SFP transceivers are available in a number of different transmit and receive types, and users can select the appropriate transceiver for each link to provide the "optical performance" that is achievable based on the fiber type available, such as multimode or singlemode. The available optical SFP modules are generally divided into the following categories: MMF (SX) at 850 nm wavelength/550 m distance, SMF (LX) at 1310 nm wavelength/10 km distance, XD at 1550 nm wavelength/40 km distance, 80 km distance ZX, EX or EZX for 120 km distance, and DWDM. SFP transceivers also provide a copper interface, enabling host devices designed primarily for fiber-optic communications to communicate over UTP network cables. There are also wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) and single fiber "bidirectional" (1310/1490 nm wavelength upstream/downstream) SFPs.

　　Commercial SFP transceivers are capable of delivering rates up to 4.25 Gbps. Several packages of 10 Gbps transceivers are XFP, as well as a new variant "SFP+" that is basically identical to the SFP package