GoAnywhere MFT vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct comparison

Fortra and IBM are both solutions in the Managed File Transfer (MFT) category. Fortra is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.6, while IBM is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.2. Fortra holds a 10.1% mindshare in MFT, compared to IBM’s 5.0% mindshare. Additionally, 99% of Fortra users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 75% of IBM users who would recommend it.

GoAnywhere MFT

Read 86 GoAnywhere MFT reviews

4,865 Views
4,573 Comparison Views

99% willing to recommend

Sterling Commerce Connect:D...

Read 12 Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct reviews

1,709 Views
1,709 Comparison Views

75% willing to recommend

GoAnywhere MFT

Sterling Commerce Connect:D...

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 21, 2025

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct and GoAnywhere MFT both focus on secure and reliable file transfers, with GoAnywhere MFT seeming to have the upper hand due to its advanced integration capabilities.

Features: Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct offers high-volume, automated file transfers with a consistent focus on security and reliability. It supports comprehensive platform interoperability and is equipped with EBICS protocol handling. GoAnywhere MFT, on the other hand, excels with advanced integration capabilities across a wide array of protocols and platforms, offers enhanced workflow management, and features such as built-in encryption, auditing, and connectors, making it particularly versatile for various business demands.

Room for Improvement:Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct could improve by simplifying its deployment process and enhancing customer usability to reduce setup time and complexity. Its interface could be updated to better meet modern user expectations. GoAnywhere MFT could enhance by optimizing its integration and usability for even more streamlined experiences. Its deployment could be made even faster, and documentation more comprehensive to address user needs effectively.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct features a complex and robust deployment process, often resulting in longer setup times. In contrast, GoAnywhere MFT boasts a modern architecture that simplifies and accelerates its deployment. Additionally, GoAnywhere's customer service is highlighted for its responsiveness and supportive nature, contributing to higher user satisfaction.

Pricing and ROI: Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct involves higher initial setup costs, delivering strong ROI for enterprises with complex needs. Conversely, GoAnywhere MFT provides a more cost-effective setup with a flexible pricing model, demonstrating favorable ROI, particularly appealing for small-medium businesses and large organizations alike.

To learn more, read our detailed GoAnywhere MFT vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

GoAnywhere MFT vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

February 2026

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Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

GoAnywhere MFT

Ranking in Managed File Transfer (MFT)

1st

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Sterling Commerce Connect:D...

Ranking in Managed File Transfer (MFT)

7th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Managed File Transfer (MFT) category, the mindshare of GoAnywhere MFT is 10.1%, up from 7.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is 5.0%, down from 8.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Managed File Transfer (MFT) Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
GoAnywhere MFT	10.1%
Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct	5.0%
Other	84.9%

Managed File Transfer (MFT)

Featured Reviews

Anuj Bhagwat

Dev Ops Engineer at a computer software company with 11-50 employees

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

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

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reviewer1955103

Assistant Vice President at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees

Has delivered robust secure file transfer with exceptional encryption features

Based on experience, the one area IBM can improve for Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is the support mechanism. While support is available 24/7 whenever required, the solution time during American hours can take longer. In general, during American hours, the resource availability is not up to the standard. However, availability of support staff during UK timings or GMT timings is very good; they are supportive and helpful. Functionality-wise, they can make additional improvements to Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct. They recently improved by adding a GUI for configurations on Windows as well as UNIX platforms, which is very helpful. However, the web client is cumbersome and not as interactive as it should be. The CLI part is comprehensive, but the GUI needs improvement.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The best features of GoAnywhere MFT are its automated process capabilities; it is scalable, reliable, and requires minimal time to receive files from external to internal systems, and it is more secure compared to other tools."

"The whole impact of using GoAnywhere MFT was very positive from the starting, as it has significantly improved our security by centralizing all the file transfers under one secure and auditable platform and has also boosted operational efficiency by automating repetitive tasks and allowing our whole IT staff to focus on higher-value work."

