AWS Transfer Family
Managed SFTP/FTP
Managed SFTP, FTPS, FTP, and AS2 endpoints that read and write files directly to S3 or EFS, letting partners keep using their familiar clients without you running an FTP server.
- Cost$$ Medium
- Difficulty●●●●●
- Costs money when idle?Yes
- Serverless
- In examsSAA
Think of it asLike keeping the same old mailbox address for partners, but letters dropped in go straight into the S3 warehouse.
When to use it
✓ Use it when
Partners or legacy systems exchange files only via SFTP/FTP/AS2 and you want to store them on S3/EFS.
✗ Avoid it when
Only one-way internal data transfer → DataSync; new applications can call the S3 API directly.
Common uses
- Banks and partners sending report files via SFTP
- EDI exchange over AS2
- Replace self-managed FTP servers on EC2
What does it cost?
- Pricing model: Charged hourly for each protocol enabled on the server, plus per GB uploaded/downloaded.
⚠️ Cost traps
A forgotten test server keeps incurring hourly charges even if nobody connects.
Related services
SAA-C03 study guide
Transfer Family is covered in these study modules: