The 10 Best Cloud SFTP Services of 2026

A cloud SFTP service gives organizations secure file transfer without the work of running an SFTP server themselves. The stronger services also cover storage, user and directory access, auditability, file automation, browser access, and integration with other systems.

These capabilities are especially useful when SFTP carries operational or sensitive files between applications, customers, suppliers, and business partners. Healthcare, finance, SaaS, retail, supply chain, education, and other regulated environments also need reliable controls over who can access files, what happens to them, and how that activity is monitored.

Managed SFTP involves clearly shared responsibility. The provider operates and secures the platform and its underlying infrastructure, while the customer decides who gets access, how permissions and workflows are configured, and how activity is reviewed. A good service should make those responsibilities clear and give customers efficient and practical ways to meet them.

We compared ten cloud SFTP and managed file transfer providers against these requirements.

Which are the best cloud SFTP services in 2026?

Here are our top solutions ranked:

• SFTP To Go: Fully managed cloud SFTP and MFT with focused file automation.
• Files.com: Extensive remote storage, synchronization, and transformation.
• Couchdrop: Managed SFTP over existing cloud storage.
• AWS Transfer Family: AWS-native architectures using S3, EFS, and IAM.
• Progress MOVEit Cloud: Existing MOVEit environments and MOVEit Automation.
• GoAnywhere MFTaaS: Dedicated MFT teams maintaining extensive internal workflows.
• JSCAPE MFT: Hybrid and legacy environments using many transfer protocols.
• Kiteworks: Consolidating several secure data exchange channels.
• Axway MFT Cloud Services: Existing Axway and large, distributed MFT environments.
• Sharetru: Federal and defense environments requiring FedRAMP Moderate authorization.

How did we compare cloud SFTP providers?

We compared each provider using five consistent criteria:

• Security, access, and compliance
• Transfer, storage, and protocol support
• Automation and integrations
• Auditability, monitoring, and reliability
• Ease of use and management

We looked beyond basic SFTP transfers to consider how each platform controls access, protects data, records activity, and fits into existing systems. Together, these capabilities can support a range of compliance requirements and provide the evidence organizations need for audits, although no platform makes an organization compliant on its own.

We also considered where file processing takes place. Routine file-level automations like moving, renaming, copying, encrypting, or decrypting files are often best handled within the MFT platform.

Sending files to another system solely to perform this work creates unnecessary transfers, credentials, failure points, and audit complexity. External tools like iPaas integration platforms still have an important role, but they’re better suited to workflows involving business rules, application data, approvals, or updates to other systems.

How do the best cloud SFTP services compare?

• Transfer and storage: All ten providers support SFTP, but protocol coverage and storage models vary. SFTP To Go and Files.com combine managed transfer with cloud storage, while AWS Transfer Family is built around S3. Other platforms offer hosted, self-managed, or externally connected storage models.
• Security and access: Granular permissions and secure authentication are widely available, although the depth of browser security, network restrictions, user isolation, and administrative controls differs between providers.
• Automation and integrations: Files.com, GoAnywhere, and JSCAPE provide broad workflow capabilities. SFTP To Go combines native file automation with extensive integration options through APIs, webhooks, notifications, S3 access, and audit-log streaming.
• Auditability and monitoring: Most providers record file-transfer activity, but fewer combine detailed file, access, and administrative logs with direct SIEM or observability integration.
• Ease of management: SFTP To Go and Couchdrop offer lighter cloud-managed approaches. GoAnywhere, JSCAPE, and AWS Transfer Family provide extensive control but generally require more technical configuration and ongoing administration.

Here's a full feature by feature comparison:

1. SFTP To Go

SFTP To Go is a fully managed cloud MFT service built around secure transfer, cloud storage, controlled file access, automation, and integration. It runs on AWS and removes the need to provision or maintain SFTP servers and storage.

