Files.com vs. Fortra GoAnywhere MFT
Modern file orchestration — without the Java application server.
Files.com is the cloud-native alternative to GoAnywhere MFT. 4,000+ companies — including Equifax, Cognizant, Michelin, TowneBank, and Banner Health — run their file transfer on Files.com instead.
GoAnywhere is built on 20 year old Java technology
GoAnywhere is a Java application from 2008. Fortra acquired it from Linoma in 2016 and has kept selling the same fundamental product since. You install it on your own servers, you patch it yourself, and when there’s a security hole you drop everything and patch it again — there have been three big ones in 32 months.
To do what Files.com does, you have to buy multiple GoAnywhere add-ons: one for workflows, one for AS2, one for fast transfers (GoFast), one for email (Secure Mail), one for sharing (GoDrive), and more. Each is a separate license line.
Files.com is one product, built for the cloud from day one. SFTP, FTP, FTPS, WebDAV, Automations, Inboxes, Share Links, the on-premise Agent, AS2, PGP encryption, custom domain, and the REST API and SDKs in 8 languages — all in one. We run it. You log in and use it.
“Our previous solution was on-prem, so we had to allow a third-party vendor onto the entirety of our network. What’s great with Files.com is that this isn’t the case. Everything is being handled at the cloud-based level, whether it’s inbound or outbound on our network.”
What real GoAnywhere customers say about GoAnywhere
“The user interface is dated, simple and basic. It feels old, almost like Notepad in terms of style — and they have not improved it.”
— Solution architect, financial services
“It is a bit difficult to learn and master GoAnywhere MFT. There is a learning curve for new users, especially those without a strong technical background in file transfer protocols.”
— Senior software engineer
“We had some issues with the customer support team's slow responses. The current response time can be challenging, especially when dealing with critical issues.”
— Engineer, government
“Licensing can be expensive and it depends upon which features you want to buy. The pricing structure is complex.”
— IT director, manufacturing
Three critical GoAnywhere CVEs in 32 months
GoAnywhere has had three serious security holes in under three years.
January 2023. A ransomware gang called Cl0p found a way to take over GoAnywhere’s admin console without even logging in. They hit more than 130 organizations.
January 2024. Another way to bypass GoAnywhere’s login was found. The day after Fortra announced it, working attack code was already public on the internet.
September 2025. A third hole, rated 10.0 out of 10.0 — the most severe rating possible. The Medusa ransomware gang was already using it a week before Fortra publicly admitted it existed.
Each time, every GoAnywhere customer had to drop everything and patch their own servers. The pattern is the same: every customer runs the same Java software on their own servers, so when attackers find a way in, they have a list of thousands of targets — all running the same product, all exposed at the same moment.
Files.com has operated for 15+ years without a single publicly disclosed breach. Our platform doesn’t expose a per-customer server for attackers to find.
Where Files.com wins
One platform, not seven modules.
SFTP, FTP, FTPS, WebDAV, AS2 (Power tier and above), Automations, Sync Flows, Inboxes, Share Links, the on-premise Agent, Online Document Editor, PGP encryption, custom domain, and the REST API — in one product, one license. GoAnywhere prices the same surface across separate modules.15+ years of operation, zero publicly disclosed breaches.
GoAnywhere: three critical CVEs in 32 months.Published pricing transparency.
Files.com publishes pricing publicly. GoAnywhere routes every quote through Fortra sales, with per-module licensing that compounds across Workflow, AS2, GoFast, Secure Mail, and GoDrive.White-glove migration, run by us.
Files.com’s US-based engineering team runs the migration end-to-end. Trading-partner credentials, AS2 certificates, scheduled workflows, user accounts, and SSO configuration all move with our team doing the work. As much onboarding as your migration requires. GoAnywhere deployments routinely require weeks of Fortra professional services on top of your own team’s time.#1 in Gartner Peer Insights for Managed File Transfer.
#1 across every G2 attribute for the MFT category.Files.com Agent + CLI transfer speed.
Custom UDP-based acceleration over a 100 Gbit network. Outperforms Fortra’s GoFast protocol on real workloads.
Files.com vs. GoAnywhere FAQ
What buyers ask most when comparing Files.com to GoAnywhere.
The decision
Operate your file transfer on a cloud-native platform where your team isn’t on call for the next critical CVE. Get the Files.com Agent for on-prem sources without owning the entire stack. Pay a published price you can audit against the competing quote. That’s Files.com.