Fast file transfer speeds save time, help meet submission deadlines, and let businesses respond more quickly to client demands. Industries dealing with big data, video production, or system backups need high-speed transfers to move large files without interruption.

Files.com is built for speed alongside security and flexibility. To support the fastest possible speeds, we have built many optimizations into the apps that we provide: automatically tuned parallelism, intelligent routing around corporate firewalls, and more. Much of this technology is also available in our SDKs.

The most important step in optimizing transfer speed is to use one of our custom-built apps. The sections below give our recommendations by environment and audience.

Best Options for Desktop

Desktop users need a graphical app that is easy to use and, optionally, integrates with the system file manager. Drag-and-drop lets users upload and download files regardless of size or quantity, and file manager integration makes remote resources appear as network drives or folders. Desktop apps are designed for manual, ad-hoc use.

Files.com Desktop App

The Files.com Desktop App is built for maximum transfer speed. It delivers the fastest upload and download rates by moving as much data as possible in the shortest time.

Turbo Transfer Mode handles both large files and large volumes of files with parallel transfers and configurable automatic retries. Retries can recover from temporary network interruptions; files that remain failed after the available attempts need a manual Retry once connectivity returns. Network interruption recovery explains the retry limits and when progress is preserved or the file starts over.

The app includes a graphical interface with drag-and-drop support, so no technical expertise is required.

In performance tests, the Desktop App transfers data 2x to 3x faster than third-party FTP and SFTP clients.

Web Browser

The web interface is optimized for fast HTTPS-based transfers in both directions, with automatic retries on file and folder uploads.

Third-Party FTP, SFTP, and WebDAV Apps

Third-party apps such as FileZilla and Cyberduck connect to Files.com using standard FTP and SFTP protocols. These apps support automatic retries and parallel transfers, but the protocols themselves are slower than the Files.com Desktop App and CLI, so transfer speeds are typically lower.

WebDAV is generally faster than FTP and SFTP, but the protocol is "chatty" over the network. Transferring a single file via WebDAV can be quick, while transferring many files or working against a server with large quantities of files and folders slows it down considerably.

Best Options for Servers and Command Line

Server operators usually need apps that run on a headless system. These apps run manually from the command line, get invoked from scripts, or are installed as system services that start at boot.

Command line use might be required, as on a headless system, or preferred for familiarity or for integration with shell and PowerShell scripts. Command line apps support both manual interaction and programmatic invocation from scripts, and the users of these apps are typically comfortable working without a graphical interface.

If using a desktop UI on a server, follow the desktop recommendations instead.

Files.com Agent

The Files.com Agent is a small-footprint application that integrates on-premise or cloud-hosted servers with your Files.com site. It removes the need for custom scripts by letting you use the automation, remote mount, and Sync capabilities of Files.com to interact with files and folders on your server.

The Agent provides the fastest data transmission speeds because of its use of UDP and parallel transfers. A single Agent can service multiple automations, remote mounts, and remote systems concurrently. All job control happens from your Files.com site, and the Agent can run as a system service so it is always available while the server is running.

Files.com CLI App

The cross-platform Files.com Command Line Interface (CLI) App delivers high data transmission speeds for command line users. It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

The CLI app can be used interactively for ad-hoc uploads and downloads, or invoked from scripts for programmatic and scheduled transfers. It is well suited to integration with shell and PowerShell scripts.

In tests, the CLI app transfers data 2x to 3x faster than third-party FTP and SFTP clients.

Rclone

Rclone is a third-party command line app that includes Files.com among its supported integrations. The Files.com integration is optimized to provide data transmission rates similar to our CLI app, and is a good option for operators who want a vendor-neutral tool.

Third-Party SFTP Apps

Most servers ship with a built-in sftp command line client. The SFTP protocol isn't as fast as the options above, but it is widely available on server systems. If you cannot use any of the above options, sftp is a reasonable fallback when speed isn't a factor.

Best Options for Business to Business (B2B)

Trading partners in a B2B relationship mostly use automated processes to transmit business documents. Smaller businesses sometimes exchange documents manually.

The largest gain in speed between partners typically comes from automating the process to remove manual steps.

Best Options for Mobile

Mobile users need apps that work on the go from a mobile device. These users may not have access to a PC or laptop, so the app must cover everything they need to accomplish.

Files.com Mobile App

The Files.com Mobile App for iOS and Android offers fast upload and download speeds for smartphone users. It is designed for smartphone screen sizes and uses parallel transfers for high transfer speeds.

Web Browser

For tablet users, the web interface is optimized for fast HTTPS-based transfers in both directions, with automatic retries on file and folder uploads.

Best Options for Developers and Application Integration

Developers need SDK and API options for tight integration with Files.com. Most developers work in their preferred programming languages, and with the emergence of iPaaS and low-code or no-code development environments, some developers prefer pre-built connectors.

Files.com SDKs

Our Files.com SDKs are available for multiple programming languages and are optimized for speed, parallel transfers, automatic retries, and geographic data routing. They simplify integrating applications with Files.com in your preferred language.

Our SDKs are used in our own apps, so developers can be confident of achieving the same data transfer speeds.

Although we love all programming languages equally, we've found that Go (GoLang) provides the fastest data transfer speeds of all our SDKs.

iPaaS Connectors

For developers who prefer low-code or no-code development platforms, we provide pre-built connectors for Power Automate / Azure Logic Apps, Boomi, MuleSoft, and Zapier. These connectors are built on our SDKs and provide the same fast data transfer rates.

The SDKs and iPaaS connectors are tied for first place; pick the one that matches your development environment.