Users report that SFTP To Go is lean, quick to set up, and easy to manage without a dedicated MFT team. Its interface is accessible to business users while still giving technical teams the flexibility to integrate it into existing infrastructure. The service removes most of the maintenance and operational weight associated with traditional MFT without feeling limited.

Security, access, and compliance

• AES-256 encryption for files stored on Amazon S3
• Encrypted SFTP, FTPS, and HTTPS connections
• SSH public-key authentication
• MFA for web portal access, including enforceable MFA enrollment
• Strong configurable credential password policies
• Credentials chrooted to defined home directories
• Full, read-only, write-only, and read/write permissions
• Organization- and credential-level inbound IP/CIDR restrictions on eligible plans
• Static endpoint IPs for outbound firewall allowlisting
• SOC 2 Type II controls
• HIPAA BAAs on eligible plans
• Regional data hosting and GDPR support
• FERPA, GLBA, DORA controls

Transfer, storage, and protocol support

• SFTP
• Explicit FTPS
• HTTPS web portal
• Amazon S3 API access on eligible plans
• Amazon S3-backed managed storage
• Browser upload, download, delete, move, and copy
• Secure external share links for files and folders
• Multiple AWS hosting regions
• Multi-AZ architecture

Automation and integrations

• Event- or schedule-triggered native file automations
• Move, copy, rename, and delete actions
• PGP encryption and decryption
• File and folder creation
• Allows pauses between automation steps
• Email, Slack, and Microsoft Teams notifications
• Webhook actions
• Chained file actions using the output of previous steps
• REST API for credentials, keys, webhooks, shares, and audit operations
• External handoff through APIs and webhooks when ERP, EHR, CRM, database, or iPaaS logic is required

File-level processing can therefore stay in the managed environment instead of sending sensitive files to another service solely to rename, move, copy, encrypt, or decrypt them.

Auditability, monitoring, and reliability

• Logs for successful and failed authentication
• Upload, download, delete, and access-denied events
• Administrative activity attributed to the individual admin
• Credential, SSH-key, MFA, webhook, share-link, and configuration changes recorded
• Previous and updated configuration values captured for supported change events
• Automation executions and failures recorded
• CSV and API audit-log export
• Near-real-time audit streaming on eligible plans
• Destinations include Amazon EventBridge, Datadog, Sumo Logic, Microsoft Sentinel, Splunk Cloud, and custom webhooks
• SIEM streaming allows file activity to be correlated with wider security events for faster investigation
• Amazon S3 durability and multi-AZ service architecture

Ease of use and management

• No SFTP servers or operating systems to maintain
• Central web dashboard
• Credential and permission management from the UI
• Browser-based file access for non-SFTP users
• Admin access to files through the managed interface
• Built-in sharing controls
• Native file processing reduces reliance on scripts
• APIs remain available for teams that prefer programmatic administration

SFTP To Go best fit:

Organizations that want fully managed cloud SFTP and MFT with secure storage, granular controls, detailed auditability, and focused file automation.

2. Files.com

Files.com combines managed file transfer with a large remote-storage and file-orchestration environment. It supports SFTP alongside extensive sync, mount, automation, and transformation options.

It gives users considerable flexibility, but that breadth brings a busier interface and more configuration. It suits organizations prepared to spend time shaping the platform around complex requirements, while smaller teams may find that routine administration involves more options than they need. See Files.com vs. SFTP To Go.

Security, access, and compliance

• Encryption in transit and at rest
• Granular permissions
• MFA and SSO options
• User and administrative controls
• Detailed file and account audit trails
• Security controls designed for regulated file workflows

Transfer, storage, and protocol support

• Inbound and outbound SFTP
• FTPS and other transfer protocols
• Hosted cloud storage
• S3-compatible access
• Remote Server Mounts
• Remote system synchronization
• Amazon S3 integration
• Azure storage integrations
• Google Cloud Storage
• SharePoint and OneDrive
• WebDAV and remote SFTP systems

