E-Mail vs FTP: What Is the Best for Your Website

Today with the lightening fast pace of life, Internet has become easiest and the biggest medium for transferring data and files. While hosting a website, it is important to take a few features of file transfer into consideration. Having an e-mail or an FTP support is one of these aspects which need close analysis.

A system which supports the transfer of large files is known as FTP i.e. File Transfer Protocol. With this system, a user can transfer any type of files over a network very easily. The files could be designs, games, music or documents; the format of the file does not make matter. Now-a-days a lot of web hosts provides FTP hosting facilities coupled with their web hosting plans.

E-mail is another popular method of transferring data and files. When it comes to websites, the choice of opting for a medium for transferring files depends on the type of website it is.

A better understanding of the FTP and E-mail is required before actually coming to a final conclusion. A list of their pros and cons is given here.

• File Transfer: FTP allows 2-way transfer of files whereas in E-mail the transfer of files takes place in a 1-way manner. In FTP, the transfer of files involves the usage of a FTP server and client. In e-mail the file is transferred but cannot be downloaded. This should be kept in mind while choosing one of the services between FTP and E-mail.

• Security: When you send a couple of files to a number of people through e-mail, you cannot limit a user’s access to a fixed number of files. With FTP, this is possible. Every folder which is created with FTP is kept secure and a specified access with password protection is provided. In comparison with E-mail, FTP is more secure. If your website requires more security features and contains sensitive data, you must go for a FTP plan while going for an online web hosting service. However, there are methods to Protect Your Web Hosting E-Mail Account from Spam Mails and other issues, but you cannot always be 100% sure.

• Speed & Reliability: FTP is a better service in terms of reliability. With e-mail services you cannot really be sure if the files and data will be transferred efficiently. You cannot be sure about whether the files you’ve sent are exactly the same as the files received by the recipient. In terms of reliability and speed, FTP is a better service. The contents of a transferred file can also be downloaded with FTP.

• Price: Price of the services is another factor that needs to be taken into consideration while choosing a file transferring service. FTP comes at a slightly higher cost in comparison with E-mail. If your website does not require highly sophisticated service to transfer data, you should go for E-Mail service. The best part about e-mail is that it fits into everyone’s budget easily. Some web hosting companies even provide e-mail accounts free of cost with a web hosting plan. However, the services provided in an FTP-based plan are cost-effective.

• File Size: The actual advantage of FTP services over E-mails is that it gives a user the freedom to send files of different sizes without any problems. The size of the file to be sent over a network is not really a matter of worry with FTP services. With E-mail, you get a specific limit on the size of the file that you send. It is not really possible to send a large file with an E-mail service. If your website deals with sending small files, then E-mail should be the right choice for you else you should pick FTP.