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reviewer2557383 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Tech Analyst at a financial services firm with 201-500 employees
Real User
Sep 25, 2024
Enables easy and secure file transfers but should have more training resources
Pros and Cons
  • "Scheduling is valuable. You can schedule a transfer for any time you want. It can be hourly, daily, monthly, or yearly. You can transfer the file on AWS, Azure, or SharePoint."
  • "For training, there should be some sites or resources on YouTube or Udemy. They do not have that currently."

What is our primary use case?

GoAnywhere MFT tool is used to transfer files from one end user to another. 

Traditionally, you would transfer a file as an attachment to an email. However, that does not always work very well, especially if you want to continuously transfer files. For example, sometimes you need to transfer files every hour. In such cases, traditional ways of file transfers do not work very well. This is where GoAnywhere MFT is helpful. You can just place a file at a location and it automatically gathers the file and transfers it to the destination or wherever you want to transfer it. 

How has it helped my organization?

It provides the easiest and safest way to transfer files. There is security and multiple advantages to using an MFT tool like GoAnywhere MFT.

It enables you to easily transfer files and not bother about sending them manually through emails. You can automate it. You do not want to log in and attach files in an email. You can just place them at a specified location, and they are picked up by the GoAnywhere MFT server. If you want to transfer a file to an external vendor, you can either use the vendor's location or your own location to put the file. If the external vendor provides you with a location, you can use that. Otherwise, you can create a folder and provide access to the external vendor. There are two options. It is very easy and secure.

What is most valuable?

Scheduling is valuable. You can schedule a transfer for any time you want. It can be hourly, daily, monthly, or yearly. You can transfer the file on AWS, Azure, or SharePoint. These are the main advantages.

It is easy to use. You just need to create a template and then the sequence is already provided to you. You just have to input the details that you got from the requester. You do not need to put any code, but if you have to do PGP key and encryption, it is a little bit complicated because all users are not aware of all the cases. You have to tell them what exactly you need in a particular case and what you are going to provide them. You need to interact with them.

What needs improvement?

They should have some training courses. Usually, everything is available on YouTube today, but I have not found any videos for this solution. For training, there should be some sites or resources on YouTube or Udemy. They do not have that currently.

Feature-wise, I do not have any areas for improvement. Whenever we work for a company, they have certain restrictions, and we cannot use all the features of any MFT tool. In my previous company, we had a few restrictions, and the feature usage was limited, which made it hard to say if it lacked any features or not. I have not found any issues with most of the features I worked with. I could do whatever was required using GoAnywhere MFT.

Buyer's Guide
GoAnywhere MFT
October 2026
Learn what your peers think about GoAnywhere MFT. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2026.
918,169 professionals have used our research since 2012.

For how long have I used the solution?

I used this solution for four years and seven months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

GoAnywhere MFT is very good in terms of stability. You would not find many issues related to stability. If there are any issues, they are rare or once or twice a year.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We can easily scale up and scale down. If they want to use GoAnywhere MFT, most companies get it for a year. People usually do not scale down. They usually scale up because it has many services.

I believe it was being used at multiple locations because we had four servers. If any one of them went down, we had other servers.

How are customer service and support?

I never contacted them. We had an on-site team for that, but I have attended calls with them. They are very prompt. They will schedule a meeting and help you out until the issue is resolved.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

In the market, there are multiple MFT tools, but I only have experience working with GoAnywhere MFT. When I joined the company, GoAnywhere MFT was already there. I was trained on that and started working with it.

How was the initial setup?

In my previous company, it was on the cloud. I was not involved in its deployment. It was already being used in my previous company. 

If you want to deploy it, you need to contact GoAnywhere. You can raise the ticket and ask them to provide that particular service. They will charge you and provide the service. 

I am not sure, but it seems that it does not require any maintenance. We just have to restart it, and we get all the updates and patching activities done.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate GoAnywhere MFT a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2114118 - PeerSpot reviewer
Application Development Manager at a government with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Mar 13, 2023
A user-friendly and accessible solution that provides centralized management
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to learn and user-friendly, which makes it accessible even to those without programming backgrounds and extensive scripting training. Newcomers can quickly get to grips with the platform, and as it's a more object-oriented application, it's easier to use and program."
  • "The solution's built-in functions could be better; I want to see easier file transfers and management."

What is our primary use case?

We use GoAnywhere for the basic Secure File Transfer Protocols (SFTPs). We transfer between various operating systems, and most of our servers are Unix, such as Linux and AIX.

Regarding security, we don't store data on the GoAnywhere servers, and access is limited. Our information security is essential as we're a public safety agency.

How has it helped my organization?

We've been using the solution for all these years, and that's a testament to how useful we find it as an organization. We previously used a lot of scripting for FTP and SFTP, but GoAnywhere MFT provides a centralized managed platform that reduces our manual workload. 

What is most valuable?

The product enables live transfer between servers, and it does what we need it to. 

GoAnywhere being a centralized platform fits our needs very well; it gets the job done and improves our file transfer operations.

The solution is easy to learn and user-friendly, which makes it accessible even to those without programming backgrounds and extensive scripting training. Newcomers can quickly get to grips with the platform, and as it's a more object-oriented application, it's easier to use and program.

What needs improvement?

The solution's built-in functions could be better; I want to see easier file transfers and management. 

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution for around ten years. 

How are customer service and support?

The tech support is pretty good, and the team members are knowledgeable for the most part; I rate them eight out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is considered easy. We are looking to upgrade to the newest version and have one staff member responsible for implementing that. However, the installation guide provides little information, and the installation notes are relatively limited.

What was our ROI?