Automation and integrations

• File-activity and scheduled triggers
• Copy files
• Move files
• Delete files
• Rename files
• Create folders
• Import files
• Run synchronization jobs
• Remote-server workflow destinations
• Webhook-triggered automations
• Integrations with platforms including Boomi, MuleSoft, and Zapier
• Wider transformation capabilities for more complex file processing

Auditability, monitoring, and reliability

• File activity logs
• Automation execution history
• Sync and remote-server logs
• API and administrative activity
• Automatic retries for supported automations
• Observable workflow execution
• External event and monitoring integrations

Ease of use and management

• Central web administration
• Users, permissions, storage, and automations in one interface
• Remote Mounts can expose external storage without copying every file into Files.com
• Broad configuration options suit complex file environments
• More workflow and integration administration than a focused cloud SFTP implementation

Files.com best fit:

Teams specifically managing many remote repositories, synchronization processes, and transformation workflows.

3. Couchdrop

Couchdrop takes a storage-first approach to cloud SFTP. Existing cloud storage can remain the primary repository while Couchdrop provides secure transfer protocols, access management, automation, and monitoring around it.

It offers a modern, relatively lightweight experience that works well for external file exchange and cloud-connected workflows. It is quick to adopt and easier to manage than traditional enterprise MFT, although its approach is more closely shaped around connecting existing storage and moving files between systems. See Couchdrop vs. SFTP To Go.

Security, access, and compliance

• SSO
• MFA/2FA
• Public-key authentication
• Granular root-folder isolation
• Read/write access controls
• IP allowlisting
• Password policies
• Session timeouts and account lockout controls
• Encryption for transfers
• SOC 2 certification
• HIPAA-ready options
• GDPR support
• Optional malware scanning

Transfer, storage, and protocol support

• SFTP
• FTPS
• HTTPS
• AS2
• SCP
• WebDAV
• Direct integration with dozens of storage products
• SharePoint
• OneDrive
• Google Drive
• Dropbox
• Amazon S3 and other object storage
• Hosted S3 storage also available
• Files can stream directly between connected repositories without permanent Couchdrop retention

Automation and integrations

• Schedule-based workflows
• Event-based workflows
• File movement between connected systems
• Rename
• Encryption and decryption
• File processing and routing
• APIs
• Webhooks
• Integrations with storage, data, and automation platforms

Auditability, monitoring, and reliability

• Filesystem activity logging
• Authentication logging
• Transfer success and failure records
• Administrative-event logging
• Searchable audit interface
• CSV export
• Audit API
• SIEM streaming
• Native integrations including Splunk, Datadog, and Microsoft Sentinel
• Webhook-based JSON log streaming
• Managed cloud infrastructure and automatic scaling

Ease of use and management

• No server installation or patching
• Web administration
• Browser file access
• Central management of storage connections
• Central workflow management
• Existing repositories remain in place
• Consistent protocol access can be placed over several different storage services

Couchdrop best fit:

Organizations that want cloud SFTP and automation while retaining their existing storage architecture.

4. AWS Transfer Family

AWS Transfer Family provides fully managed transfer endpoints for organizations that want file exchange built directly around AWS storage and services.

AWS Transfer Family fits naturally into organizations already working extensively with AWS. It gives experienced AWS teams considerable architectural control, but building a complete file-transfer environment can involve several services, consoles, permission models, and pricing components. See our AWS Transfer Family review.

Security, access, and compliance

• IAM-based access options
• AWS identity-provider integrations
• S3 and EFS access controls
• Encryption through supported secure transfer protocols
• AWS storage encryption options
• VPC and wider AWS security controls
• Integration with existing AWS governance and compliance environments

Transfer, storage, and protocol support

• SFTP
• FTPS
• FTP
• AS2
• Browser-based Transfer Family web apps
• Amazon S3
• Amazon EFS
• Managed SFTP connectors
• S3 Access Grants integration for web apps

Automation and integrations

• Managed File Transfer Workflows
• Post-upload processing
• PGP decryption
• Amazon EventBridge events
• AWS Lambda integration
• Other AWS services can continue event-driven processing
• Infrastructure-as-code support

