SolarWinds Serv-U MFT Server vs. Progress MOVEit

If you are searching for a powerful on-premises Managed File Transfer (MFT) solution, it’s likely you came across Progress Managed File Transfer solution, MOVEit Transfer. MOVEitTransfer is a former product of Ipswitch, a popular provider of secure data file transfer and network management software, acquired by Progress in 2019.

MOVEit Transfer is considered by many to be the best-in-class enterprise MFT solution. On the other hand, the cost of the solution can be overwhelming for many organizations.  Progress doesn’t have pricing information available on their website, but from publicly available information from their partners or SourceForge, the cost of MOVEitTransfer starts at around $12,000.

Suppose you are looking for a more affordable alternative to Progress MOVEit Transfer. In such case, you might want to consider SolarWinds^® Serv-U^® Managed File Transfer Server, a powerful MFT Server for enhancing security and control over file transfers in and outside your organization, centralized file transfer management, and automation. Although there are some differences between the two solutions (described below), Serv-U MFT Server offers an enterprise-level MFT solution with a much more favorable price, starting at around $3,000 per server.

Supported protocols and deployment options

One of the most critical aspects when choosing a MFT solution is the support of various transfer protocols. Progress MOVEit and SolarWinds Serv-UMFT Server support the most common protocol you may need when it comes to secure file transfer: FTP, SSL/FTPS, SSH/SFTP, HTTP/HTTPS.

One advantage of MOVEit Transfer for some more advanced users might be the support of REST API, allowing for creating their own integrations or automation using this technology. This support is definitely not a standard feature for MFT solutions.

On the other hand, MOVEit Transfer supports only Windows, while Serv-U MFT can be installed on servers with Windows or Linux.  

© 2022 Progress Software Corporation. All rights reserved.

Security

Another important consideration for any file transfer solution is security. Apart from the obvious support of secure transfer protocols, data encryption is a must-have. Both Serv-U MFT Server and MOVEit Transfer use FIPS 140-2 validated cryptography and help demonstrate compliance with PCI DSS, HIPAA, FISMA, SOX, and other compliance standards involving securing data in transit. But file security involves much more than encryption. As administrators, you need to have complete control over file transfers, including the ability to create users and control their permissions, restrict access based on IP address, limit bandwidth usage or take advantage of anti-hammering features to prevent brute force attacks. Both solutions provide powerful management options for administrators from which to choose. Both solutions also offer a Gateway reverse proxy option to enable the deployment of a MFT Server within a secured network behind the firewall. Serv-U Gateway helps ensure that no data is stored in the DMZ and that all incoming connections are safely accepted, deepening protection for file transfer on secure connections. Both solutions support “N+1” horizontal scaling to meet the needs of high-availability settings.

© 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

Ease of use

Ease of use for end-users is crucial for successfully implementing and adopting an MFT solution in the organization. Everyone in the organization, no matter their level of technical experience, should be able to use the solution to transfer large files or any sensitive data. Both MOVEit Transfer and Serv-U MFT allows ad hoc file sharing feature, so end-users can easily and securely share or request files to or from other people inside or outside the organization. In both solutions, ad hoc file sharing is done similarly. A sender uses a client console to upload and share required files, generating a link designed to be shared with the recipient directly or via email. The sender can configure if a password is needed, set up an expiration date for the link, or choose if they want to receive a notification when the file is downloaded. With the link (and with the password, when required), the recipient can access files or upload requested files through a web browser without the need to have an account created.

SolarWinds Serv-U MFT Server includes an intuitive web client for end-users, offering a similar experience to solutions they are used to, such as Dropbox or Google Drive with drag&drop, multiple files download as a .zip file, etc. It’s fully responsive and can be easily used on mobile devices as well.

© 2022 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

Progress MOVEit Transfer offers a desktop client for Windows and MAC users as well mobile app for Android and iOS devices. MOVEit Transfer integrates with Microsoft Outlook via an add-in, allowing sharing of large files securely without leaving Outlook. This is a great feature for many users as they don’t need to install and maintain any client.

© 2022 Progress Software Corporation. All rights reserved.

Both solutions offer multiple language support to ensure smooth worldwide usage. Serv-U MFT supports 13 languages, MOVEit Transfer 6 languages in total.  

Choosing SolarWinds Serv-U vs. Progress MOVEit

As stated at the beginning of this article, there’s no doubt Progress MOVEit Transfer is an excellent MFT solution with above-market standard features. The question is whether these extra features advocate the costs of the solution. If you don’t have budget restrictions, Progress MOVEit could be the ideal option for your organization, as you will get everything you could possibly need from a MFT solution (unless you need a solution supporting Linux). If that’s not the case, SolarWinds Serv-U MFT Server offers a great enterprise-level MFT Server with powerful features matching MOVEit Transfer in most areas while costing significantly less.

The great news is that both solutions offer a free, fully functional trial, so you can quickly try both products and see which will work better for you.

As of 10/10/2022.