What is the difference between FTP and HTTP?

Whenever protocol is being mentioned, HTTP and FTP are two out of many examples of protocols that are used on the Internet. HTTP is the acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol, while FTP is the acronym for File Transfer Protocols. It should be noted that both are meant for different functions, and that is why we can be talking about their differences. HTTP is used mostly to access the Internet; it is the protocol used most commonly to transfer web pages and accompanying data over the Internet.

That's why you are more likely to see it coming before a link to the website you want to visit. FTP, on the other hand, can be very simple to explain. It is the protocol for sending files, data from one computer to another. HTTP has a lot of users compared to FTP. However, you can download files via FTP and HTTP.

The fundamental difference between HTTP and FTP is that HTTP is used to access different websites on the internet. On the other hand, FTP is used to transfer files from one host to another. HTTP establishes data connection only. FTP establishes two relationships — one for data and one for the control link. TCP ports HTTP use TCP's port number 80, and FTP uses TCP's port number 20 and 21. If you are using HTTP, HTTP appears in URL. HTTTP is efficient in transferring smaller files like webpages.

FTP is useful in transferring larger files and requires a password. HTTP doesn't require authentication. The data transferred to a device using HTTP is not delivered to the memory storage of that device. The file sent to the host device using FTP is saved in the memory of that device.