Auditability, monitoring, and reliability

• Transfer events sent to EventBridge
• CloudWatch logging and monitoring
• AWS-native operational monitoring
• Auto-scaling managed endpoints
• Support across up to three Availability Zones
• Redundant AWS transfer infrastructure

Ease of use and management

• No SFTP server infrastructure to maintain
• Managed AWS transfer endpoints
• Web apps available for browser users
• Fits existing AWS administration practices
• Wider configuration may span IAM, S3/EFS, EventBridge, CloudWatch, Lambda, and other AWS services
• Billing can also span multiple AWS components

AWS Transfer Family best fit:

Teams already building their file-transfer environment around AWS services.

5. Progress MOVEit Cloud

MOVEit Cloud is Progress Software's managed MFT service, hosted in Azure and closely tied to the wider MOVEit platform and MOVEit Automation.

Progress MOVEit Cloud provides a familiar route for organizations already using MOVEit and its automation tools. Its centralized enterprise interface supports tightly controlled file-transfer operations, but implementation and administration are better suited to established IT teams than organizations looking for a lighter, faster-managed service.

Security, access, and compliance

• AES-256 encryption
• Encryption in transit and at rest
• User authentication and authorization
• Roles and delegated permissions
• MFA and SSO integration
• Managed web application firewall
• DLP and antivirus integration
• Automated retention policies
• HIPAA and HITECH support
• PCI DSS
• SOC 2 Type II
• ISO 27001
• GDPR readiness

Transfer, storage, and protocol support

• SFTP
• FTPS
• HTTP/S
• Browser interface
• Desktop and mobile access
• Secure folder sharing
• API access
• Cloud endpoints through MOVEit Automation
• AWS, Azure, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Google Cloud integrations

Automation and integrations

• MOVEit Automation
• Scheduled tasks
• Event triggers
• Conditional logic
• Alerts and retries
• Parallel workflow execution
• Database connections
• Cloud-storage connectors
• REST API
• File synchronization
• Scripting options

Auditability, monitoring, and reliability

• Tamper-evident transfer database
• Predefined reports
• Custom reporting
• File-transfer alerts
• Recipient download reporting
• Annual penetration testing
• Annual failover testing
• Managed monitoring and maintenance
• High-availability cloud infrastructure

Ease of use and management

• Progress manages hosting and software updates
• Central users, groups, folders, and permissions
• Web administration
• Delegated administration
• Custom branding
• Separate MOVEit Automation environment for extensive workflow management

Progress MOVEit best fit:

Organizations already using MOVEit or wanting MOVEit Automation as a central transfer-workflow engine.

6. GoAnywhere MFT

GoAnywhere MFTaaS provides the capabilities of GoAnywhere MFT as a managed cloud service, including its large workflow and integration environment.

GoAnywhere MFTaaS is designed for organizations with dedicated MFT teams and extensive internal workflows. Its visual tooling makes complex processes easier to construct, but the platform still requires substantial configuration, governance, and specialist knowledge to manage effectively. Read GoAnywhere vs. SFTP To Go.

Security, access, and compliance

• Central access controls
• Granular permissions
• Encryption
• Secure transfer protocols
• Audit logging
• HIPAA support
• PCI DSS support
• GDPR support
• Managed underlying infrastructure

Transfer, storage, and protocol support

• SFTP
• FTPS
• HTTPS
• AS2 and other enterprise protocols
• Cloud-storage connectors
• Application connectors
• Databases
• Distributed GoAnywhere Agents
• Remote partner and branch-office connectivity

Automation and integrations

• Advanced Workflows
• Multi-step Projects
• Large task library
• Scheduled workflows
• Monitored folders
• Conditional processing
• Encryption and decryption
• Data-format conversion
• Database queries
• Remote transfer tasks
• Scripts and APIs
• GoAnywhere Agents for distributed processing

Auditability, monitoring, and reliability

• Central audit logs
• Workflow execution history
• Transfer monitoring
• Managed infrastructure
• Centralized operation of distributed Agents
• Designed for high-volume enterprise workflows

Ease of use and management

• Browser-based administration
• Managed hosting removes infrastructure maintenance
• Central workflow design
• Wizard- and template-based automation
• Large workflow environment requires ongoing MFT configuration and governance

GoAnywhere MFT best fit:

Dedicated MFT teams that want extensive workflow and business-process automation to remain inside the MFT platform.