Previously, we did file transfers manually, so we didn't need to pay anything. However, GoAnywhere is a strong product, so it's a good investment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product's pricing is reasonable. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate the solution eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
GoAnywhere MFT
October 2026
Learn what your peers think about GoAnywhere MFT. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2026.
918,169 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Stephen Whigham - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior PBM Systems Administrator at FairosRx
Real User
Jun 9, 2022
Great tool for automating file transfers, encryption, SFTP, and executing internal applications
Pros and Cons
  • "I like the organization of resources, specifically listing out all of our FTPs and having a name and description to easily organize them. I also like the scheduler. The organization and the scheduling, being able to create the folders and the jobs, have been really helpful."
  • "As a company, it's allowing us to hire people who can come up with innovative ideas instead of hiring people just to do repetitive work."
  • "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."
  • "We do have to occasionally restart GoAnywhere because a job gets stuck or we are having connectivity issues."

What is our primary use case?

I'm using it for automated exports of reports, where we're running scripts and exporting data in various formats, as well as for sending notifications to clients, for FTP uploads and downloads. We have patient enrollment files that get posted to our FTP and I'm using monitors to determine when a file gets downloaded and processed, and then results posted back.

I use GoAnywhereMFT to kick off other applications which will then do most of my file conversions and transformations. I'm reading data back in, either from queries or file sets that get created, in order to handle other functions of the jobs.

We do use the API functions a little bit, although I'm doing most of that through other applications, kicked off by MFT.

How has it helped my organization?

It helps centralize the exchange of data. Controlling the syncing of databases is pretty critical for us. We need the data to be up to date. If GoAnywhere wasn't able to do it, we would either have to develop an internal solution or look for an alternative.

The solution's workflow features have definitely helped eliminate manual processes. We're still a small company, we just started up in 2020. But we're already running hundreds of jobs a day and, and without the workflow features, we would have to hire many people to be able to do those same tasks.

In addition, we are a PBM (pharmacy benefits manager) and one of the core functions that has to be done with every client is receiving patient enrollment data. We also do inbound and outbound patient accumulation files, invoicing, reports, and status jobs. Just in those few transactions with all of our clients, that's a lot of potential manual touch points that have to be done. GoAnywhere has allowed me to automate all of that, plus additional tasks that would normally go to a reporting team.

As a company, it's allowing us to hire people who can come up with innovative ideas instead of hiring people just to do repetitive work. It's allowing us to grow and focus on new things instead of just trying to keep up and tread water on current tasks.

Another benefit is that it has PGP functionality built right in, and that gives me a good way to actually manage the keys, have a list of them, and use them. This is my one repository for all of that data and it gets picked up by the jobs. Previously, I had to have a separate PGP key management tool. Anytime that we would receive a file that was encrypted, while I might have been able to automate the transfer down of the FTP, but I would have to manually decrypt the file. Having that one core functionality can save me up to an hour a day.  Now, I can come in in the morning, log in to my inbox and get a report of everything that's happening: what has errored and what hasn't, instead of spending the day actually doing those processes.

We automate about 95 percent of all our transfers, so GoAnywhere is quite a help. We'll still have unscheduled file dumps or transfers that need to happen, of course, but I immediately use GoAnywhere to set up a job for anything that occurs on any type of regular basis.

What is most valuable?

I like the organization of resources, specifically listing out all of our FTPs and having a name and description to easily organize them. I also like the scheduler. The organization and the scheduling, being able to create the folders and the jobs, have been really helpful.

Looking at the comprehensiveness of GoAnywhere’s workflow features, I use it with other applications and, so far, there hasn't been anything I haven't been able to accomplish either through GoAnywhere exclusively, or using GoAnywhere with another application to get a task done. Everything revolves around GoAnywhere. It has a really good suite of features. It would be unlikely for us to move away from GoAnywhere because it has very good core functionality that we like to augment with a couple of additional applications.

What needs improvement?

Pretty much everything we've needed to connect to has been done fairly seamlessly.

The only issue I've had with connectivity, database or otherwise, revolved around an SSH key. I tried to create a key, but it was incompatible with a vendor's SFTP. And when that vendor has tried to create a key and share it with me, I have not been unable to import it into GoAnywhere. I had to use a third-party app to create the key and find something that was mutually compatible. I've submitted tickets on that to GAMFT for consideration.

They could possibly improve the error handling on jobs. Whenever it generates error logs, sometimes the error is very generic. It takes a little work to diagnose what's really going on. It may just say "IO Exception" and that doesn't really tell you much.

For how long have I used the solution?

About 3 years now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We do have to occasionally restart GoAnywhere because a job gets stuck or we are having connectivity issues. It restarts very quickly on the server. We might have five minutes of downtime at the most every one to two months. It has been pretty reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

From what I've seen, it would be able to scale for everything I foresee us needing in the next five to 10 years. From my understanding, we can actually turn some of that up and add servers if necessary. I don't really expect any problems there.

I now look at any new process that needs to be considered through the lens of how I would automate it through GoAnywhere. That being said, given our size, I would call our usage moderate. We have about 300 jobs a day and at our peak I would expect about 500 jobs a day. Obviously, that would increase as we grow.

As an organization, we're still adding jobs. We don't have a shortage of things that we want to automate with GoAnywhere.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support has been pretty good. We've had some support directly through their chat service. I've had a couple of more urgent questions that needed to be answered and they were able to resolve them. We've also interacted with them via email and they've been very responsive and helpful.

They also have a queue-type ticket system that we've used a little bit.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

They got it set up pretty quickly. A HelpSystems person was available to work through the minor issues and answer questions as necessary.

A lot of the help came from doing the demo as far as seeing what we could do. The implementation itself was pretty smooth.