"GoAnywhere MFT is easier and more stable than IBM Sterling, and it is also more enterprise-friendly."

"The standout feature of GoAnywhere MFT is the centralized dashboard for monitoring all file transfers, which saves time and gives me a sense of reliability."

"What I appreciate most about GoAnywhere MFT is the threat protection feature, whereby before transferring files anywhere, I am able to first make the file analysis and confirm there are no threats or malware in the files."

"The whole application of GoAnywhere MFT is excellent."

"What I appreciate most about GoAnywhere MFT is the SFTP file transfer capability, which is a secure file transfer protocol; it also includes a file encryption module, scheduling, and email notification features, which are very useful."

"It helps me keep all my sensitive data and files secure and safe. The software's user interface is friendly and intuitive, making it easy to use and navigate without any hassle."

More GoAnywhere MFT pros

"The product has been very stable."

"The solution's file transfer speed is quite high."

"The most valuable feature of Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is its flexibility with encryption."

"Connect Direct offers Check Point functionality to ensure data integrity during transfers."

"For Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct, my overall rating is ten out of ten."

"The Security Plus feature of this solution is excellent, and allows you to send encrypted files very securely to remote destinations."

"Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is a solution that is on the market for a very long time. There is an integrator that has been developed and evolves every year. On the roadmap, there is always a new integration. For example, it's one of the solutions in the market that out of the box can handle EBICS protocol. The file processing is done very well. By default, there are a lot of configurations that can be customized."

"Offers secure file transfers with a fast and efficient protocol for very large files."

More Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct pros

Cons

"The security side, particularly when dealing with keys and certificates, could be in a different suite rather than built directly into the main interface."

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

"I experience occasional downtime and some glitches."

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

"Initially, the setup was kind of hard for me. I had to take a long time to adapt to the system."

"There's one persnickety issue about NAS permissions. That is a problem we have run into with GoAnywhere. I would like to see more focus on compatibility with/enforcement of user roles and access permissions across NAS, among other things. We have filed a couple of tickets on that in the past."

"The UI of GoAnywhere MFT could be a bit crisper because sometimes it gets tricky to find where to look for information."

"Sometimes we use GoFast in GoAnywhere MFT because there are many failures or server issues."

More GoAnywhere MFT cons

"User interface is not user friendly."

"This solution cannot be deployed on a root_squash NFS, which limits superuser privileges."

"The user interface needs to be improved."

"Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct could improve by adding some of the functionality that some other vendors have. For example, GoAnywhere has call agents, which are small clients that can be installed on the endpoints and can be handled by the central point on the server. If I want to do this with the IBM solution, I have to sell a lot of account addresses. The price could be unprofitable for the customer. There is some small functionality that could be implemented and could be easily done to improve this solution."

"Technical support is the number one concern."

"I do not have any notes for improvement."

"The resources required for this tool are costly and not easily available in the market."

"They have File Agent, which is an additional utility and a component of Connect:Direct, for automated file transmission. In that utility, there is some issue with the file name. There is a limitation on the file name, and that is being fixed by IBM."

More Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"When it comes to secure systems that we have used, the price point can get a whole lot higher. You might end up saving in the short term with other solutions, but are you getting a secure product? Do you feel confident in that? Will you be able to get any support afterward? From my experience, based on the price point and the service that we got, it was a good value for our money."

"I find it to be very fair. It is very good."

"To have a solution like this for the price we're paying makes it cheap. Considering the time that it has saved us, and considering the development that we don't need to do, such as connectors and handling servers, the price is really affordable."

"It has flexible and affordable pricing because of custom quotes. The prices depend on the modules one needs and the volume of data being transferred. Overall, they offer custom and flexible pricing with an annual subscription, where you pay for specific features and functionality required."

"Pricing is based on a one-time license."

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

"The pricing of GoAnywhere MFT is affordable compared to other similar products. It's not expensive, according to me. What influenced my purchase decision was the fact that the product was quite affordable."

