages the server as openssh-server; the local command-line tools are supplied by openssh-client. A provider may install the server already, but the account, hostname, port and firewall rules still need to be correct.

An OpenSSH client on your computer

Linux and macOS normally include OpenSSH. On Windows, use an installed OpenSSH client or a graphical SFTP client that bundles its own connection tools. Check that the commands are available by running ssh -V, sftp -V or the equivalent version command supported by your client.

A login account with a usable destination directory

Transfers run with the permissions of the account that logs in. A regular account can normally write inside its home directory, but it may not be able to write directly to paths such as /srv, /var/www or /etc. Plan to upload to a directory you own, then use a separate privileged move or deployment step when the application requires a system-owned path.

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Set up SSH keys safely

Key authentication avoids sending a password for every connection and is the normal foundation for secure automation. Ubuntu recommends Ed25519 keys because they have a shorter key size and lower computational requirements.

  1. Create a key pair on the local machine. Run ssh-keygen -t ed25519. Accept the default file location unless you already manage several keys, and protect the private key with a passphrase where practical.
  2. Install the public key for the VPS account. For an existing Droplet, DigitalOcean documents ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub [email protected]. If that command is unavailable, append the contents of ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub to the remote account’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys while preserving the file’s ownership and restrictive permissions.
  3. Test ordinary SSH first. Use ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 [email protected]. Do not move on to SFTP or SCP until this login succeeds; a failed SSH login indicates an address, port, account, firewall or key problem rather than a file-transfer problem.
  4. Keep the private key private. Never upload it to the VPS, place it in a public repository or paste it into a support ticket. The public key belongs in authorized_keys; the private key stays on the client device.

If the SSH server listens on a nonstandard port, add -P to SFTP or SCP commands, or enter that port in FileZilla. Use an SSH configuration entry when you connect frequently so the host, user, port and identity file are not repeatedly typed.

SFTP: the best all-around workflow

SFTP provides a remote file session over SSH. Unlike a browser upload, it lets you inspect directories, change the working path, upload or download individual files, and handle batches without exposing credentials or content in plaintext.

Open an SFTP session

Run:

sftp -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 [email protected]

After host-key verification and authentication, the prompt changes to sftp>. The local working directory is the folder from which you launched the command; the remote working directory is normally the account’s home directory.

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Inspect both sides before copying

Use lpwd to print the local directory and pwd to print the remote directory. List files with lls locally and ls remotely. Change locations with lcd /local/path and cd /remote/path. Confirm the destination before uploading, especially when similarly named directories exist.

Upload and download files

Upload one file with:

put local-file /remote/path/

Download one file with get /remote/path/file.zip /local/path/. The remote and local operands can be absolute paths, which removes ambiguity when your working directories are not what you expected.

Transfer directories

Use the recursive form supported by your OpenSSH SFTP client, such as put -r local-directory /remote/path/ or get -r /remote/path/directory /local/path/. Check the resulting tree with ls and a local directory listing before disconnecting.

Handle interrupted transfers

Current Ubuntu SFTP documentation describes attempts to resume interrupted transfers. OpenSSH builds commonly expose resume-oriented commands such as reget and reput; run help at the SFTP prompt to see the commands your installed version provides. Resume is useful for a large archive, but verify the final file size and checksum rather than assuming a reconnect completed the file.

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Preserve or limit transfer behavior

Ubuntu’s current SFTP documentation also describes preserving permissions and timestamps and limiting bandwidth. The exact option names vary by command and client version, so use the built-in help output or the local SFTP manual for your installed build. Preservation is not a substitute for checking ownership: an upload performed by an unprivileged account cannot make a file belong to a different system user.

Close the session cleanly

Type bye, exit or quit. A clean disconnect makes it obvious that the transfer command has finished and avoids leaving a terminal session open on a shared workstation.

SCP: fastest for a one-off copy

SCP is deliberately simple: it copies files between hosts using SSH for data transfer and the same authentication used by an SSH login. It is a good fit when you already know the exact source and destination and do not need to browse remotely.