In terms of the intuitiveness, there's definitely a learning curve. You have to learn how a job should really be set up and that took a little more time than I wanted, but it was good to get the knowledge by going through that process. I started out with very simplistic jobs and then started adding checks and error handling as we went.

One example of the learning curve is, to zip up files, I have to first move them to a workspace and work from there instead of a network share. Nothing in the application tells you this, but I figured it out after some job failures. Encountering things like that takes a little bit of effort.

As you get the feel of how GoAnywhere expects to do things and you make the corrections to set your jobs up to match that structure, it works fine.

We haven't done a whole lot in terms of updates yet. We are trying to review how to best update without impacting our production jobs unexpectedly. We have someone who will be talking with GoAnywhere to facilitate that upgrade process.

What was our ROI?

This is hard to calculate exactly, but when I can spend time with my wife instead of staying late at work, I would say it is worth it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Though cost was a consideration, it was not under my umbrella.  Ultimately, we found the tool worth the cost.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated another product called MoveIt but GoAnywhere seemed to be a better product in my opinion.

There are certain functions that GAMFT can support but I like to use other applications for. For example, file transformation is possible within GoAnywhere, but easier in another application we use.

I try to evaluate what GoAnywhere is better at doing than other applications and use them accordingly. It handles file movement very well and I like the workspace feature.


What other advice do I have?

As part of the implementation process it would be a good idea to have a couple of examples, actual scenarios, you want to do. GoAnywhere has templates and they're good, but they're a little simplified compared to what you can do with the solution. That's really a compliment to the software itself. The templates are all about moving files, and GoAnywhere is capable of more than that. Having examples that involve reading data in from a database and identifying certain data lines to set variables is a good idea.

I would suggest, where applicable, to spend the time to design into the job a procedure where, if a process fails, you can retry, or reset things like filenames and locations.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
it_user1723758 - PeerSpot reviewer
Business Intelligence Developer at Food distribution company
Real User
Dec 6, 2021
Provides a layer of transparency across the business, allowing teams to see what others are working on
Pros and Cons
  • "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."
  • "In its class, I'd give GoAnywhere MFT a nine out of 10; it does what it does exceedingly well."
  • "API functionality wasn't part of our initial unit testing because it wasn't necessary then. However, shortly after implementing GoAnywhere, two different vendors approached us to do API transactions. We checked to see if GoAnywhere could do this and found that it was supposed to have that capability, but it broke down."

What is our primary use case?

We selected GoAnywhere to replace an on-prem custom-built C# ASP.net solution that we had inherited as a part of an acquisition of another company. We didn't want to maintain that solution in-house, so we searched for third-party providers that might offer some MFT solutions with EDI as a bonus. GoAnywhere checked all of our boxes. It was an easy choice in terms of costs, features, and support. 

Right now, I have three teams working with it: analytics developers, data engineers, and software developers. We're a pretty small house. There are four people in software development. The analytics team is supposed to have six, but we're currently at four. We should have two data engineers, but we now have one.

We have not yet implemented their FTP server. We own it but haven't installed it yet. We purchased the FTP portion of the software about six months ago because we were looking to replace our internal FTP solution. It was a project that we put on the back burner. After seeing the MFT product and how it performed, we felt pretty confident that we could migrate to their FTP platform as well. We were pleased with their support and performance on MFT, so it made sense for us to consolidate FTP into GoAnywhere.

How has it helped my organization?

One of the ways it has improved how we function is centralization, but that was somewhat of an unintended consequence. The initial purchase was intended to replace a specific application, but at least three other teams are currently using the application to move data internally within our network or to external providers. 

It has provided a layer of transparency across the business, particularly for our IT staff, allowing teams to see what others are working on. Even though I may not have worked on a package that interfaces with our buying software, I can see the packets out there. I can see who built the packet and what's in it. If they're not there and something goes wrong, we can troubleshoot across teams. It also creates opportunities for cross-training and cross-team support. 

I can't say that GoAnywhere's workflow features have eliminated any manual processes because the solution it replaced was already automated, so there weren't necessarily manual processes there. However, it has also allowed us to onboard other projects because the automation method is easy. 

It's hard to quantify the direct impact GoAnywhere has had on our operations because so much of it is behind the scenes. Our end-users just know that the data is flowing, so that reliability is something they won't notice. I also wouldn't say that it eliminated workloads per se because we merely moved from one system to another. But if we were starting with no automated solution in place, it would significantly reduce the workload. Of course, it would depend on the workload you're attempting to replace. From a monitoring and design perspective, it could potentially cut your workload in half. GoAnywhere hasn't helped us shift staff members to other tasks because we're a pretty lean shop, to begin with. Our plates are full regardless.

What is most valuable?

The user interface is highly intuitive, which has streamlined migration from our old solution. I say that with the caveat that we're a pretty technical house, so we have a reasonably strong skill set. 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. I still think that's pretty impressive for a software product to be able to deliver a functional use case in half an hour.

GoAnywhere's workflow features eliminate the need for custom programs and scripts for file transfers, which was pretty critical, given the software we were replacing. While it was an internally built application, a custom script was written for each interface that had to be maintained long-term. So to convert those to a system that could build, maintain, and scale those functions out of the box was pretty critical for us.

What needs improvement?

There have been a few things that GoAnywhere couldn't handle. We discovered one recently that was beyond the scope of our original requirements. API functionality wasn't part of our initial unit testing because it wasn't necessary then. However, shortly after implementing GoAnywhere, two different vendors approached us to do API transactions. We checked to see if GoAnywhere could do this and found that it was supposed to have that capability, but it broke down. It completed the transaction, but it didn't correctly parse the JSON. Specifically, heavily nested JSON files break down when it attempts to parse the data.

