--- title: "WinSCP and FileZilla with SFTP: send files from Windows to your VPS | StreetHosting" description: "Step by step guide to connect WinSCP and FileZilla to your VPS over SFTP on port 22, with a password or SSH key, and fix the permission error on /var/www." url: "https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows" type: "page" language: "en-US" --- VPS · 8 min · Beginner Published on Nov 13, 2026 · Updated on Nov 13, 2026 # WinSCP and FileZilla: how to send files from Windows to your VPS over SFTP SFTP uses the same port and the same login as SSH, so there is nothing to install on the VPS. Here is how to set up WinSCP and FileZilla with a password or a key, and how to clear the permission error on /var/www. By [Equipe StreetHosting](https://streethosting.com.br/en/autores#equipe-streethosting) · StreetHosting infrastructure and support team [Errors and diagnostics](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/topics/troubleshooting) [Security and hardening](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/topics/security) [Linux administration](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/topics/linux) [Windows and RDP](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/topics/windows) Summarize with: [](https://chat.openai.com/?q=Summarize%20the%20key%20points%20of%20this%20StreetHosting%20guide%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fstreethosting.com.br%2Fen%2Fguides%2Fvps%2Fwinscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows.%20Highlight%20the%20step-by-step%20instructions%2C%20the%20prerequisites%20and%20the%20most%20common%20mistakes. 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There is nothing to install on the VPS: SFTP is part of SSH. For key login, WinSCP reads the key under Advanced, SSH, Authentication, and FileZilla under Edit, Settings, Connection, SFTP. If an upload to `/var/www` fails with _Permission denied_, the folder belongs to root: change the owner with `chown`. ## SFTP is not FTP[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#o-que-e-sftp) The name is confusing. FTP is a protocol from the 1970s that sends your username and password as plain text over the network, and that still opens extra ports to move the data. Anyone on the same wifi, or at any point along the path, can read the login. That is why no VPS should run plain FTP. SFTP is something else: it is a subsystem of SSH. Everything goes encrypted through a single connection on port 22, the same one as the terminal. You use the same user, the same password or the same key. Because the VPS SSH server already has SFTP turned on, there is nothing to install, no new port to open on the firewall and no extra service to keep updated. Before opening the program, make sure you can get in over SSH, as shown in the guide on [your first SSH access to the VPS](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/connect-to-vps-via-ssh-first-time). If SSH gets in, SFTP gets in. ## Connect with WinSCP[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#winscp) WinSCP is free and has a two panel layout: your computer on the left and the VPS on the right. After installing it: 1. Open the program. The login screen appears on its own. 2. Under **File protocol**, keep **SFTP**. 3. Under **Host name**, enter the VPS IP. Under **Port number**, keep 22 (or the number you set, if you changed the SSH port). 4. Fill in **User name** and **Password**. 5. Click **Save** to keep the session and then **Login**. On the first connection WinSCP shows the fingerprint of the server key and asks whether you trust it. It is the same warning SSH gives in the terminal. Accept it when it is your VPS, and the program only warns you again if that fingerprint changes. Inside the session you drag files from one panel to the other, edit a remote file with a double click and browse to the project folder using the path field at the top of the right panel. ## Connect with FileZilla[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#filezilla) FileZilla Client is also free. Get the installer from the official site and be careful, because third party installers often bundle extra programs. For a quick connection: 1. In the top bar, fill in **Host** with `sftp://IP_DA_VPS`, plus **Username**, **Password** and **Port** 22. 2. Click **Quickconnect**. 3. Confirm the server key in the window that appears. To save the connection, open the **Site Manager** (Ctrl+S), click **New site** and pick **SFTP, SSH File Transfer Protocol** under Protocol. The **Logon Type** field accepts **Normal** (password) or **Key file**. If the Protocol field is set to FTP, the connection tries to speak FTP on port 22 and fails with a timeout or an unexpected reply error. It is the most common mistake for people using FileZilla for the first time. Make sure it says SFTP. ## Logging in with an SSH key[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#chave) If the VPS is set to accept only keys, or you would rather not type a password, use the key you created on Windows. Creating the key and copying the public half to the server is covered in the guide on an [SSH key on Windows](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/set-up-ssh-key-windows). The private key usually sits at `C:\Users\SEU_USUARIO\.ssh\id_ed25519`. **In WinSCP:** on the login screen, fill in host, port and user, leave the password empty and click **Advanced**. Go to **SSH**, **Authentication** and, under **Private key file**, select the key. WinSCP works with the PuTTY .ppk format. If you pick an OpenSSH key, it warns you and offers to convert it and save a new .ppk. You can also do it by hand in PuTTYgen, under **Conversions**, **Import key**, and then **Save private key**. Confirm with OK and connect. **In FileZilla:** the general path is **Edit**, **Settings**, **Connection**, **SFTP**, then **Add key file**. FileZilla also offers to convert the key to .ppk when it is in another format. With the key registered, create the site in the Site Manager with **Logon Type** set to **Key file**, or keep it on Normal and let the program try the registered keys. If you already use an SSH `config` file for several servers, WinSCP can import those sites on the login screen, under Tools, Import Sites. The guide on [ssh config for several servers](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/ssh-config-multiple-servers) shows how to build that file. If the key asks for a password, it is the passphrase you set when you created the key, not the VPS user password. When nothing works, test in PowerShell with `ssh -i caminho\da\chave usuario@IP_DA_VPS`. If the terminal gets in and WinSCP does not, the problem is the format or the path of the key inside the program. ## Permission error on /var/www[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#permissao) You connect, open the site folder and, when you drag the files over, you get _Permission denied_ or _Cannot create file_. The cause is almost always the same: SFTP does exactly what your user would be allowed to do in the terminal. If the `/var/www` folder belongs to root, a regular user cannot write to it. The right fix is to give ownership of your site folder to the user who does the uploading, and not to open the folder to everyone. In the VPS terminal: `# create the site folder (if it does not exist yet) sudo mkdir -p /var/www/meusite # your user becomes the owner, the group stays the Nginx one sudo chown -R $USER:www-data /var/www/meusite # owner writes, group and others only read sudo find /var/www/meusite -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \; sudo find /var/www/meusite -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;` After that, WinSCP and FileZilla upload normally to `/var/www/meusite`, and Nginx, which runs as `www-data`, keeps reading everything, because files at 644 and folders at 755 are readable by group and others. What each number means and the difference between owner and group are in the guide on [Linux permissions with chmod and chown](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/linux-permissions-chmod-chown). Do not fix it with `chmod 777`. That lets any process on the machine write to the site, and a malicious upload in a CMS turns into control of the whole folder. Opening root login over SSH just to send files is not worth it either. A regular user with `sudo` (see [creating a sudo user on the VPS](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/create-sudo-user-linux-vps)) and the folder in that user's name solve it without giving up security. Another way out, for a one off upload, is to send the files to the user's home folder and move them with `sudo mv` in the terminal. It works, but it becomes repeated work on every deploy. Fixing the owner once usually costs less. ## Good habits[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#boas-praticas) * **Prefer a key over a password.** With a key, a VPS exposed to the internet stops being an easy brute force target. The guide on [secure SSH on a VPS](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/secure-ssh-linux-vps) explains how to turn off the password after testing the key. * **Do not save passwords on a shared computer.** WinSCP and FileZilla store the session credentials on disk. Use a master password in the program or protect the key with a passphrase. * **Careful with drag and drop over existing files.** Both programs ask what to do with repeated names. Prefer to overwrite only when the local file is newer. * **Script line endings.** Files edited on Windows often save line breaks as CRLF. A shell script like that fails on Linux with an odd interpreter error, such as _bad interpreter_. Save with LF in your editor or convert it on the VPS with `dos2unix script.sh` (install it with `sudo apt install dos2unix`). * **For repeated deploys, automate.** A graphical interface is great for everyday use, but if you push code every week you save time with [scp and rsync](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/transfer-files-to-vps-scp-rsync), which send only what changed. To edit code directly on the VPS, see also [VS Code over SSH](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/vs-code-remote-ssh-vps). ## Where to run this[](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#onde-rodar) SFTP needs an SSH server with access to the file system, which you have on any Linux VPS. On [StreetHosting VPS](https://streethosting.com.br/en/vps) you get root access, so you create your own user, set the owner of the folders and upload with WinSCP or FileZilla without installing anything beyond what already ships with Ubuntu. For a simple site or a small project, the Xeon VPS from R$ 26.00 per month, with 2 vCPU, 2 GB DDR4 and 20 GB NVMe, is enough. All VPS are in São Paulo, include AntiDDoS, up to 5 TB of traffic per month and activate in about 60 seconds after Pix or card approval. In this guide * [SFTP is not FTP](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#o-que-e-sftp) * [Connect with WinSCP](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#winscp) * [Connect with FileZilla](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#filezilla) * [Logging in with an SSH key](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#chave) * [Permission error on /var/www](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#permissao) * [Good habits](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#boas-praticas) * [Where to run this](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/winscp-filezilla-sftp-vps-windows#onde-rodar) ## Frequently asked questions Do I need to install an FTP server on the VPS to use WinSCP? No. SFTP already comes with the SSH server, the same one you use to get into the terminal. If SSH access works, WinSCP and FileZilla work too, on the same port 22 and with the same user. What is the difference between SFTP and FTPS? SFTP runs inside SSH and uses a single port, 22. FTPS is the old FTP with a TLS layer on top, needs an FTP server installed and opens several ports. For a VPS, SFTP is simpler and easier to lock down. Why does WinSCP not accept my private key? Usually the format is the problem. WinSCP works with PuTTY format keys, the .ppk. When you pick an OpenSSH key it offers to convert it, or you can open PuTTYgen, import the key under Conversions and save it as .ppk. If the key has a passphrase, enter the key passphrase, not the user password. Can I upload straight to /var/www as root? You can log in as root, but it is not ideal. It is better to use a regular user and give that user ownership of the site folder with chown. That way you do not leave root login open over SSH just to make uploads easier. Do files sent from Windows end up with the wrong permissions? WinSCP and FileZilla upload files with the default permissions of the logged in user, usually 644 for files and 755 for folders. If the site or Nginx cannot read them, fix owner and group with chown and chmod on the VPS itself. Next step See VPS plans Root VPS in Brazil with NVMe and Anti-DDoS. [See VPS plans](https://streethosting.com.br/en/vps) ## Related guides [VPS Intermediate How to transfer files to a VPS with SCP and rsync Uploading a website, downloading a backup or moving a server folder: SCP handles direct copies and rsync syncs only what changed. Here is when to use each over the same SSH connection. 3 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/transfer-files-to-vps-scp-rsync) [VPS Beginner Set up an SSH key on Windows to access your VPS Windows already ships the OpenSSH client, so you can generate and use keys without installing anything. Here is the step by step in PowerShell, the most common permission errors and the path for anyone who prefers PuTTY. 9 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/set-up-ssh-key-windows) [VPS Beginner Linux permissions: chmod, chown and the Permission denied error Every file on Linux has an owner, a group and three kinds of permission. Understanding that fixes most access denied errors on sites, bots and SSH keys, without resorting to chmod 777. 7 min Read guide](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides/vps/linux-permissions-chmod-chown) [← Back to the Guide Center](https://streethosting.com.br/en/guides)