7. JSCAPE MFT

JSCAPE MFT is designed for organizations that need to consolidate different transfer protocols, operating systems, and deployment models.

JSCAPE MFT gives administrators extensive control across hybrid, legacy, and multi-protocol environments. That flexibility is valuable for enterprises with specialist requirements, but it brings a steeper learning curve and more operational involvement than a focused cloud-managed platform. Compare JSCAPE vs. SFTP To Go.

Security, access, and compliance

• Two-factor authentication
• Granular permissions
• SSO
• Full administrative and user audit trails
• Key-vault integrations
• JSCAPE Gateway reverse proxy
• Compliance support for HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOX, GLBA, and other requirements

Transfer, storage, and protocol support

• SFTP
• FTPS
• FTP
• HTTPS
• AS2
• WebDAV
• OFTP2
• Platform-independent deployment
• Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris, and Unix support
• Cloud and on-premises storage integrations
• Hybrid deployment

Automation and integrations

• Low-code/no-code workflow library
• Workflow templates
• Trigger-based automation
• REST API
• Cloud-storage integrations
• Application integrations
• Database connectivity
• Key-vault integrations

Auditability, monitoring, and reliability

• Full audit trails
• File-transfer monitoring
• JSCAPE MFT Monitor
• High availability
• Load balancing
• Passive-active configurations
• Large-file transfer support
• Optional accelerated transfer capabilities

Ease of use and management

• Central administration
• Web-based management
• Consolidates several protocols in one product
• Flexible deployment options
• More configuration is required where organizations use its wider protocol, gateway, clustering, and hybrid capabilities

JSCAPE best fit:

Hybrid and legacy-heavy environments consolidating multiple protocols and existing transfer systems.

8. Kiteworks

Kiteworks treats SFTP and MFT as part of a wider secure data-exchange platform covering several communication and file-sharing channels.

Kiteworks is built for organizations that want to consolidate several secure data-exchange channels under one controlled environment. Its governance-focused experience suits large and highly regulated organizations, although the platform can be broader and more involved than teams need when their main requirement is managed file transfer.

Security, access, and compliance

• Central governance and policy framework
• Authentication and encrypted SFTP
• Access controls
• Audit logging
• DLP-oriented controls
• Compliance support spanning HIPAA, FedRAMP, CMMC, GDPR, PCI DSS, ITAR, and other frameworks

Transfer, storage, and protocol support

• SFTP
• Managed file transfer
• Secure email
• Secure file sharing and collaboration
• Secure data forms
• REST APIs
• Enterprise repository gateway
• SharePoint
• OneDrive
• Box
• Dropbox and other repositories

Automation and integrations

• MFT workflow engine
• Drag-and-drop authoring
• Scheduled workflows
• File-transfer orchestration
• APIs
• SCIM provisioning
• Enterprise application integrations
• Repository integrations

Auditability, monitoring, and reliability

• Common audit framework across exchange channels
• Tamper-evident logging
• SIEM integration
• Central governance of file and communication activity
• Enterprise MFT operation

Ease of use and management

• Several secure exchange channels governed from one product
• Central policies and audit controls
• Useful where email, forms, sharing, and MFT need common governance
• Wider product scope than a dedicated cloud SFTP service

Kiteworks best fit:

Organizations deliberately consolidating secure email, file sharing, forms, SFTP, and MFT under one governance platform.