There's a workaround. You have to reorganize the JSON file, and then GoAnywhere can read it. We went in a different direction since we didn't want to be hacking our solution. Their JSON readers aren't fully developed. When we implemented it, their EDI was in its infancy. We've been very successful with the EDI implementation, but there are a few pieces in their EDI implementation that are a little bit clunky. 

We had a meeting with them a couple of weeks ago because they're looking to advance that side of the product and wanted our input on what we would change in the EDI section. We gave it to them. It's an area they are looking to develop. I would recommend they continue to build in that space.

For how long have I used the solution?

We purchased GoAnywhere about a year and a half ago, but we've only been actively using it for the last nine months. After buying it, we put off implementation because we were in the middle of a massive integration. We had about 67 different applications undergoing migration, so GoAnywhere just had to wait its turn.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

So far, GoAnywhere has been highly stable. We've had minimal downtime, and the downtime we've had has been due to other system upgrades. For example, we upgraded our internal FTP server but neglected to open the firewall ports after the upgrade back to the GoAnywhere server. That's more of a systems issue rather than a problem with GoAnywhere. I can confidently say GoAnywhere has been up 99.9 percent of the time since we first installed it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

GoAnywhere allows us to continue expanding our data integrations because we already had a pretty robust integration across the board before we implemented it, and it continues to scale well. When a new vendor comes on board with new specs or a new type of connection, 99 percent of the time we can say that GoAnywhere can do that, and we start building out the implementation and the automation process.

We continue to grow, and we haven't seen any performance issues yet. We had a few problems with logs, but that was resolved in 20 minutes with a call to support about where we store our logs and how we make them more efficient. At this point, we probably have roughly 200 jobs running daily. Some of them monitor files, a folder, or an FTP site every five minutes 24 hours, seven days a week without any significant performance degrades.

How are customer service and support?

The individuals who provide support are very knowledgeable about their product, and we don't go through multiple layers of support. We get answers fairly quickly, and it escalates to the right person quickly as well if needed. I would rate HelpSytems support nine out of 10.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The setup was very straightforward. Of course, we paid for training, but it's an intuitive application. The time-to-value was closer to a month. It took us about a month before we had value-producing projects running. 

Regarding maintenance, we maintain it in a hybrid sense. Because we're such a small shop, I and someone from the software development team have admin access to the servers, and so does our systems administration team. It's more like cross-training. The solution requires minimal maintenance. It is a solidly performing application, so we don't see a lot of issues or downtime.

The updates all go smoothly. When there's an update, we're relatively confident that we can apply this. We've gone through enough release cycles that we know a new release won't break stuff. We'll roll it out, and our software's back up 30 minutes later.

What was our ROI?

A lot of our data streams are revenue-related. We're sending invoices to customers so that they can automate payments. Often, that's contractually based but roughly 30 percent of our customer-facing business involves data integrations. Without GoAnywhere, we would potentially lose business if we couldn't meet the contractual obligations of data transfers.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We looked at four different products about a year and a half ago, and GoAnywhere came out on top. One of the solutions we looked at was Microsoft SSRS. We are a Microsoft shop, so that's one we looked at, and we checked out Azure Logic Apps. We also got estimates from a third-party software development company to develop a custom solution.

To make the final decision, we looked at a few factors. The cost was a big one for us. We weren't willing to spend a ton of money replacing this particular product. But the other one was what we call "feature completeness." Specifically, we needed to do managed file transfers with our vendor partners. We wanted to custom-build our queries using SQL and DB2, connect to various sources to generate files, and then transfer those files via FTP, SFTP, or any number of different connection mechanisms.

We also had some EDI that was a part of a different software implementation but super expensive. That ended up being a bonus of GoAnywhere. They had recently started implementing some EDI functionality at a much lower cost.

What other advice do I have?

In its class, I'd give GoAnywhere MFT a nine out of 10. It does what it does exceedingly well. If you're implementing GoAnywhere, I recommend taking advantage of their support and training. It's excellent. Even if you already have a solid technical background, you'll have some "aha" moments just learning how they built the application. From my perspective, the cost of training is minuscule compared to the return. It gives you a good understanding of how the software works as well as how to build and troubleshoot workflows.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
it_user1692231 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Application Analyst at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Oct 24, 2021
Eliminates manual job execution and frees up our staff from having to write code
Pros and Cons
  • "We also use the Secure Folders module and the Web Client a lot. For example, we set up external vendors to come in and review files or folders in a Secure Folder. That way they can go in and review whatever information or data they need to do."
  • "Over the time we have had it, and given the things we have been able to do with it, it has paid for itself."
  • "The support could be enhanced a little bit... If the first echelon of support could say, 'Okay, you are trying to create a variable,' and could tell you what you have to do, that would be good."
  • "The support could be enhanced a little bit."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for SFTP and for hosted software that connects to it through the cloud. We also use the AS2 piece, although that is still in test mode. We move about 10,000 files a day.

We're a hospital and we use it for payroll, the pharmacy, and the cafeteria. And on the admin side, it extracts reports from a third-party location. We also have trading partners and we pass on public and private keys.

GoAnywhere connects to our Azure server. We also have some in-house servers that it connects to. We move files to the Isilon, which is a repository where we store a lot of files.

How has it helped my organization?

When we started out, we were a tier-three location. Now we are a tier-one. We started out with no more than about 150 or 200 jobs, and now we have over 1,000 jobs.

