Guides
Practical guides to running SFTP in front of your own cloud storage, Amazon S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage and S3-compatible buckets like Cloudflare R2.
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Couchdrop alternative: focused object-storage SFTP, for less
Couchdrop is a managed SFTP platform that wraps 20+ storage and SaaS backends from around $50/mo. If you only need object storage and want to pay less, here's how a focused gateway compares.
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FTP return codes and SFTP status codes: the complete reference
Every FTP reply code (RFC 959) and SFTP status code (SSH_FX_*) explained, what each digit means, the most common errors like 550 and 530, and why FTP and SFTP codes are not the same thing.
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ExaVault alternative: keep files in your own bucket, from free
ExaVault (now part of Files.com) is a hosted FTP/SFTP platform from around $99/mo. If you'd rather keep files in your own cloud bucket and pay less, here's how a focused gateway compares.
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How to migrate from AWS Transfer Family to a flat-priced SFTP gateway
Moving off AWS Transfer Family is mostly painless because your files already live in your S3 bucket. Here's the step-by-step cutover, what changes, and what to watch for.
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Migrating from FileZilla Server to cloud storage
FileZilla Server keeps files on a Windows box's local disk. Here's how to move to managed SFTP backed by your own cloud bucket, with a one-time file copy and no server to run.
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How to replace a Windows SFTP server with a managed cloud gateway
Running SFTP on Windows (OpenSSH, IIS, or a commercial server) means patching, licensing, and local-disk storage. Here's how to replace it with managed SFTP backed by your own cloud bucket.
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How to automate SFTP uploads with cron
Schedule unattended SFTP uploads on Linux with cron, using SSH-key auth and sftp batch mode or lftp. Includes a working crontab line and tips to avoid silent failures.
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How to connect to SFTP using Python
A practical guide to SFTP in Python with Paramiko, uploading, downloading, and listing files, verifying host keys, and using SSH keys, with copy-paste examples.
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SFTP for Cloudflare R2: a complete setup guide
How to put an SFTP endpoint in front of a Cloudflare R2 bucket, why R2's zero egress fees make it ideal, how to mint scoped API tokens, and how to connect a managed gateway.
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SFTP for Backblaze B2: a complete setup guide
How to expose a Backblaze B2 bucket over SFTP, why B2's low storage price suits archival transfers, how to create S3-compatible application keys, and how to connect a gateway.
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SFTP for DigitalOcean Spaces: a complete setup guide
How to expose a DigitalOcean Spaces bucket over SFTP, why it suits teams already on DigitalOcean, how to create Spaces access keys, and how to connect a managed gateway.
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SFTP for Wasabi: a complete setup guide
How to put SFTP in front of Wasabi hot cloud storage, why its flat, no-egress pricing suits predictable transfer, how to create access keys, and how to connect a managed gateway.
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SFTP for MinIO: a complete setup guide
How to put SFTP in front of self-hosted MinIO object storage, creating scoped access keys, the network-reachability constraint a hosted gateway adds, and when to self-host the SFTP layer too.
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SFTPGo vs Firepipe: self-hosted control or managed simplicity
SFTPGo is a capable open-source SFTP server you run yourself; Firepipe is a managed multi-tenant gateway in front of your own bucket. Here's an honest comparison of when each fits.
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SFTP vs FTPS: why SFTP is usually the simpler default
SFTP and FTPS are both secure when configured correctly. The real difference is operational. SFTP runs over SSH on a single connection, while FTPS needs TLS certificates and multiple data ports. Here's how to choose.
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How to upload files to S3 via SFTP
Amazon S3 has no native SFTP, so you need a gateway in front of it. Here's how to set that up and then upload to your S3 bucket with the sftp CLI, WinSCP, or lftp.
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Why plain FTP is insecure: plaintext passwords and what to use instead
Plain FTP sends your username, password, and file contents across the network in cleartext, readable by anyone on the path. Here's exactly what's exposed, why, and the secure alternatives (SFTP and FTPS).
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How to use SFTP in GitHub Actions
Upload build artifacts or deploy files over SFTP from a GitHub Actions workflow, using an SSH key and host key stored in secrets. Includes a complete, secure workflow YAML.