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Copy one file to the VPS

scp -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 ./backup.tar.gz [email protected]:/srv/backups/

The local path comes first, followed by the remote account, host and destination path. If the account cannot write to /srv/backups/, the command will fail with a permission error even though authentication succeeded.

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Copy a directory recursively

Use SCP’s recursive option for a directory tree:

scp -r -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 ./release/ [email protected]:/srv/

Confirm whether you want the directory itself or only its contents at the destination. A trailing slash and the selected source path determine the resulting layout, so inspect the remote directory after the copy.

Download from the VPS

scp -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 [email protected]:/srv/backups/backup.tar.gz ./downloads/

SCP is convenient for a single operation, but it does not provide the interactive browsing experience of SFTP. The cited Ubuntu scp documentation does not establish resume behavior or a metadata-preservation policy, so choose SFTP when an interrupted or attribute-sensitive transfer is a major concern.

rsync over SSH: repeatable deployments and synchronization

Use rsync when the same directory tree is copied repeatedly. In a typical rsync workflow, only changed data needs to be sent, which makes it suitable for deployments, document mirrors and recurring backups. Ubuntu’s OpenSSH documentation lists rsync as a command-line option but does not publish a detailed feature specification or controlled speed benchmark; do not treat it as a guaranteed performance ranking.

A basic SSH-backed synchronization

rsync -e ssh local-directory/ [email protected]:/remote/directory/

The trailing slash on local-directory/ means the directory’s contents are synchronized into the remote directory. Omitting that slash generally makes the directory itself part of the destination path. Make a dry-run or test copy in a harmless directory before using a production path, particularly when you are learning rsync’s source and destination semantics.

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Use an explicit identity file

rsync -e "ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519" local-directory/ [email protected]:/remote/directory/

Shell quoting is important here: the complete SSH command is passed to rsync as the argument to -e. If your key, host or port is already defined in an SSH configuration entry, using the host alias can make scheduled commands easier to maintain.

Protect production trees

Synchronization can add, replace or remove files depending on the options you select. Start without deletion options, review the destination, and keep a backup before introducing any command that removes remote files. The exact preservation, compression, deletion and bandwidth flags are client-specific choices; read the rsync manual installed on your machine and document the final command in your deployment process.

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FileZilla over SFTP: a graphical route

FileZilla is a free, open-source, cross-platform client that DigitalOcean recommends for newer users. Select SFTP rather than FTP so the session uses SSH encryption.

  1. Open Site Manager and choose New site.
  2. Set Protocol to SFTP – SSH File Transfer Protocol.
  3. Enter the VPS host name or IP address and its SSH port, commonly 22 unless your server is configured differently.
  4. Choose the key-based logon option, enter the VPS user name, and select the private key file. Keep the private key on the local computer.
  5. Connect and accept the server host key only after checking that the fingerprint matches a value supplied by your VPS administrator or provider.
  6. Use the two-pane view to browse local files on one side and the VPS on the other. Drag files or directories to start a transfer, then watch the transfer queue for completed and failed items.

When a transfer fails, read the queue’s full error text. An authentication error points to the user, key or server configuration; a permission error points to the remote directory; a timeout points to routing, firewall or port settings. Do not switch the protocol to plain FTP merely to make a connection succeed.

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Why plain FTP is unsafe for a VPS

Ubuntu’s FTP documentation states that FTP does not encrypt credentials or transferred data and directs users who need secure transfer to SFTP in the OpenSSH server documentation. Anyone able to observe the network path could potentially read a password or the files in transit. A password captured from an FTP session may also be usable for shell, database or control-panel access.

SFTP, SCP and rsync over SSH protect the connection with SSH encryption and use the VPS’s SSH authentication controls. Encryption does not fix a compromised endpoint, an incorrectly trusted host key or an account with excessive permissions, so maintain normal key hygiene and least-privilege access.

