---
id: comparisons.data-transfers-vs-provider-website-uploads
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/data-transfers-vs-provider-website-uploads
category: "Comparisons & alternatives"
subcategory: "Cloud storage and online-only files"
question: "Why use Data Transfers instead of uploading through a cloud provider's website?"
alt_questions:
  - "upload to google drive website vs storage studio"
  - "browser upload vs data transfers"
  - "large upload keeps failing in browser"
  - "move files between dropbox and google drive without downloading"
  - "copy between two cloud accounts mac"
short_answer: "For a few files, the website is fine. Data Transfers handles big, resumable jobs, account-to-account copies or moves without downloading first, schedules, and dry runs."
tags: ["data transfers", "cloud", "upload"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/comparisons/dedicated-sync-apps-vs-data-transfers"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Why use Data Transfers instead of uploading through a cloud provider's website?

A browser upload is fine for a handful of files. **Data Transfers** is for jobs a browser handles badly:

- **Big or long transfers** — jobs survive restarts; anything that was running picks up where it left off, and only missing or changed files are sent again.
- **Account to account** — copy or move between two connected accounts (for example, one cloud provider to another, or a cloud account to an SFTP server) without you downloading everything first.
- **Repeat jobs** — schedule a transfer every few hours, daily, weekly or monthly.
- **Choice of operation** — Copy, Move (removes the source only after the copy is verified), one-way Sync, or Two-way sync, with a **Dry run** to preview.

You also get live progress, speed, time remaining and a plain-English reason if something fails. See [Data Transfers](https://storagestudio.us/manual/transfer).