The Ultimate
Managed File Transfer
(MFT) Software Tools List

• Strong focus on cloud-hosting and SaaS. MOVEit for some time has been very proactive in supporting customers who wish to host their solutions in Microsoft Azure; being present in the Azure Marketplace and supporting Azure Blobs for file storage, Azure AD for authentication and Azure SQL as its database. 
• A true SaaS solution in MOVEit Transfer Cloud. With subscription, per user pricing, multi-tenanted servers and high-availability. 
• Separation of MOVEit Transfer and Automation means that customers who require the functionality of one, do not need to deploy or have visible, components and visuals relevant to the other. 
• Strong and easy-to-use user interface, which stands out against its competitors. 
• Significant level of support which includes 24/7 delivered via multiple global offices on a follow-the-sun programme. 

• Lack of agent support in workflow Automation limits its application in some environments.
• MOVEit needs further cloud connectors to support the array of solutions in-use in today’s organisations.
• Subscription licenses for on-premise and Azure deployments.
• No support for ICAP or FTP when purchasing the SaaS option.
• MOVEit Automation in the cloud is available as a dedicated instance only.
• It would be remiss of us to ignore that in June 2023, a MOVEit vulnerability was discovered and subsequently exploited against a number of prominent customers. Since then, Progress has made efforts to improve its development and disclosure processes. However, this may affect their overall attractiveness as a solution. 

• Support for FTP, FTPS, SFTP, HTTP, HTTPS, AS1, AS2 and AS3.
• AES 256 FIP140-2 certified Encryption at Rest.
• Tamper-evident audit logging.
• Web-administration interface.
• Support for Azure SQL, Azure Blobs and Azure AD via SAMLv2.
• SharePoint Online, Azure Blob and S3 connectors.
• Reverse-proxy gateway solution.
• Secure messaging/attachments.
• REST API.

• Available as a SaaS offering or can be hosted in a private cloud.
• No EDI tools.
• No DLP available.
• No Custom scripting.
• No support for AS2.

• Elastic scalability.
• High availability.
• Dev, Test and Prod instances.
• Multi-protocol (SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS.)
• iPaaS connectors (MuleSoft, Boomi).
• Cloud connectors (Amazon S3, Azure, SharePoint).
• No file size or type limits.
• APIs.

• AV included without need for ICAP.

• The Base Support included with a license is sub-standard when compared with rival MFT vendor offerings. An upgrade to Business Standard is available but increases the overall solution cost.
• Although recently revised, the user interface still appears unrefined and doesn’t represent the solution well.
• Lack of support for SAML based authentication sources will harm its ability to evolve with business needs and fully embrace cloud-centric architecture.

• Support for FTP, FTPS, SFTP, HTTP, HTTPS, WebDAV, AS2.
• PGP encryption for files-at-rest.
• Web-administration interface.
• FIPS 140-2 validated cryptography.
• Secure messaging/attachments.
• Workflow automation.
• AD authentication.
• Reverse-Proxy gateway solution.
• PCI-DSS compliance scans.
• QuickSend file sharing feature.

• Maytech are very much the modern technology vendor, with Quatrix being cloud-native using a Software as a Service (SaaS) subscription pricing model. Growth is based on the number of user accounts, which can scale up and down based on need. 
• A truly flexible solution, Quatrix is available as a SaaS solution or as a dedicated instance on Google Cloud, AWS or Azure. Including a China edition for data residency purposes.
• A rapidly growing capability set which is seemingly added to on a Monthly basis, on some occasions. New features are free of charge, a testament to Quatrix’s commitment to its customers.
• Seriously impressive support statistics of 99% support tickets being answered within 45 minutes. Something we were sceptical of - but have verified. 

• Support for HTTPS, SFTP, SCP, REST API.
• AES 256 encryption for files at rest.
• No code automated file transfer workflows, with remote agent support.
• Project folders with granular controls.
• Multi- or dedicated instances on GCP, AWS, Azure
• Support for both SSO via SAMLv2 and MFA.
• Integrated AV scanning.
• Desktop app and Microsoft Outlook plugin.
• Extensive release notes, guides and online help files. 

