FTPS is regular FTP with encryption added on top. It uses the same FTP account, username, and password you already have, but wraps the connection in SSL/TLS so your login details and files aren't sent in plain text over the network. If you've ever connected over public WiFi or a shared network and worried about who else might see your traffic, switching to FTPS is a quick fix that doesn't require a new account or any change on your hosting plan.
Don't confuse FTPS with SFTP. They solve the same problem (encrypting your file transfers) but work differently: SFTP runs over SSH on port 22 and needs an SSH-enabled account, while FTPS runs over the standard FTP port and uses your existing FTP account as-is. If you already have SFTP access set up, that works too, but FTPS is the simpler option if you just want to encrypt the FTP connection you already have.
What You Need Before You Connect
- Your FTP hostname (usually your domain name, or the server hostname/IP given in your hosting welcome email).
- Your FTP account's username and password, exactly as they were set when the account was created.
- Port 21, the same port regular FTP uses. FTPS does not use port 22 (that's SFTP).
Setting Up FTPS in FileZilla
These steps use FileZilla, a common free FTP client, but the same settings exist in most other FTP clients under slightly different menu names.
- Open FileZilla and go to File > Site Manager.
- Click New Site and give it a name you'll recognize.
- Under Protocol, choose FTP - File Transfer Protocol.
- Under Encryption, select Require explicit FTP over TLS.
- Enter your FTP hostname in the Host field and 21 in the Port field.
- Set Logon Type to Normal, then enter your FTP username and password.
- Click Connect.
- The first time you connect, FileZilla will show you the server's certificate details and ask you to confirm. Check the box to trust it for future sessions, then click OK.
If the connection fails or times out instead of showing a certificate prompt, check that your firewall or antivirus isn't blocking the encrypted connection, and make sure you selected Require explicit FTP over TLS rather than plain FTP. If files list slowly or transfers stall partway through, the cause is usually the same passive-mode port range issue that affects regular FTP; see FTP Times Out or Can't List Files for how to fix it.
Does This Work the Same in cPanel and DirectAdmin?
Yes. FTPS is a setting you choose in your FTP client when connecting, not something you turn on inside cPanel or DirectAdmin. The FTP servers behind both control panels already accept encrypted (FTPS) connections on port 21 for any existing FTP account, so there's nothing to configure on the hosting side first. Just create your FTP account as normal, then point your client at it using the FTPS settings above.