GoAnywhere's workflow features have helped us to eliminate manual processes. We had people manually running a job, but now that we have automated it, they don't have to do it anymore. They also don't have to waste time trying to write a program and testing it to see if it's going to work. They send us their requirements and we can code them and provide them with what they need. That gives them more flexibility. They can go on to do other tasks. And if they have to add something or change a filename, they don't have to go through the whole process. They just send in a request to us and that makes it easier for them.

For example, they can send us a request saying, "We need you to create a Secure Folder so that we can communicate and move files with a third party." We set that up and they just drop the files in there and they don't have to worry about whether the file they're trying to send is too large. It allows us to send PDFs. GoAnywhere has helped us to be more diverse than we were before.

It has also helped to eliminate unsecured file transfer methods. We used to use a lot of FTP stuff, and that was not too secure, but we brought in the SFTP and the PTP abilities. Some companies still insist that we use FTP, but we try not to use it. By using secured methods, we know the files are going out in a secure way. We know they're going to go through the firewall.

What is most valuable?

What we find valuable is that we are able to connect with vendors through SFTP. They are able to send us resource pieces and, when we connect to their side, we are able to transmit files. We can also manipulate the files and rename them.

Another valuable feature is the ability to use calls to run multiple jobs at one time, including recursive calls that go folder by folder and check each one before sending a file. 

We use the FTPS abilities a little and we also use the PTP features. 

In addition, as a company that works in the healthcare field, the main hospital-related software we use is Epic Systems. We deal with ambulatory care through GoAnywhere as well. The Epic side of it is on the cloud and, with GoAnywhere, we're like a "middleman" and we move files between it and other places where they need to be.

We also use the Secure Folders module and the Web Client a lot. For example, we set up external vendors to come in and review files or folders in a Secure Folder. That way they can go in and review whatever information or data they need to do. It helps us to keep in contact with vendors. It's helpful because we don't have to let them into our entire system. We can just give them access to that one folder. They can't add anything and they can't delete anything. We just set up the permissions the way the owner on our side wants them.

The intuitiveness is good. And anytime you need to reference something, you can punch it in on the web and it breaks it down for you, step-by-step. And if that doesn't help, they have a chat line so that you can communicate with them and they point you back in the right direction. And beyond that, they will bring support online and support helps you to resolve the issue.

What needs improvement?

Some of the description boxes can't be expanded. They're too narrow. You have to slide stuff over to see them.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using HelpSystems GoAnywhere MFT for about four years.

How are customer service and support?

The support could be enhanced a little bit. I know they are pushing numbers, but when they ask you to tell them what your issue is about, and you tell them, they say, "Hold. Let's get you to support." If they knew even a little bit about it, what it is trying to do, that would take some of the pressure off the support side. If the first echelon of support could say, "Okay, you are trying to create a variable," and could tell you what you have to do, that would be good. Then, if you needed more help, you could go to the tutorial piece.

But if we need any help, they work on the issue and try to get things resolved. They reach out to you to make sure you have all the tools that you need to work with.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Before, everybody was doing their own programming, using SFTP server scripts for multiple servers. Everything was totally different. You may have had your way of doing it. I may have had my way of doing it, but there were no standards. Somebody wrote things in C#, somebody else in C+, and others in Python. They might end up with the same results, but when you had to troubleshoot somebody's work, you just couldn't understand the way it flows.

At one point our company had IBM Sterling Managed File Transfer but we got rid of that. We had bought a full package from IBM, but we weren't using all the components. We were just using one or two pieces of it. But we are using as much as we can of GoAnywhere and when they add more new components that just makes it that much more valuable.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was relatively straightforward, but no solution is entirely straightforward. You always have to reach out to support for assistance, if you have never used the product or something similar to it. While it's pretty straightforward, there are times when you have to ask questions.

The whole process took about a day, although I wasn't here when they implemented it. As for me, I hadn't done any programming in 30-plus years, but it brought me back into it. They don't use that same language anymore; there's no more COBOL. It's a different world.

What was our ROI?

Over the time we have had it, and given the things we have been able to do with it, it has paid for itself. Using all the features it has saves the company money. We went from a small number of jobs to over 1,000 jobs. If it weren't a good product, we would never have been able to add to it like that. We would have tried to find another solution.

Our IT department and its director like it because we are able to manipulate things and produce what the third party or the vendor or the customer needs. We have gotten our money's worth.

What other advice do I have?

They have an open-door policy. You can call them and they are willing to set up an appointment, come in, and show you what they have to offer and how it would be of benefit. It would be well worth your time to listen to what they have to say.

It's a good system, one of the best I've seen so far, and I've been out there on the internet, looking at different systems. They don't mind working with you and they don't mind giving you the software to test for 30 days. Once you get an understanding of it and you get the outcome, what you're looking for, it's good.

We can use almost any type of program with GoAnywhere, and it allows you to manipulate many things. We can use the C# side of it, and we use SQL and MySQL as well.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Technical Engineer at a tech vendor with 51-200 employees
Vendor
Apr 16, 2024
Our data exchange security is now faster, easier to use, and more convenient than before
Pros and Cons
  • "GoDrive eliminates the need to use the exchange server for file sharing."
  • "Fortra needs to offer more use cases for GoAnywhere MFT during training."

What is our primary use case?

We use Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT solution to achieve file standardization through automated workflows. In this process, when a file is sent, it's first routed to an ICAP server. Think of a file transfer as simply moving a file from one location to another. However, in this case, instead of transferring the file directly, we connect it to the ICAP server first. This intermediary step allows the file to be scanned and sanitized before it's delivered to its final destination.

We implemented Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT to securely transfer and share files, as well as automate file transfers and processes.

How has it helped my organization?

GoAnywhere has significantly improved our data exchange security. It's now faster, easier to use, and more convenient than before. It has improved automation, visibility, and security.