The stealthy but mighty Primeur may not be a name you have heard of, but rest assured that much of the Fortune 500 have. From humble beginnings in 1986 as the brainchild of an Italian IBM engineer, Primeur launched its first MFT solution, THEMA, in 1988. Through much of the 90’s Primeur stayed close to IBM through innovative integration until the release of SPAZIO MFT in 2010. Over the next decade SPAZIO would become one of the most commonly used data transfer tools in banking and insurance, riding on its connectivity with IBM MQ. 

In modern times, SPAZIO has evolved into DATA ONE – a suite of solutions divided up into transfer, transformation, reporting and governance. In particular, Primeur makes use of COA® (Contract Oriented Architecture®), an innovative methodology of splitting data transfers into input, mediation and output contracts which can be re-used and called in any end-to-end flow via an event manager. All of this is managed using a well-put-together drag-and-drop UI tool. 

• Excellent UI and Marketing team make Primeur the most modern looking of any enterprise MFT solution. 
• Integration with Axway and IBM technologies makes it a powerful force in the world of banking and finance. 
• Its DATA WATCHER reporting tool can inject logs from other MFT solutions such as GoAnywhere and MOVEit. 
• A well thought-out contract based architecture makes complex workflows and easily repeatable and simplifies subsequent changes or edits. 

• Contract oriented architecture.
• DMZ Gateway proxying capability.
• Cross Operating-System support.
• Data transformation capabilities.
• Drag-and-drop UI.
• Integrations with Axway, IBM, MOVEit and GoAnywhere to name a few.
• Horizontal scalability
• SLA Reporting

The phoenix of our industry, which others are keen to learn lessons from in recent times, is Kiteworks – formally known as Accellion. Although this isn’t a review of content collaboration solutions, it would be remiss of us to ignore the fact that Kiteworks offers both EFSS and MFT (Managed File Transfer). With the former being represented by its well-known and visually pleasing Secure File Sharing platform, the solution by which most would probably recognise the Kiteworks brand. 

Kiteworks is not just a one-trick pony however. Under the banner of its PCN (Private Content Network), which provides a consolidated platform for secure sharing, email security and web forms, is a strong MFT workflow automation toolkit. Complete with SLA (Service Level Agreements) management, reporting, drag-and-drop workflow creation and even access to a user-led community for custom scripting. Through investment and laser-like focus, Kiteworks appear to be on a noticeable trajectory upwards, disrupting some its more “continually present” rivals. 

• Focus on UI (User Interface) and aesthetics has always and continues to make it one of the more visually appealing solutions. 
• Impressively deep automated workflow creation tool alongside a community script sharing programme which makes even the most complicated workflows, easy to author. 
• Strong leadership and laser-like focus on market growth, with a sensible and pragmatic approach to its challenges in the past. 
• An interesting concept in their PCN which attempts to provide control and therefore security to a number of traditionally unmanaged or poorly managed communication channels, including email, API and file transfer. 

Cleo have had quite the journey as a business. Once a division of a business which created terminal emulators and B2B communication software; now a specialist in data exchange and integration via its CIC (Cleo Integration Cloud) solution. Seemingly able to connect to anything, using any protocol, CIC has been expertly crafted to be the one-size-fits-all glue that connects disparate systems and organisations together. However, reviewing Swiss Army knives makes for difficult comparison and while CIC does provide an array of connectivity and transformation features for EDI and API interfaces, this review will stick with Managed File Transfer.

Cloud first in its architecture, either hosted by the vendor of available as software for private cloud hosting, CIC has a simple and yet elegant user interface - typical of modern SaaS solutions. CIC includes the usual round-up of features, including schedule- and event-driven automated workflows; trading partner management; and SLA breach reporting. However, what really stands out with CIC is their support for up to 18 different protocols for both file transfer and connction to storage technologies.

