HTTP vs FTP

Basis	HTTP	FTP
Full form	Hypertext Transfer Protocol	File Transfer Protocol
Main purpose	Transfer web resources and API data	Transfer and manage files
Typical use	Web pages, images, APIs, downloads	Uploading/downloading files to a server
Connections	Usually one connection for requests/responses; HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 improve multiplexing	Traditionally separate control and data connections
Operations	GET, POST, PUT, DELETE and others	Commands such as LIST, RETR and STOR
Security	HTTPS adds TLS encryption and authentication	Plain FTP is unencrypted; FTPS adds TLS; SFTP uses SSH and is a different protocol
Default ports	HTTP 80; HTTPS 443	FTP control commonly 21; data behaviour varies by mode

HTTP working: A client sends a request with a method, path, headers and sometimes a body. The server responds with a status code, headers and content. HTTP is stateless at the protocol level, though cookies and application sessions can preserve state.

FTP working: A client authenticates to an FTP server and issues commands over a control connection. File data is transferred over a separate data connection, in active or passive mode.

Applications: HTTP/HTTPS powers websites, web services and APIs. FTP has traditionally been used for file exchange and website publishing, though secure alternatives are preferred today.

Conclusion: HTTP is optimized for web resource communication, whereas FTP is designed for file transfer and file-management operations.