Migrate SFTP to Google Drive — Transfer Files with RcloneView
Retire an aging SFTP server without losing a single file, using RcloneView to move everything straight to Google Drive.
Many teams still run an internal SFTP server for file drops, but maintaining SSH credentials, firewall rules, and disk space on that box gets expensive compared to letting Google Drive handle storage and sharing. RcloneView connects to both an SFTP host and Google Drive in the same window, so you can browse, compare, and transfer between them without touching a terminal. It's a practical first step for a small IT team migrating a legacy file server before decommissioning the hardware for good.
Manage & Sync All Clouds in One Place
RcloneView is a cross-platform GUI for rclone. Compare folders, transfer or sync files, and automate multi-cloud workflows with a clean, visual interface.
- One-click jobs: Copy · Sync · Compare
- Schedulers & history for reliable automation
- Works with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, S3, WebDAV, SFTP and more
Free core features. Plus automations available.
Connect the SFTP Server and Google Drive Side by Side
Add the SFTP remote first: enter the host address and SSH credentials in the New Remote wizard, using port 22 by default. Add Google Drive as a second remote through its OAuth browser login — no API key entry needed. Open both in separate Explorer panels using RcloneView's split-panel layout so you can see the full folder structure on each side at once.
RcloneView mounts AND syncs 90+ providers from one window, on Windows, macOS, and Linux, so the same setup works whether the SFTP box is on your local network or reachable only through a jump host.
Preview the Migration Before Moving Anything
Before transferring years of accumulated files, run Folder Compare between the SFTP root and the target Google Drive folder to see exactly what's missing on the destination side. Then configure the transfer as a Sync job and use Dry Run to simulate the copy — RcloneView lists every file that would move and every folder that would be created, with nothing actually written until you confirm.
This step matters most when the SFTP server has accumulated years of nested folders with inconsistent naming — the dry run surfaces surprises before they become an overnight support incident.
Automate the Remaining Transfer with Scheduled Jobs
For a large SFTP archive, don't try to move everything in one sitting. Save the migration as a Job in Job Manager, set the number of file transfers to match your network's realistic throughput, and let it run in the background while you keep working in other Explorer panels. If the SFTP server needs to stay live for a few more weeks during cutover, PLUS-license scheduling lets you repeat the sync on a crontab-style schedule so Google Drive stays current until the old server is switched off.
Getting Started
- Download RcloneView from rcloneview.com.
- Add your SFTP server as a remote using its host address and SSH credentials.
- Add Google Drive as a second remote through the OAuth browser login flow.
- Run Folder Compare and Dry Run, then save the transfer as a Job before running it for real.
Once the sync job finishes cleanly on a repeat run with nothing left to copy, the old SFTP server is safe to power down.
Related Guides:
- Manage SFTP Server Storage — Sync and Backup Files with RcloneView
- Manage Google Drive Storage — Sync and Backup Files with RcloneView
- Mount SFTP and SMB as a Local Drive with RcloneView
Supported Cloud Providers
