GoAnywhere MFT vs SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server comparison

Fortra and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Managed File Transfer (MFT) category. Fortra is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.6, while SolarWinds is ranked #20. Fortra holds a 10.2% mindshare in MFT, compared to SolarWinds’s 1.1% mindshare. Additionally, 99% of Fortra users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

GoAnywhere MFT

Read 88 GoAnywhere MFT reviews

4,027 Views
3,785 Comparison Views

99% willing to recommend

SolarWinds Serv-U File Tran...

Read 1 SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server review

294 Views
294 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

GoAnywhere MFT

SolarWinds Serv-U File Tran...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 21, 2025

GoAnywhere MFT and SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server are products in the secure file transfer domain. GoAnywhere MFT leads in security features, while SolarWinds Serv-U stands out for its ease of use and perceived value.

Features: GoAnywhere MFT provides advanced security and automation features, with encryption, auditing, and job scheduling. SolarWinds Serv-U includes strong integration capabilities, customizable user access controls, and scalability.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server has straightforward deployment and strong customer support, allowing for quick setup. GoAnywhere MFT requires more initial configuration due to its extensive features and may need more support interaction.

Pricing and ROI: GoAnywhere MFT has a higher initial setup cost, benefiting large organizations with complex needs for long-term ROI. SolarWinds Serv-U offers a cost-effective option with quicker ROI through lower initial costs and fast deployment.

To learn more, read our detailed Managed File Transfer (MFT) Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Managed File Transfer (MFT)

January 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

GoAnywhere MFT

Ranking in Managed File Transfer (MFT)

1st

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SolarWinds Serv-U File Tran...

Ranking in Managed File Transfer (MFT)

20th

Average Rating

7.0

Reviews Sentiment

4.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Managed File Transfer (MFT) category, the mindshare of GoAnywhere MFT is 10.2%, up from 7.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server is 1.1%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Managed File Transfer (MFT) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
GoAnywhere MFT	10.2%
SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server	1.1%
Other	88.7%

Managed File Transfer (MFT)

Featured Reviews

Anuj Bhagwat

DevOps Engineer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

Has enabled secure, centralized file sharing while saving significant time and resources

The best features in GoAnywhere MFT are that it's fast, reliable, and secure. First, the improvement is that we have resolved one of our security points with compliance. So that compliance point we resolved. And also it's a centralized file sharing system. All the users are able to access the file. There is no one-to-one sharing. It's improved about 80 to 85%. It saves about 80 to 90% resources. In terms of time, we can say 90 to 95% time is also saved because it avoids the one-to-one sharing and simply a user can put one centralized directory and all the users are able to access this solution and access the file. So it's 95%.

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reviewer2292672

Lead Analyst at a integrator with 51-200 employees

The solution can be used for internal file transfer, but its technical support and third-party integrations should be improved

I am comparing SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server, WS_FTP, and Wing FTP for my current company. We use the solution for multiple purposes, and it should be user-friendly when integrating something. We cannot always depend on the support team to come and fix the issues. Overall, I rate SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server a seven out of ten.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable features are the automatic processing of files and scheduled execution of the files."

"We like that GoAnywhere helps to centralize the exchange of data among our systems, employees, and customers."

"The most valuable feature is the Advanced Workflows."

"When we were doing the demo, we took one project from the old system and got it running in GoAnywhere in less than 30 minutes. That says a lot. I've written queries and understand code, so I'm not a novice. Still, I think that's pretty impressive for a software product to be able to deliver a functional use case in half an hour."

"The best features of GoAnywhere MFT are its powerful customization capabilities that allow us to dictate the process and add in custom processes, which was a limitation with other MFTs we used."

"If it's dealing with SFTP or any kind of secure transfer, we don't hear about it. It's good. Everything works."

"The security and vendor management features are helpful in terms of providing access to data."

"Another nice feature is that you can invoke a native program from GoAnywhere. That helps you because you don't have to get fancy with agents. If a native program runs on the server that GoAnywhere is running on, like sed or perl, you can use it,"

More GoAnywhere MFT pros

"We use SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server for internal file transfer."

Cons

"The application uses resources such as network connections to shared directories or SFTP connections. I would appreciate seeing utilization metrics for these resources."

"It would be helpful to have a way to actually have a job run without notifying the email addresses you have set up and without posting to the actual FTP... when you need to make a small change to a job that is deployed to production, and test that change, you have to go back and reset everything. It's not really a great way to test."

"One area for improvement in GoAnywhere MFT is that they don't have a real debugger. You have to manually walk through your projects. If you build a big scripting project, you have no way at the beginning to step through; you can't skip straight to a line, nor can you put a breakpoint and say, 'stop here' as in any normal debugging process."

"I am unable to accomplish this with the predefined functions provided by GoAnywhere MFT, which is why I use shell scripting."

"The UI can feel somewhat heavy when we perform advanced troubleshooting for complex workflows."