• Strong and impressive market presence with high-volume household-names such as New Balance, Brother and AT&T all making use of Cleo solutions. 
• Variety of connectivity options from AS4 to OFTP2 to Azure Blobs makes CIC amenable to a wide range of use cases and organisation types. 
• CIC has a wider holistic approach with EDI, API and MFT all rolled into the concept of integration. 
• More EDI than MFT, but Cleo have taken each of their customers connection parameters and created a Cleo Network as a one-stop template shop for future customers to connect to those same trading partners.

Previously known as Hulft, Saison Technology retain a strong presence in the Far East and a small foothold in the West. Whilst they may not be a familiar brand to the Anglosphere, what was previously known as Hulft Transfer commands an impressive 80% of the Japanese market; in which some industries such as banking, it even hits 100%. Founded in 1993, translated into English in 2005 the product is now in its eighth major release. 

Saison Technology's Transfer product, which is the main MFT engine of its portfolio is distinct in its architecture from other major MFT players. Similar to agent-based design, it is installed on each endpoint which utilises its own protocol for sending and receiving files. Bucking the trend of using open standard protocols means it takes the advantages of old such as pre- and post-transfer scripting and compliments them with things like block-based retries and enhanced compression for up to 6x file transfer speed improvement. However, it is no island. It may shun protocols such as SFTP between its endpoints but it does support connectivity to cloud-based storage and has an externally accessible web-interface by way of various plugins. 

• We like the simplicity and old school nature of having agents/thick-clients installed onto endpoints. While this may seem archaic, Saison Technology does a job without bells and whistles, avoiding the issues which come with bleeding-edge technology.  
• Due to its proprietary protocol for transferring files, Saison's Transfer has rapid corruption and flaw detection for files allowing for error handling and resend requests to take place instantaneously. 
• While we are critical of only having a reporting engine in PowerBI due to the exclusion of those without it. We also applaud the use of a major reporting tool rather than re-inventing the wheel. Far too many MFT vendors ignore reporting entirely or attempt to create their own tools, which are inevitably lacking in depth and expertise. 
• The product may not be following the trend in terms of architecture, but it does have its eye on the future, with a rich portfolio of support for cloud storage technology, a web-based interface, EDI capabilities and more. 

With not far off forty years’ experience and having achieved a customer roster of more than 14,000, Seeburger is a European monolith of the file transfer and data exchange marketplaces. Still family-owned and run, Seeburger now have a presence in the US and Asia further expanding its reach beyond its significant homegrown foot holding of household brands such as Wurth, MoneyGram, and Puma. 

Like many players in this market, Seeburger’s (Business Integration Suite) BIS goes beyond traditional MFT, creating a solution which combines the protocols of MFT with EDI, API, EAI and iPaaS into a data and file exchange tool that can seemingly connect to anything. So much so, that we are reliably informed by Seeburger that their connector focussed suite is the only solution of this nature which can interface directly with SAP for the purpose of data transfer, automation and transformation without the need for middleware – with SAP S/4HANA being a significant driver new of business.  

• Seeburger BIS focusses on connectivity and has a connector library of over 77 existing connectors, which ranges from PayPal, Microsoft Azure, SAP and Workday. 
• The solution can be deployed on-premise, in private or public cloud environments or via one of Seeburger’s partners who act as a Managed Service Provider (MSP). 
• Seeburger claim that a significant number of their customers use their solution for integration with SAP as Seeburger is the only (or one of very few) which can interface without the need for middleware. 
• The “connect to anything” CIS solution converges a number of fragmented file transfer and data exchange marketplaces and solutions into one which is attractive to customers wanting to consolidate their solutions for better governance and control. 

JSCAPE is one of many success stories in the MFT industry over the past twenty-years, beginning with its inception in 1999 by the eminent Van Glass. Twenty-one years later, a merger of parent company Advanced System Concepts and Redwood Software has placed JSCAPE into a burgeoning portfolio of file transfer and workload automation solutions – alongside well-known names such as ActiveBatch and Cerberus. 

A new General Manager of MFT and a growing development team at Redwood all indicate that both investment and opportunity are in abundance and that their solutions are viewed attractively by the marketplace. This is no doubt in part to a very generous licensing model which has been kept to just two simple tiers; and a comprehensive array of features which appear to be endless. While JSCAPE MFT may not be the loudest voice in the marketplace, this should not reflect in its ability to compete with its contemporaries, offering just as much and in some cases more. 