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The Firepipe security model
An honest account of how Firepipe secures access, least-privilege storage access, encrypted credentials, per-user path jails, instant revoke, and audit, plus a straight statement of what it does and doesn't protect.
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The history of FTP: from RFC 114 to SFTP and FTPS
FTP is one of the oldest internet protocols, older than TCP/IP itself. Here's how it evolved through the RFCs, who built it, and why SFTP and FTPS are separate things people still confuse.
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How an SFTP proxy works: object storage as an SFTP backend
A technical look at how an SFTP gateway translates SFTP operations into object-storage API calls, how virtual directories map to key prefixes, and where the filesystem abstraction leaks.
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How Firepipe maps virtual folders to your bucket
Firepipe presents a normal folder tree over SFTP while your files are really objects in a bucket. Here's how paths map to keys, how path jails work, and what that means for renames and listings.
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SFTP audit logging: what to capture and why it matters
A good SFTP audit trail answers who connected, from where, and what moved. Here's what to log, why object storage doesn't give you this for free, and how to keep an exportable record.
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Chroot directories and home-directory mapping for SFTP, explained
Chroot jails an SFTP user to a single directory so they can't see the rest of the system. Here's what it means, how it's done on traditional servers, and how it maps to a prefix on object storage.
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SFTP gateway vs Managed File Transfer (MFT): which do you need?
An SFTP gateway gives cloud storage an SFTP front door; an MFT platform is a broad suite of transfer, automation, and governance features. Here's how to tell which one your use case actually needs.
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SFTP timeout troubleshooting: causes and fixes
SFTP timeouts come in a few distinct flavours, connection, idle, and large-listing. Here's how to tell them apart and fix each, from firewall and keepalive settings to huge directory listings.
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SFTP security best practices: a practical checklist
A concrete checklist for running SFTP safely, per-user credentials, key auth, path jails, least-privilege storage access, audit logging, host-key verification, and revocation.
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SFTP to cloud storage: the complete guide
Everything you need to put an SFTP front door on cloud object storage, why object storage has no native SFTP, the gateway options, the security model, and links to provider-specific setup.
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SFTP vs FTP: what's the difference and which should you use?
SFTP and FTP sound related but are different protocols with very different security. Here's how they compare on encryption, ports, and reliability, and why SFTP is the modern default.
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SFTP vs SCP: which should you use for file transfer?
SFTP and SCP both run over SSH and both transfer files, but they're built for different jobs. Here's how they differ on features, safety, and why SFTP is usually the better pick today.
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SSH keys vs password authentication for SFTP
For SFTP, SSH keys are stronger and better suited to automation than passwords. Here's how each works, the trade-offs, and practical advice on managing keys for partners and machines.
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Why Firepipe uses object storage instead of local disks
Traditional SFTP servers store files on a server's local disk. Firepipe puts them in cloud object storage you own. Here's why that's more durable, more scalable, and less to operate.
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What is an SFTP proxy (or SFTP gateway)?
An SFTP proxy sits between SFTP clients and a backend store, translating SFTP into something else (often cloud object storage). Here's what it does, why you'd use one, and how it differs from an SFTP server.
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Why SFTP uploads are slow (and how to speed them up)
Slow SFTP usually isn't the protocol's fault. Here are the real causes, latency, many small files, single-stream transfers, region distance, and practical fixes for each.
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AWS Transfer Family pricing, explained (and how to cut it)
AWS Transfer Family bills per protocol-hour plus per-GB transferred. Here's what that actually adds up to per month, the setup costs people miss, and cheaper ways to run SFTP in front of S3.
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How to give a client SFTP access to your S3 bucket (without IAM users)
Four ways to let a client or vendor upload files to your Amazon S3 bucket over SFTP, AWS Transfer Family, a self-hosted server, s3fs, and a managed gateway, with the real trade-offs of each.
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SFTP to Azure Blob Storage: your options in 2026
How to expose Azure Blob Storage over SFTP, Azure's native SFTP feature and its limits, self-hosting, and a managed gateway that keeps files in your own storage account.