Remote paths, permissions and ownership

Upload where the account can write

Start in the user’s home directory when testing. If the application requires /var/www/app, /srv/releases or another system path, ask an administrator to create a directory owned by the deployment account or provide a controlled post-upload step. Repeatedly running a graphical client as root is not a safe substitute for correct ownership design.

Separate transfer from installation

A reliable deployment often uploads an archive or release directory to a staging location, verifies it, and then performs a privileged move or service restart on the VPS. This keeps the file-transfer account from having unrestricted write access across the server and makes it easier to roll back a bad upload.

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Watch for relative paths

[email protected]:filename refers to a path relative to that user’s remote home directory, while [email protected]:/absolute/path/filename starts at the filesystem root. Use an absolute path when the destination matters and confirm it with pwd in SFTP or an SSH shell.

Verify that the transfer is complete

  • Confirm that the command or graphical queue reports success rather than merely starting a transfer.
  • Compare local and remote file sizes with the operating system’s listing tools.
  • For important archives or releases, calculate a checksum on both systems and compare the values.
  • Extract or open a copy in a staging directory before replacing a live application.
  • Check permissions, owner and group after an upload into a shared or service directory.
  • For a deployment, test the application, logs and service status instead of treating a successful copy as proof that the release works.

Common failures and practical fixes

Permission denied

Authentication succeeded, but the account cannot write to the selected directory or read the source file. Upload to a directory owned by the account, then arrange an administrator-controlled move or adjust ownership deliberately. Do not solve a single directory problem by granting broad write permissions to the whole filesystem.

Connection timed out

Check the VPS address, SSH port, local network, server firewall and provider firewall. A timeout is different from a rejected password: the client has not completed a network connection. Test ordinary SSH with the same host and port before changing SFTP settings.

Host key warning

A changed host-key warning can indicate a rebuilt VPS, a changed IP address or a genuine interception attempt. Stop and verify the new fingerprint through a trusted administrative channel. Do not blindly delete the old entry from your known-hosts file.

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Authentication or public-key failure

Confirm the account name, private-key path and passphrase. On the VPS, check that the matching public key is in the correct account’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys and that the SSH directory and file permissions are restrictive enough for the server to accept them. Test with ssh -i before testing a transfer client.

Transfer stops partway through

Check free space on both systems and inspect the client’s error output. For large files, use SFTP’s resume-capable commands when your OpenSSH version provides them, or restart the transfer and verify the checksum. A partially present file is not evidence of a complete upload.

The file arrived but the application cannot use it

Inspect line endings, executable bits, owner, group, directory traversal permissions and the application’s expected path. A transfer tool copies bytes; it does not automatically configure a service, reload a process or assign the ownership your application needs.

A security checklist for every VPS transfer

  • Prefer SFTP, SCP or rsync over SSH; avoid plain FTP for confidential files.
  • Use an individual account and key rather than sharing one administrator password.
  • Protect private keys with a passphrase and keep them off the VPS.
  • Verify the host key when connecting for the first time or after a server rebuild.
  • Grant write access only to the directories the transfer account needs.
  • Test SSH login before diagnosing a file-transfer command.
  • Review the destination path before copying a directory tree or synchronizing files.
  • Verify file size, checksum, ownership and application behavior after important transfers.
  • Keep a rollback copy before replacing a production release.

Bottom line

Choose SFTP over SSH as the default for a Linux VPS: it combines encryption, interactive browsing and support for terminal or graphical workflows. Select SCP when the job is one precise copy, rsync over SSH when a directory tree is updated repeatedly, and FileZilla over SFTP when you want a visual client. Plain FTP should not be used for secure VPS transfers because it leaves both credentials and data exposed in transit.

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The source basis for these recommendations is Ubuntu’s OpenSSH and FTP documentation, including Jammy and Noble manpages accessed 15 October 2026, plus DigitalOcean’s transfer guidance last verified 13 July 2026.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

FileZillaLinux VPSrsyncSCPserver administrationSFTPSSH

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