• Significant spread of features such as accelerated file transfer, ASx, analytics, automated file transfer engine, federated authentication, multi-node architecture and much more. 
• A simple two-tiered licensing model. One which applies numerical restrictions to elements in the solution and another which is completely unrestricted. This is starkly different to rivals who modularise their offering and is ultimately a more cost-effective model. 
• Available as both on-premise and cloud, however with the cloud option being SaaS through multi-tenancy. Something which once again is not as ubiquitous in the MFT industry as it should be – particularly when it comes to automated file transfer engines. 
• JSCAPE provides a level of analytics, which while not comprehensive, stands out in a technology space where there is a notable absence of proper reporting or third-party tools which can provide it. 
• Extremely comprehensive automation engine - which can rival even the best of MFT – with workflows being built with a drag and drop design board showing arrow-drawn linked elements.  

Previously known as ArcESB and by a series of other names prior to that, Arc is not a well-known solution brand in the MFT space but according to CData it boasts over 10,000 customers globally. Arc encompasses CData’s B2B offering which among other things covers MFT and EDI. Separately CData have a focus on the data exchange and connectivity space with a huge marketplace of connectors on offer on their website and recently have acquired a data visualisation platform. Much like its contemporaries in this space, it seeks to be at the centre of enterprise data. 

• Like much of the MFT market, CData are branching out to provide a wider enterprise application integration offering, which retains their focus on data transfer and transformation but exposes them to a wider marketplace. Customers of CData will undoubtedly benefit from this wider expertise when they come to need them. 
• Arc has a very clean, clear and usable drag-and-drop workflow builder which has impressed our consultants when having had the opportunity to see and use it in the past. 
• Arc is available as on-premise software; as a SaaS solution which is hosted by CData; and can also be found in the Azure and AWS marketplaces. This type of “however you want it” architecture keeps the solution relevant for a wide range of business models. 
• Simple and easy to set up, the deployment times are short and thus provide a faster return on investment to customers. The CData website advertises that the solution can be set up in less than 30 minutes. 
• Arc combines elements of MFT and EDI into one platform in a way which we believe when combined with their strong interface, has a modernising impact on EDI – something which is not seen with most of their competitors. 

AWS probably needs no introduction. The cloud computing monolith that is Amazon has moved into artificial intelligence, quantum computing, mass storage and now file transfer and data exchange - with a collection of services such as S3, EventBridge and CloudWatch making up the Transfer family. With revenues in excess of $80 billion, any area of IT that Amazon delves into is bound to make smaller competitors sweat, but how serious is this sub-sector of IT and how does it compare in terms of features and capabilities? 

To provide the AWS Transfer Family - aptly named - AWS uses a number of its services in combination. Server endpoints support inbound connections via FTP, FTPS, SFTP and AS2; outbound delivery of files takes place via an SFTP connector; and post-processing of files can be achieved via Managed Workflows or EventBridge. All the other likely characters in their portfolio can be used for extended capabilities, such as S3 and EFS for storage, encryption at rest and CloudWatch for logging. On the face of it, the AWS Transfer Family ticks 80% of the boxes for most MFT projects, and its name will carry weight with procurement teams. 

• For businesses making use of AWS already, it will be advantageous to centralise their file transfer activities and billing into one console and make use of their existing internal skillset to manage, deploy and maintain. 
• With support for SFTP/FTPS, Drummond certified AS2, AV scanning and workflow capabilities, AWS Transfer Family caters for a wide range of common use cases and pain points which MFT is employed for. 
• AWS consultants and service providers are much more commonplace than MFT engineers, meaning skills are within easier reach than with competitive solutions. This could drive down costs, particularly where IT teams are outsourced to large system integrators who already have alignment with AWS. 
• Significant scalability. Everything in AWS Transfer is scalable at a modular level and can utilise the huge back-end network and capabilities which AWS have at their disposal. While a consumption-based cost model can be a disadvantage to larger customers, the ability to grow and contract based on need is also advantageous in the right circumstances. 