GoAnywhere offers good visibility through its file transfer logs. This allows me to track changes within my organization, including who made them, what changes were made, and when they occurred.

GoAnywhere's automation feature has streamlined our workflows by eliminating the need for extensive coding, programming, or scripting knowledge. Its user-friendly interface allows us to create workflows simply by dragging and dropping components. Additionally, GoAnywhere offers a library of pre-defined workflows readily available for use. These pre-built workflows can be easily integrated into our workspace with a single click. While some workflows may require minor adjustments, such as specifying a CTPS certificate, link, or IP address, GoAnywhere significantly reduces the need for manual configuration.

GoAnywhere integrates with our existing IT infrastructure and systems. It also offers a feature that allows for integration with Outlook. This integration enables us to send files securely via email through a link. However, using the standard email attachment method does not provide any file protection. The Outlook plugin streamlines this process. Once installed, it provides an option within our Outlook interface to connect and send files directly from our mailbox. This eliminates the need to access the GoAnywhere platform separately, generate a link, and then send it – saving us valuable time and steps.

The training and portal videos familiarized me with the benefits of GoAnywhere. I believe someone new to the platform could grasp most of these benefits within a week or two, though not all of them in such a short timeframe.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature, GoDrive, requires an additional license. It functions similarly to Dropbox, providing a central location where all users can easily upload files. Once uploaded, the files are continuously monitored, encrypted, and inaccessible to unauthorized users. Additionally, GoDrive offers image-sharing capabilities. For instance, if we want to send a file to someone via email, we can enter their email address. Instead of sending the file through the exchange server, GoDrive generates a link. This link, when sent to the recipient, allows them to access the file with a single click. The link can be set to expire after a specific number of downloads or uploads, and we can even add a password for further security. In essence, GoDrive eliminates the need to use the exchange server for file sharing.

What needs improvement?

Fortra needs to offer more use cases for GoAnywhere MFT during training.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT for 2 months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

GoAnywhere MFT is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

GoAnywhere MFT is scalable. They have a 99 percent retention rate.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support is good. Their development team releases new versions 4 times a year.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

I deployed GoAnywhere myself and found it to be easy to install. It's the simplest product I've installed so far. The process takes less than 15 minutes. All you need is the installation file. You download it, and there are almost no prerequisites for running the software.

GoAnywhere uses a web-based console for management. You'll get an HTTPS link with an IP address to access it. You can then log in to your web console to manage GoAnywhere. Even deploying it on multiple machines is straightforward; there's an agent that simplifies the process.

What was our ROI?

GoAnywhere MFT delivers a positive return on investment, as evidenced by our extensive customer base.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT 8 out of 10.

GoAnywhere allows us to encrypt our data using either TGP or AES encryption.

Depending on the use case, one or two people are required to maintain GoAnywhere.

We offer GoAnywhere to a wide range of clients, from small IT shops to large banks with thousands of employees.

I recommend reading about all the additional features, such as GoDrive. You should also be aware that GoAnywhere is highly scalable.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer939525 - PeerSpot reviewer
General Manager at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Apr 16, 2024
Flexible, value for money, and very easy to use
Pros and Cons
  • "It is very easy to use. It is easy to create projects in a graphical environment. The configuration and the setup of the environment is very easy"
  • "In some scenarios, when you are in a cluster environment, the load-balancing capabilities of the gateway need to be improved a little. This functionality needs some improvement."

What is our primary use case?

We are using it for Managed File Transfer and secure FTP and BGP processes for incoming and outgoing files. We also move data inside of the network using the GoAnywhere agent between servers, and we have also used the scripting capabilities of GoAnywhere for the change in a file's name and other things.

How has it helped my organization?

GoAnywhere MFT helps centralize the exchange of data between systems, employees, customers, and trading partners.

The interface of GoAnywhere MFT is good. It is easy to use. It is clear. The help is very good.

GoAnywhere’s workflow features eliminate the need for custom programs and scripts for file transfer. It is very important for us because normally when you receive the file, you need to perform a lot of work to be sure that you can deliver or integrate with the backend. It helps to have the capabilities for automation or manipulation of the files through the workflows.

GoAnywhere’s workflow features help to eliminate manual processes, especially processes related to encryption using BGP.

What is most valuable?

It is very easy to use. It is easy to create projects in a graphical environment. The configuration and the setup of the environment is very easy. In general, the use of the software is very simple. It is clear, and it is one of the best products. 

It is very simple to use, and it is powerful. The configuration is very flexible in terms of the protocols and algorithms for encryption and security configuration.

What needs improvement?

In some cases, the logs need deeper information. In terms of communication and checking, they need to go a little deeper.

In some scenarios, when you are in a cluster environment, the load-balancing capabilities of the gateway need to be improved a little. This functionality needs some improvement.

In general, workflow features are good, but when you need to use the transformation capabilities, there are some problems in terms of the way they manage the resources of the machine. There are some limitations in the size of the file, so the transformation capability has to be improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for 3 years.

How are customer service and support?

Their support needs improvement. We have a partner, but we are not receiving a quick response. I do not know if the customers have the same experience, but in our opinion, it needs some improvement in terms of the response time. I would rate their support a 7 out of 10.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We work with some IBM products, such as IBM Sterling File Gateway. In some scenarios, it is as powerful as GoAnywhere MFT, but it is much more complex to use and set up. GoAnywhere MFT is easier. IBM has an advantage in terms of support of Connect:Direct, which is a proprietary protocol. It is a very strong protocol. It is one of the differentiators of IBM.

How was the initial setup?

Its deployment is very easy.

What was our ROI?