9. Axway MFT Cloud Services

Axway provides a large portfolio of managed file-transfer products for distributed enterprise environments, including MFT Cloud Services, SecureTransport, Transfer CFT, Automator, and Workbench.

Axway MFT Cloud Services is aimed at large, distributed organizations, particularly those already invested in the Axway ecosystem. It can support highly structured enterprise operations, but deployment, procurement, configuration, and ongoing management typically require greater resources and specialist involvement. Explore Axway vs. SFTP To Go.

Security, access, and compliance

• Private single-tenant cloud environments
• Encryption controls
• Audit and reporting
• Real-time alerts
• Tracking and transfer visibility
• Regional deployment choices
• 24/7 security monitoring
• Managed security and software maintenance

Transfer, storage, and protocol support

• SFTP
• FTPS
• HTTPS
• AS2
• PeSIT
• SecureTransport gateways
• Transfer CFT distributed transfers
• Cloud and hybrid environments
• Application-to-application transfer
• Multiple enterprise operating platforms

Automation and integrations

• Axway Automator
• REST APIs
• Transfer CFT processing
• Folder monitoring
• Pre- and post-processing
• Distributed transfer patterns
• Business-process connections
• Central MFT administration

Auditability, monitoring, and reliability

• Central audit and visibility
• 24x7 monitoring and alerting
• SLA options up to 99.99%
• Enterprise clustering
• Fault tolerance
• Guaranteed delivery
• Zero-downtime upgrade options
• Large-scale deployment capabilities

Ease of use and management

• Customer-managed or Axway-managed options
• Partial or complete operational delegation
• Workbench for visibility across Axway MFT instances
• Suitable for established distributed MFT environments
• Several Axway products may form part of the overall deployment

Axway MFT best fit:

Existing Axway customers and distributed environments already using SecureTransport, Transfer CFT, or specialist protocols such as PeSIT.

10. Sharetru

Sharetru provides hosted managed file transfer with SFTP, FTPS, secure sharing, access controls, auditability, and a particularly specific offering for US federal and defense environments.

It provides a security-led experience for organizations with strict government or defense requirements, including environments that require FedRAMP Moderate authorization. Its administration is built around formal control and compliance needs, making it less lightweight and immediately approachable than newer cloud-native alternatives. Compare Sharetru vs. SFTP To Go.

Security, access, and compliance

• MFA
• SAML SSO
• Granular folder permissions
• IP allowlisting
• Per-user protocol restrictions
• Encryption at rest and in transit
• Sharetru Federal within a FedRAMP Moderate authorized boundary
• CUI-focused controls
• CMMC and DFARS support
• ITAR-oriented use cases

Transfer, storage, and protocol support

• SFTP
• FTPS
• FTPeS
• HTTPS
• Secure sharing links
• Hosted managed file storage
• Large-file transfer support

Automation and integrations

• SFTP-based automated transfers
• API access
• Identity integrations
• SIEM integration
• External file-processing workflows through supported interfaces

Auditability, monitoring, and reliability

• Connection logging
• Upload and download activity
• SFTP and FTPS authentication records
• Administrative and permission events
• CSV audit reporting
• API-accessible audit information
• Near-real-time SIEM integration on supported plans
• Microsoft Sentinel among documented SIEM use cases
• Additional logging requirements within Sharetru Federal

Ease of use and management

• Hosted service
• Browser administration
• User and permission management
• Protocol restrictions configurable per user
• Federal option provides a predefined authorization boundary for applicable defense workflows

Sharetru best fit:

Federal agencies and defense contractors specifically requiring a FedRAMP Moderate authorized file-transfer service.

Which cloud SFTP service should you choose?

For most organizations, the comparison comes down to how much of the file environment the provider should manage and how much workflow functionality should sit inside MFT.

SFTP To Go ranks first for organizations that want transfer, storage, controlled access, file processing, auditability, and browser access in one managed service. Routine file actions can remain in MFT, while APIs and webhooks connect the workflow to other systems when application logic is required.

Frequently asked questions