> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hivenet.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Why Compute supports SFTP—not FTPS

> Key differences and how to adjust your workflow

## FTPS vs. SFTP at a glance

| Feature              | SFTP                  | FTPS                               |
| :------------------- | :-------------------- | :--------------------------------- |
| Default port         | 22                    | 21 (control) / 990 (implicit)      |
| Encryption layer     | Built‑in (SSH)        | TLS/SSL on top of FTP              |
| Authentication       | SSH keys or passwords | X.509 certs or passwords           |
| Firewall friendly    | ✅ Single port         | 🚧 Multiple ports (control + data) |
| Supported on Compute | **Yes**               | **No**                             |

## Why we chose SFTP

1. **Same key, same port** – Your SSH key doubles for file transfers; no extra credentials.
2. **No additional firewall rules** – Everything slips through port 22, even behind strict networks.
3. **End‑to‑end encryption** – Data and commands are encrypted by default.

<Info>
  \*\*Good to know: \*\*FTPS requires opening a range of data ports, which conflicts with Compute’s default security posture.
</Info>

## Need an HTTPS upload instead?

Spin up a quick web server on port 8888 inside your instance:

```
python3 -m http.server 8888 --bind 0.0.0.0
```

Then open your instance URL:

```
https://<instance-id>-8888.tenants.hivecompute.ai
```

## Migrating scripts from FTPS to SFTP

| Old FTPS command                              | SFTP replacement                              |
| :-------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------- |
| `curl --ftp-ssl -T file.zip ftp://user@host/` | `sftp user@host:~/upload <<< $'put file.zip'` |
| `lftp -u user,pass ftps://host`               | `sftp user@host` then `put/get`               |

For automated workflows, tools like `rsync` or `scp` provide shell‑friendly, encrypted transfers.

***

Still unsure? Drop into [Discord](https://discord.gg/cTmPDPrMG2) or open the chat widget—our team’s happy to help you switch over.