Files.com APIs

Files.com provides RESTful platform APIs. Developers can integrate directly with the APIs, but any error handling, retry logic, and parallel transfer logic must be implemented by the developer.

Wherever possible, we recommend using an SDK instead of the raw APIs, since the SDKs already implement error handling, retry logic, and parallel transfers.

Best Options for Embedded Systems and IoT Devices

Embedded systems and IoT devices use small-footprint applications or operating systems to deliver customized solutions across industries. Files.com supports fast data transfers from these systems in several ways.

Embedded Application

An application embedded in a device can use the Files.com SDKs, with the same parallel transfers, retries, and geographic routing available to other application integrations.

Embedded Operating System

A device with an operating system can use either the Agent or CLI, depending on which system should control the work. The Agent can run on systems as small as a Raspberry Pi.

With the Agent, Files.com Automations, mounts, and Syncs interact with files on the device, and the Agent can run as a system service. With the CLI, local shell or PowerShell scripts initiate transfers instead. Choose according to the workflow's control point; both retain the transfer optimizations described above.

Protocol Considerations for Speed

Many customers ask us about optimizing FTP, SFTP, or WebDAV connections for speed. Our first answer is to use one of our native apps if at all possible. FTP, SFTP, and WebDAV are older technologies that are less efficient for the fastest speeds.

If you are using 2FA (Two Factor Authentication) with FTP, SFTP, or WebDAV, parallel connections and later reconnects can reuse the same password and code over the same protocol, from the same source IP address, to the same Files.com server address. Reuse ends at the expiration assigned to the first sign-in, or earlier if that sign-in is invalidated; another connection does not restart the period. A connection that reaches a different server needs a fresh code even before then, which is one more reason these protocols are suboptimal for speed.

If you are stuck using one of these older protocols, we recommend the following:

Prefer WebDAV, FTP, and SFTP in that order. Our modern version of FTP uses the same encryption strength as SFTP and is faster. For single files, WebDAV is even faster than FTP, but it slows down when many files are transferred or accessed.
Enable at least 10 and no more than 25 parallel connections in your app. More parallelism is generally better, but above 25 can cause problems for several apps.

Connection Limits

Do not attempt more than 25 simultaneous parallel connections from one IP address. The service limit protects transfer capacity, and additional parallelism above that level does not provide meaningful speed improvements. Files.com apps and SDKs handle these limits automatically. For third-party apps, the 10–25 parallel connections recommended above provide a practical range.

Network Hops and Regions

A transfer can have a client-to-Files.com connection and a Files.com-to-storage connection. Distance on either part affects latency and throughput. A source, Files.com endpoint, and destination all in Germany have a shorter route than a transfer from Australia through the USA to the UK. A Singapore client reaching Singapore storage through Europe adds a round trip even though the client and storage are close together.

These examples simplify a route that can also include ISPs, VPNs, and network proxies. Transfers with the source, Files.com endpoint, and destination in the same region have measured between 2x and 5x faster than comparable transfers whose intermediary hop is in another region.

The routing and acceleration model explains which settings control those paths. A folder's storage region, the region of its Custom Domain, Global Acceleration, and Remote Server routing are separate considerations. Web and API transfers can also use direct signed storage URLs, so inspect the route used by the actual client and operation.

Regional Workflows

For sources and destinations spread across regions, Files.com recommends Global Acceleration and avoiding regional restrictions unless an organizational requirement calls for them. Keep storage close to the people and systems that use it. Although Files.com supports all its published regions, the USA, Virginia region has delivered the highest performance in our comparisons.

When sources and destinations are all in the site's region, regional routing can remove an unnecessary hop through another region. When they are elsewhere, pinning the connection to the site's region can add distance. Choose Regional Data Routing when the geographic requirement warrants that tradeoff. Regional Requirements covers the other processing locations and connected systems involved.

For a Custom Domain, keep the domain and its storage in the same region where possible. Custom Domains and Regions explains the effect on closest-server routing. A folder in another region does not move the domain's endpoint.

Remote Server Type

API-based Remote Servers such as Amazon S3, Azure, Google, and S3-compatible providers are generally faster than protocol-based Remote Servers using FTP(S), SFTP, or WebDAV because the cloud services are optimized for HTTP-based transfers. Provider rate limits still matter: services such as Box and Dropbox can limit throughput enough to reverse that comparison.

Amazon S3 is Files.com's fastest integration, with performance comparable to native storage and up to 5x faster than other Remote Server types. Protocol-based Remote Servers are particularly sensitive to the added round trips of a cross-region route. A site in Germany connecting to Azure Blob in the USA has a longer route than one connecting to storage in Germany.

Client Connection Type

The web interface, SDKs, and APIs are optimized for native storage and Amazon S3 and have measured between 2x and 3x faster than protocol-based connections with those storage types. FTP(S), SFTP, and WebDAV have different overhead and have measured up to 2x faster with other Remote Server types. Compare the method against the storage and workload you actually use rather than treating one protocol as fastest in every arrangement.

Transfers to Remote Mounts

A client uploading to a Remote Mount can limit the throughput of the onward connection. Even when the Files.com-to-provider connection has substantial capacity, it receives data only as quickly as the client supplies it.

Uploading to native storage first allows an Automation or Sync to deliver the completed file using the onward connection's available parallelism. Buffered Uploads and required file processing determine when Files.com stages an upload before delivery.

For cross-region workflows, separating intake from onward delivery can shorten transfer duration. With regional routing enabled, moving an uploaded native file to a mount in another region through an Automation has measured up to 25x faster than a client uploading directly to that mount. This arrangement adds a native-storage stage; choose it when that fits the workflow rather than expecting every direct mount upload to achieve the onward connection's full capacity.

File Transfer Speed