What is FTP?
In short
- FTP, the file transfer protocol, is an old way of copying files onto a web server.
- Using it means installing a client app and entering a host address and login details, which is a lot of setup for putting one file online.
- Drag-and-drop hosting does the same job from a browser tab.
FTP dates from the early internet and still turns up in traditional web hosting. To use it you install an FTP client, enter a server address, a username, and a password, then drag files into the correct directory on the remote machine. The workflow was designed for administering a server, and it does that job. For sharing one document with one person it is far more than you need, and every step is a chance to drop the file in the wrong folder or mistype a credential.
Most people who reach for FTP only want a file to open at a URL, which does not call for a protocol from 1971. NudgeHost replaces the whole process with a browser drag-and-drop upload. You drop the file onto the page and a link comes back, without a host string to remember or a directory tree to click through. A project with several files gets zipped first, and the archive serves as a small site, which covers the job FTP traditionally handled.
The real difference is time. Setting up FTP for a server takes minutes, and dropping a file takes seconds. What you get back is a short link you can paste anywhere, where FTP leaves you with a path on a server you now have to maintain. You can try it with a file from your desktop for free, and the size limits only matter for large files. FTP still has a place in server administration, but it is the slow way to put a file in front of someone.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an FTP client to use NudgeHost?
No. You drag a file onto the page or click to browse, and a link comes back. You never manage a client, a server address, or a password.
Can I upload a whole folder the way I would over FTP?
Zip the folder and upload the archive. NudgeHost can serve its contents as a small site, which covers the usual reason people used FTP.
Is FTP less secure than a hosted link?
Plain FTP sends files unencrypted. A NudgeHost link uses HTTPS by default, so the file travels encrypted.
Put it into practice.
Drop a file and get a shareable link in seconds. Free, no card needed.