We are not making a calculation, but it depends on the kind of file you are moving. In some cases, if the file does not go through, you could have problems with the logistics, but I do not have a number for the return on investment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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

What other advice do I have?

We know GoAnywhere has the capability to connect to popular ICAP servers, but we are not using any.

I would rate GoAnywhere MFT a 9 out of 10.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Reseller
PeerSpot user
Director, HIM at a healthcare company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Aug 14, 2022
Fantastic support, good value for money, and helpful for quickly and easily sharing information
Pros and Cons
  • "All of it is valuable, but the most valuable would be the ability to release medical records without having a limitation for size and not having to deal with the fax machine."
  • "It is probably the best software that I've had for the money that we spend for it."
  • "One of the things that I wish is to not necessarily have to set up a username and password for people with whom we don't frequently share files. For instance, if I want to share files with a patient who is not somebody with whom we share files all the time, I would like them to somehow verify who they are and be able to push the file to them. I shouldn’t have to set them up as a user with a password. It should be almost like Dropbox."

What is our primary use case?

We use it to release medical records to other healthcare facilities, attorneys, and insurance companies.

How has it helped my organization?

We can share information faster and easier and in a less restrictive manner in terms of sizing.

It has helped to eliminate manual processes. We don't have to mail and fax records, and we don't have to burn them on a CD anymore. We can just drop a record in a folder.

It helps in centralizing the exchange of data between systems, employees, customers, and trading partners, which is extremely important. The easier it is to do, the better it is for us. Previously, we were having issues with faxing, and now, we don't have fax issues. It is a lot faster for the people to whom we're sending records. It is almost instantaneous, whereas with faxing, it has to go out through the fax, and then their fax machine has to pick it up, and then, on somebody's end, it may not work.

What is most valuable?

All of it is valuable, but the most valuable would be the ability to release medical records without having a limitation for size and not having to deal with the fax machine.

Its user interface is extremely easy. If you can drag and drop, then you're good.

What needs improvement?

I'm on the admin side of it, and one of the complaints is that it times out too quickly for the people who are using the internet-based part of it. It could be that there is a way to do it, but I just don't know how. 

One of the things that I wish is to not necessarily have to set up a username and password for people with whom we don't frequently share files. For instance, if I want to share files with a patient who is not somebody with whom we share files all the time, I would like them to somehow verify who they are and be able to push the file to them. I shouldn’t have to set them up as a user with a password. It should be almost like Dropbox.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for about two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is great. I haven't had any issues with it. I've had issues with my IT department, but nothing on the GoAnywhere's side.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I use it for a very specific thing. So, it definitely meets my needs.

How are customer service and support?

They're fantastic. Anytime I've called to ask anything, they've always been extremely helpful. They spent time with me, walked me through things, and explained things to me. They've always been great. I've not had any issues. So, I would rate them a ten out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We didn't have any other solution previously. It was just fax and paper or burn a CD.

How was the initial setup?

I was involved in its setup, and my part of it was simple. IT was also involved. There are portions of GoAnywhere that we're not using but IT can use. 

We were having issues with faxing to external people where our faxes wouldn't go through. So, in terms of the implementation strategy, they were the first ones with whom I checked whether they would be interested in doing this. It has just kind of grown from there. People request things from us all the time. If I'm on the phone, I ask them, "Hey, we have this. Is this something that you're interested in?" Sometimes, they say no, but most of the time, it is a yes. So, it has worked out really well.

I started using it in my department, and now, I've got a few other departments that are also using GoAnywhere for the same thing. For example, the business office will use it when people or attorneys request itemized statements or itemized billing if that requester has GoAnywhere.

What about the implementation team?

I did have training courses. They did help me set up exactly what I needed it to be set up for, and that part was really simple.

In terms of maintenance, I'm the one who sets everybody up, and I'm the one who goes through it. Our IT has one person, but he is hardly in it. He usually accesses it when I have an issue. I do have four other staff members who drop things in, but they don't build users. They don't resend passwords or do anything like that.

What was our ROI?

I would like to say that we have seen an ROI because I don't have to burn CDs and mail them all the time, but I can't give a dollar figure for that.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Our IT did look at other options. I know they looked at Dropbox, but I don't know what else they looked at.

What other advice do I have?

GoAnywhere hasn't helped to eliminate single-function tools or unsecured file transfer methods because we work in medical records, and we don't send things in a non-secure fashion. I personally don't think that the mail is very secure. If we take the fact that we don't burn CDs anymore and we don't have to put them in the mail, then it has helped because now, it is from us to them, and there is no wait time. 

It hasn't enabled us to allocate staff toward other work, and it also hasn't enabled us to acquire or disseminate more data or more documents. It has only helped us to work more efficiently.

I would rate it a ten out of ten. I tell people all the time that they need to get this. I was looking for something like this, and finally, I got it. I'm super happy about it. I don't want to have to go back to the way I was doing it before.

Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Systems Analyst at a healthcare company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Nov 24, 2021
It centralizes the data exchange, saving us quite a bit of time
Pros and Cons
  • "GoAnywhere makes it easy to move files around. We have quite a bit of information we have to transfer to around 300 different companies that require us to send data on a regular basis. If we did this manually, it would require several employees."
  • "By centralizing everything in GoAnywhere, we're able to eliminate 100 or so custom programs and scripts, and if I had to quantify it, I would estimate that it cuts our workload by about 80 hours a week."
  • "GoAnywhere's interface could be a little more intuitive."

What is our primary use case?

We're using GoAnywhere mostly for file transfers to different sites. Normally, we allow any incoming transfer. We go out and grab the files and bring them in through the GoAnywhere system.

How has it helped my organization?