"The cost was definitely within reason and it has definitely been worth the cost, based on how much we can automate. It has exceeded my expectations."

More GoAnywhere MFT pricing and cost advice

"Annual licensing fee."

"The price and licensing of Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is expensive."

"The solution's licensing cost is too high."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

31%

Manufacturing Company

Computer Software Company

Media Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	1
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	10

Questions from the Community

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

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

See all answers

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

GoAnywhere MFT pricing is fine for me. I do not have any complaints regarding the pricing because SFTP is the most valuable asset in the organization.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT?

I believe that GoAnywhere MFT can be improved because the initial setup is somewhat challenging for a new user, so they need to make the initial feature easier for everyone, whether new or experien...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct?

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is an expensive platform.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct?

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct?

The majority use case for Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is for file transfer, specifically secure file transfer.

See all answers

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Compared 8% of the time

OpenText Data Integrator vs GoAnywhere MFT

Compared 2% of the time

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Compared 20% of the time

IBM Sterling File Gateway vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

Compared 16% of the time

Control-M vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

Compared 9% of the time

Globalscape EFT vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

Compared 7% of the time

CA XCOM Data Transport vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

Compared 6% of the time

More Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

GoAnywhere MFT

January 2026

Download GoAnywhere MFT product report

Buyer's Guide

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

January 2026

Download Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

Overview

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

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

What are the key features of GoAnywhere MFT?

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

What are the benefits and ROI of using GoAnywhere MFT?

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

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

Fortra

IBM's Sterling Connect:Direct is a software product that offers security-hardened, point-to-point file transfers to reduce reliance on insecure File Transfer Protocol (FTP) transmissions. It is designed for high-volume file distribution within and between businesses. The solution guarantees more reliable file movement, from batch integration and movement of large images or catalogs to synchronization with distant sites. Sterling Connect:Direct also enables hybrid cloud deployment through certified containers, allowing for simple and consistent deployment lifecycle management.

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Features

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Performance capabilities such as extraordinary scalability and low latency.

Automated, dependable file transmission that permits unattended, round-the-clock operations.

Designed to run on a variety of operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, UNIX, Linux, IBM z/OS, OpenVMS, i5/OS, and HP NonStop.

Advanced security features with cutting-edge encryption to meet regulatory and industry standards.

IBM certified containers for Sterling Connect:Direct are enterprise-grade, secure product editions that are scalable, secure, easy to install, and manage update and rollback processes. They also have integrated common software services for consistent deployment lifecycle management.
Boosts transfer speed for large files over high-speed networks by up to four times the previous speed while reducing latency.
Gives existing FTP transfers the ability to retry, checkpoint, and compress existing transfers.
Supports a variety of network protocols, including TCP/IP, Systems Network Architecture (SNA), and an optional high-speed add-on based on Aspera FASP technology.

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

High performance: Takes care of your most demanding workloads, including multi-gigabyte files to large volumes of small files.

Reliable file delivery: To help ensure predictable, assured file delivery, it offers automated scheduling, checkpoint restart, and automatic recovery.

Secure transmission of files: Maintains the confidentiality of customer information and supports regulatory compliance measures.

Speed up patching and installation: By deploying your solution with a certified container that contains all necessary components, you can drastically cut installation and patch time from hours to minutes.

Reviews from Real Users

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its robust file processing and its security for file transfers. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews:

Michele I., Business Unit Manager at Innovery, writes of the solution, “The file processing is done very well. By default, there are a lot of configurations that can be customized. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is one of the stronger MFT solutions in the market, it is available in each type of installation, and offers SaaS, PaaS, YaaS, on-premise.”

Camilo M., Pre-sales Engineer at Dell EMC, mentions, “It's a great tool because it offers secure file transfers and it has a fast and efficient protocol for very large files.”

IBM

Sample Customers

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

HZMO, Bank of Communications

Buyer's Guide

GoAnywhere MFT vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

February 2026

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