FTP 101 – Part 16: What is SCP and When Should You Use It?
Published {$created} by Carsten Blum
When we talk about secure file transfers, SFTP is usually the first protocol that comes to mind. But there is another lesser-known option: SCP (Secure Copy Protocol).While they both run on top of SSH and provide encrypted transfers, their use cases are slightly different.
In this tutorial, we’ll explore what SCP is, how it works, and when it makes sense to use it compared to FTP or SFTP.
To follow along with this tutorial, you need an account with ftpGrid, follow our onboarding guide here to create your account. Using ftpGrid's managed hosting has many benefits over self-hosting.
What is SCP?
SCP (Secure Copy Protocol) is one of the oldest methods of transferring files securely over SSH.It was designed as a straightforward tool to copy files between two systems:
Local to remote
Remote to local
Remote to remote (with some limitations)
The syntax is familiar to anyone who has used the cp command in Linux:
scp localfile.txt user@host:/path/to/target/This will copy localfile.txt from your machine to the remote server.
How is SCP Different From SFTP?
Although both SCP and SFTP run on port 22 and rely on SSH for encryption, they are not the same:
SCP is a simple, non-interactive protocol. It just copies files — fast and direct.
SFTP is a full-featured file transfer protocol with commands for listing directories, renaming files, creating folders, and resuming transfers.
Think of SCP as a quick one-off tool, while SFTP is more of a complete file management system.
When Should You Use SCP?
SCP makes sense in scenarios like:
Quick one-time transfers: Copying a backup file or configuration between servers.
Automation scripts: When you just need to push/pull files fast.
Speed-focused transfers: SCP can sometimes be faster for large single files because it doesn’t handle directory metadata like SFTP.
On the other hand, if you need interactive file management, directory browsing, or advanced features, SFTP is almost always the better choice.
Example Commands
Upload a file to the server:
scp report.pdf prefix.backup@edgeN.ftpgrid.com:/data/uploads/Download a file from the server:
scp prefix.backup@edgeN.ftpgrid.com:/data/backups/backup.sql ./backup.sqlCopy a whole directory recursively:
scp -r project/ prefix.backup@edgeN.ftpgrid.com:/data/projects/Conclusion
SCP is a simple and effective way to transfer files securely over SSH.It doesn’t replace SFTP, but it shines when you need a fast, no-frills copy mechanism. At ftpGrid, we support both SFTP and SCP — so you can pick the right tool for the job.
If you haven't already, checkout ftpGrid features and signup using our simple onboarding guide.