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Connect to Your VPS via SFTP

On a VPS, there's no control panel handing you ready-made credentials. SFTP works directly with your system user—the same one you use for SSH.

Prerequisites

You need a non-root user with working SSH access. If you don't have that yet, head over to Create a Non-Root User.

What You'll Need​

  • Your VPS's IP address (or domain name)
  • The SSH port (22 by default, or a custom port if you've changed it—see our SSH Configuration article)
  • Your username
  • Your password, or private key if you've switched to key-based auth

Pick an SFTP Client​

FileZilla or WinSCP both work great, and they're both free. I'll use FileZilla as the example here, but WinSCP works the same way.

Connecting with a Password​

The Quick Way

At the top of FileZilla, in the quick connection bar, just enter this in the Host field, replacing server_ip and port with yours:

sftp://server_ip:port

Fill in your username and password, then click Quick Connect.

Once the connection is established and you've accepted the server's key, you'll have access to your VPS and can start transferring files.

The "Saved Site" Method

For a connection you'll use regularly, go to File > Site Manager, create a new site, and fill in:

  • Host: your VPS's IP address or domain
  • Port: your SSH port
  • Protocol: SFTP
  • User: your username
  • Password: your account password
warning

Make sure the protocol is SFTP, not FTP. That's a common mix-up, and you won't connect with the wrong one.

Connecting with an SSH Key​

If you've disabled password auth (see our SSH Configuration article), you need to give FileZilla your private key.

In Site Manager, for the same site as before, change the authentication type to Key file, then point to your private key file (id_ed25519 or similar). If your key has a passphrase, FileZilla will ask for it when you connect.

info

FileZilla doesn't always read OpenSSH key format directly. If it offers to convert it on first launch, just accept—that's normal.

Accept the Server's SSH Key​

On your first connection, a window will ask you to trust the server's key fingerprint. That's standard security, click * Accept*, and you can check the box to skip it next time if you want.

Speed Up Transfers​

For large transfers with lots of files, go to Edit > Settings > Transfers and increase the maximum simultaneous connections (default is 2). Bumping it to 5 or 10 makes a real difference when you're moving tons of small files—each one doesn't have to wait for the previous one to finish.

Summary​

Once your SSH user is set up, SFTP on a VPS is just as simple as on a control panel. The only difference is you're managing the credentials and port yourself.

Stuck?

Head over to our Discord, we'll help you sort it out.