Despite existing for more than twenty years, you would be forgiven for having missed OPSWAT. With a core focus on security within the IT/OT space, their MFT solution hasn’t commanded significant attention – in its own right - up until now. Formally known as MetaDefender Vault, OPSWAT has been undergoing rigorous development since 2023 to catch up with the MFT marketplace, bolstered by integration with other elements of its strong portfolio.

What strikes us as interesting with OPSWAT is their a la carte menu of a portfolio, which offers everything from kiosks to intrusion prevention to ICAP with impressive layered security. All of these solutions have been designed to work together, rather than adapted and combined later. Given the focus on security ecosystems and OT, it is no surprise that OPSWAT enjoys popularity in aerospace, defence, manufacturing, critical infrastructure and heavy industry. While the MFT solution doesn’t necessarily compete equally on features with some of its peers, it is certainly one to watch. 

• Wide portfolio of interconnected solutions which have a mantra of top-level security for IT and OT devices.
• OPSWAT’s own ICAP solution is incredibly feature rich with CDR, sandboxing, DLP and threat intelligence all baked in. Interestingly, it also works with other MFT solutions.
• MFT contains approval workflow, something which is notably absent from almost all MFT solutions – holding files in a vault until a manager has approved their delivery to destination.
• In conversation with OPSWAT, we understand that this solution has strategic importance and an impressive level of development going into it. We believe it will be quick to catch up and surpass some of those products whose R&D have slowed in recent years.
  

Whilst perhaps not amongst the most well-known MFT tools on the marketplace, bTrade TDXchange does boast an impressive customer list, featuring some of the world’s biggest brands. Founded by a pair of computer scientists over 30 years ago, bTrade evolved out of the growing need for data security and compliance across various industry sectors. This mission to provide dependable and secure data transfer services culminated in the release of their MFT product TDXchange.  

Over the last couple of years bTrade have added heft to their leadership organisation and are creeping back into wider consideration, particularly for mid-market customers, a trend that is highlighted by their more prominent rankings in software reviews and their recent Net Emotional Footprint score of +100 from Info-Tech Research Group. Offering a robust feature set, which includes encryption, real-time data monitoring, tailored workflow options, and a user-friendly experience, it will be fascinating to see if TDXchange can continue to build awareness and market share.  

• 30+ years of experience delivering managed file transfer projects across multiple industries worldwide.  
• bTrade has spent decades refining their solutions, earning the trust of diverse clients, including government agencies like the Department of Education and the IRS. Since 1990, bTrade claims to have protected trillions of dollars in global data exchanges. 
• Comprehensive security feature set, including data-at-rest encryption, automatic backups, and real-time monitoring with alerts and notifications. 
• Easy to install and configure.  
• The modern, web-based user interface is intuitive and designed for ease of use. 
  

Originally developed back in the 90s by Rob Beckers as a standalone FTP server for Windows, Serv-U gained a reputation for straightforward, simple to use file transfers. Acquired by RhinoSoft in 2005 Serv-U was then swallowed up by the SolarWinds empire in 2011.

Absorbed into the wider SolarWinds portfolio of IT Management and monitoring tools Serv-U was positioned as an Enterprise-Grade Managed File Transfer Solution to the marketplace. Despite retaining the low entry price point and reputation for ease-of-use, some of the wider development of the tool leaves something to be desired when looking at enterprise-level competitors. Serv-U still lacks some of the core components of an MFT solution, notably missing a workflow engine. 

Any review of a SolarWinds product would be remiss not to discuss their challenging history of security incidents, most notably the US federal government data breach of 2020. Serv-U has not escaped this shadow and a large number of regularly reported CVEs for the product remains a worrying trend. You can read an in-depth review of the most recent Serv-U release here.

• Server software is available for Windows and Linux.
• Usability is still a key selling point for Serv-U, with a user-friendly drag and drop UI in place.
• Serv-U Gateway provides security to incoming connections via a reverse proxy. 
• Relatively inexpensive.