GoAnywhere makes it easy to move files around. We have quite a bit of information we have to transfer to around 300 different companies that require us to send data on a regular basis. If we did this manually, it would require several employees. 

With GoAnywhere's workflow features, we don't need to write custom programs and scripts for file transfers. We could write them, but it would cost more time and man-hours to get done. By centralizing everything in GoAnywhere, we're able to eliminate 100 or so custom programs and scripts. 

GoAnywhere automates all of the file transfers, so we don't have to do it manually. We're sending out files every minute. It has reduced our workload tremendously and made everything less complicated. We're not necessarily sending out more files, but we're saving time. If I had to quantify it, I would estimate that it cuts our workload by about 80 hours a week.

What is most valuable?

GoAnywhere centralizes the data exchange, saving us quite a bit of time.

What needs improvement?

GoAnywhere's interface could be a little more intuitive. It can be hard to grasp at first, but once you have a decent understanding, it's pretty straightforward.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using GoAnywhere for four or five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The program is great. We've never really had a problem with stability. We did have an issue with the old server we were running it on, but that's not GoAnywhere's problem.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I've never had any issues with scalability. I'm sure we'll add more jobs to GoAnywhere in the future. We add them every now and then, but it's not frequent. We're already using it fairly extensively. However, we probably don't know what features are available, so we could possibly do more.

How are customer service and support?

We've worked with HelpSystems support, and it has always been excellent. I rate their support 10 out of 10. They helped us transfer several jobs to the new server because the syntax of setting it up wasn't exactly the same. We were migrating from a pretty old version.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

I wasn't involved with the initial deployment, but it takes less than an hour to set GoAnywhere up and move it to a new server. Most of that time was spent moving the jobs over because we had preexisting jobs to move from the old server. It takes one systems analyst to manage GoAnywhere, and it's not a full-time job. 

What was our ROI?

GoAnywhere is low cost for what it does, and we save a lot of hours with it.

What other advice do I have?

I rate HelpSystems GoAnywhere MFT 10 out of 10. It's a great product that does everything we need it to do. I would advise anyone implementing GoAnywhere to get some training and learn how to build different jobs.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
it_user1696218 - PeerSpot reviewer
CISO at a healthcare company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Nov 23, 2021
Centralizes the exchange of data among systems, employees, and customers in a secure manner
Pros and Cons
  • "We like that GoAnywhere helps to centralize the exchange of data among our systems, employees, and customers."
  • "The workflow features eliminate the need for custom programs and scripts for file transfers, and the impact has been huge and has saved us many months of engineering time."
  • "At present, HelpSystems GoAnywhere MFT integrates with an antivirus solution, but it's a bit kludgy."

What is our primary use case?

We are a healthcare company, and large employers and health plans will hire us to provide our services to their employees and members. They then have to send us files as to who their employees are, and we have to process them under the guidance of HIPAA. GoAnywhere is our file transfer platform for securely sharing health information.

How has it helped my organization?

The workflow features eliminate the need for custom programs and scripts for file transfers. The impact has been huge and has saved us many months of engineering time. GoAnywhere's workflow features have helped us eliminate manual processes and have streamlined our operations and made them more secure and repeatable.

We have been able to eliminate single-function tools or unsecured file transfer methods like email-based file transfers. Before switching to GoAnywhere, we had a lot of files being sent to us over email.

GoAnywhere has enabled us to allocate staff toward other work and has freed up engineering talent to focus on more important problems. We have been able to reduce the workload as well.

What is most valuable?

We like that GoAnywhere helps to centralize the exchange of data among our systems, employees, and customers. We wanted something that was scalable and secure and had a nice API, so we could automate the creation of new accounts and new directories and build a workflow around it. Every time we sign up a new customer, we can automatically create a setup for them. Some customers use a username and password, and others use a pre-shared key. We can build the workflow so that when we receive a new file, it alerts our application servers to go pick it up and process it. It is our one and only method by which we exchange data with our largest customers.

The user interface is highly intuitive; we got it set up and running within a matter of days. It is useful when support staff are trying to troubleshoot issues.

The comprehensiveness of GoAnywhere's workflow features is very high, and it has met all of our needs.

What needs improvement?

At present, HelpSystems GoAnywhere MFT integrates with an antivirus solution, but it's a bit kludgy. It would be nice if the antivirus were built into the product so that it doesn't require integration.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using it for four and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's been very stable, and we have never had issues. It's stable enough that we give our customers a service level on the service that we provide with this solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

For what we do, it scales perfectly. We haven't had any issues.

We use it for two or three different use cases, and it gets used every single day. It's mission-critical to us.

We're not adding any new use cases to it at present, but our use of it will grow as we assign new customers.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't personally contacted technical support, but as far as I know, we've had no issues with it.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We previously used a homegrown solution and switched because we wanted something that would scale and that wouldn't require customization every time we signed up a new customer.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was very straightforward and fast. We had it going and were using it within a matter of days.

The part-time effort of one engineer is required for maintenance of the solution.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented it ourselves.

What was our ROI?

As for ROI, it probably paid for itself in the first two months. The license cost for the first year was roughly equivalent to two months of an engineer's salary. By freeing up engineers from creating customized solutions, it paid for itself immediately.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

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

What other advice do I have?

Make sure that you fully spec out your environment and include all the servers, clusters, and features you're going to need before you worry about the price.

If you are dependent on file transfers for your business, there isn't a better solution. Don't waste your time trying to evaluate other solutions. I would highly recommend GoAnywhere and would rate it at ten on a scale from one to ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free GoAnywhere MFT Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: October 2026
Product Categories
Managed File Transfer (MFT)
Buyer's Guide
Download our free GoAnywhere MFT Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.