"The solution's support for the Unix platform and AS2 should be improved."

"A drawback is that it is not as feature-rich compared to its competitor Sterling, which we used before."

"A drawback is that it is not as feature-rich compared to its competitor Sterling, which we used before. It has fewer features, though it is more intuitive."

More GoAnywhere MFT cons

"The solution’s technical support should be improved."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing can be expensive and it depends upon which features you want to buy."

"Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT carries a higher price tag than other MFT solutions."

"The cost is fine. It is probably the best software that I've had for the money that we spend for it. I am not aware of any costs in addition to the standard licensing fees. I don't pay for it. IT pays for it."

"It is very attractive. In terms of the capacity of the product and functionality, it is a good price."

"The cost of GoAnywhere versus the value it brings to our data transfer operations is reasonable... The cost is relatively expensive but, back to the car analogy, that's to be expected with a Ferrari."

"GoAnywhere's price is justified by its features and the time it saves me."

"It is moderately priced. If I compare it with other products that we have been using, its price is moderate. There are approximately 30% to 40% savings."

"HelpSystems GoAnywhere MFT is very reasonably priced for the value it brings."

More GoAnywhere MFT pricing and cost advice

"The pricing of the solution is INR 3,00,000."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	57
Midsize Enterprise	18
Large Enterprise	43

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT?

GoDrive eliminates the need to use the exchange server for file sharing.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT?

The pricing of GoAnywhere MFT is fair. I don't have any complaints about it. It feels really reasonable, and for the automation features that they provide, it is nice. It may feel high for basic ne...

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What needs improvement with Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT?

The UI/UX of GoAnywhere MFT feels somewhat cluttered. Some of the options I need are in a very cluttered space, and I need to search for them frequently. If the interface could be more simplified, ...

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Comparisons

JSCAPE by Redwood vs GoAnywhere MFT

Compared 13% of the time

IBM Sterling File Gateway vs GoAnywhere MFT

Compared 10% of the time

MOVEit vs GoAnywhere MFT

Compared 9% of the time

Control-M vs GoAnywhere MFT

Compared 8% of the time

Axway AMPLIFY Managed File Transfer vs GoAnywhere MFT

Compared 6% of the time

More GoAnywhere MFT Competitors

MOVEit vs SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server

Compared 37% of the time

More SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

GoAnywhere MFT

January 2026

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Buyer's Guide

Managed File Transfer (MFT)

January 2026

SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server report

Download SolarWinds Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server product report

Also Known As

HelpSystems GoAnywhere MFT, GoAnywhere MFT, GoAnywhere Managed File Transfer,

Serv-U File Transfer Protocol Server, Serv-U FTP Server

Overview

GoAnywhere MFT offers user-friendly workflow features, advanced security, and seamless integrations. Its intuitive interface supports streamlined operations and rapid project creation, making it suitable for managing secure file transfers.

GoAnywhere MFT provides sophisticated automation through Advanced Workflows, enabling reduced manual tasks and improved efficiency. With centralized data exchange, file monitoring, and comprehensive security protocols, it supports scalability, encryption, and IP filtering for enhanced protection. Users appreciate its adaptability with systems including IBM and Epic, contributing to improved process management and significant time savings. While beneficial, enhancements in DNS support, user interface intuitiveness, and customer service responsiveness are potential growth areas. License costs are noted as high, with demands for better documentation, cloud service integrations, and improved scalability and load-balancing functionalities.

What are the key features of GoAnywhere MFT?

User-Friendly Workflows: Intuitive interface streamlines operations.
Advanced Security: Includes encryption, IP filters, and monitoring.
Seamless Integrations: Adapts to systems like IBM and Epic.
Automation: Simplifies processes with reduced manual tasks.
Scalability: Grows with business needs.

What are the benefits and ROI of using GoAnywhere MFT?

Improved Efficiency: Reduces workload through automation.
Time Savings: Accelerates project delivery.
Enhanced Security: Protects data with advanced protocols.
Adaptability: Supports multiple platforms and integrations.
Process Management: Simplifies and streamlines data exchange.

GoAnywhere MFT is deployed by organizations for secure file transfers across systems like financial, healthcare, and corporate sectors. It supports SFTP, FTP, and HTTPS for data exchanges and is highly effective in automating processes and managing large file movements efficiently. It integrates well with cloud platforms like Azure and accommodates environments such as Windows, Linux, and IBM iSeries.

Fortra

Serv-U Managed File Transfer (MFT) - Remote File Sharing | SolarWinds SolarWinds logo Government Customer... logo Serv-U Managed File Transfer Server Enhance security and control over... “Serv-U Managed File Transfer Server is a versatile, easy-to-deploy solution that integrates well into... Serv-U Managed File Transfer Server is an excellent and cost-effective solution.

SolarWinds

Sample Customers

McKesson City of Modesto, California Kwik Trip Northwestern University Charter Communications

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Managed File Transfer (MFT)

January 2026

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