Overview of the difference between tftp, ftp, sftp, and scp.
Image shows a grid of four columns and eight rows detailing the difference between four common types of file transfer: tftp, ftp, sftp, and scp; across eight data points: transfer protocol, standard port, speed overview, security overview, authentication support, encryption support, and connection orientation.
TFTP : UDP, port 69, Fast, Less Secure, No Authentication, No Encryption, and Connection-less
FTP: TCP, port 20, 21, Slow, Less Secure, Authentication, No Encryption, and Connection-oriented
SFTP: TCP, Port 22, Slow, Secure, Authentication, Encryption, and Connection-oriented
SCP: TCP, Port 22, Fast, Secure, Authentication, Encryption, and Connection-oriented
I've only really used it for net boot (https://netboot.xyz/) myself. Maybe OOB back in the day with some iLo shenanigans, but otherwise I stick with rsync.
While that is a very common use case (bootp), I've ran across a lot of hardware that use it for config upload and download:
To upload a config to an industrial grade Garettcom switch you need to use tftp. Same goes for firmware updates and config backups.
This Cisco phone I was battling with once tried to download a config vea TFTP feom its DHCP server, assuming its DHCP server was part of the SIP infrastructure. The above mechanism was also used successfully by some other proprietary hardware built inhouse for firmware updates.