SFTPPlus MFT vs Cerberus FTP

This comparison assumes, SFTPPlus MFT server license is operated with a support contract. The comparison only includes high-level SFTPPlus MFT client transfer orchestration functionalities, since they are not available in Cerberus.

SFTPPlus MFT Server

First year
$2375
Following years
$475

Licensing

PerpetualCan use the production without a subscription or any additional payment. Details
Yes
Included non-production instancesDevelopment, pre-production, and cold disaster recovery use. Details
free
Unlimited users & connectionsThe licence does not impose per-user or per-connection limits. Details
Yes

Runtime and deployment

Windows ServerRun on Windows Server 2019 or newer. Details
Yes
Linux, Docker & KubernetesRun on Linux on x86 or ARM64, either as a standalone application or as a Kubernetes container. Details
Yes
MacOSRun on macOS on ARM64. Details
Yes
Cloud deploymentEasily integrate with AWS, Azure and other cloud servers. Details
Yes

File transfer protocols

FTPSupports FTP transfer for legacy transfers. Details
Yes
FTP with TLS/SSL (FTPS)FTPS provides secure file transfer by first encrypting the client/server connection using SSL or TLS encryption. Details
Yes
SFTPYou can configure Cerberus as an SFTP server on-premise or in the cloud. Details
Yes
SCPA simple file transfer protocol perfect for firmware updates and backups. Details
Yes
HTTP/S Web ClientAllow any user on any device to easily connect to your organization’s file server and share files or perform file operations. Details
Yes
AS2Applicability Statement 2 is a secure business-to-business protocol that uses HTTP/S to transport EDI and file payloads. Details
Yes
WebDAVA standard file transfer protocol on top of HTTP. Details
Yes

Administration and integration

Web administrationEasily control any feature and configuration remotely over the web. Details
Yes
Command-line administrationControl and configuration using command line tools. Local or remote servers. Details
Yes
Configuration formatConfigure the whole SFTPPlus MFT product from a single .INI plain text configuration file. Details
Single INI file
HTTP Control APIPerform remote management through HTTP API. Cerberus uses SOAP, while SFTPPlus uses JSON-RPC.
Yes

Automation

Event SupportAutomated file transfer actions make it easy to manage a high volume of file transfers. Details
Yes
Email NotificationCreation of email alerts for any file, access or directory activity.
Yes
Folder Automation EventsEasily create folder-based scheduled tasks that manipulate every file in a folder without needing to know specific file names
Yes
Transfer orchestrationLocal or remote transfer, with automated retries and advanced scheduling Details
via optional client license
Cloud storage transfersSend and receive files from SharePoint, Azure BLOB, and other cloud-based storage options. Details
via optional client license
PGP encryption and validationPGP encrypt, decrypt, sign or validate the signature for files.
Yes

Security and identity

LDAP and Active DirectoryConfigure user accounts and security groups within their AD instance or LDAP server. Details
Yes
Entra ID/Azure AD SSOOrganizations running cloud-based Entra ID in Azure. Details
Yes
Okta/Google SSOOrganizations running cloud-based authentication with Okta or Google Identity. Details
Yes
RADIUSOrganizations using legacy or MFA schemes based on RADIUS, such as RSA SecurID or Duo. Details
Yes
CRL & CA SupportCheck client certificates against master revocation lists, or your own authorized certificate authority lists. Details
Yes
Client Cert VerificationRequire clients to verify themselves using digital certificates for SSL/TLS connections. Details
Yes
IP Allow/Deny Lists & Auto-BanningChoose whether to allow or deny access to your server based upon IP address. Details
Yes
GeoblockingRestrict server access by country of the request's origin. Details
No
Two-Factor AuthenticationUse native TOTP, external identity providers, or RADIUS to require more than one authentication factor. Support for SFTP and FTP for legacy users. Details
Yes
TLS v1.3TLS 1.3 protocol support as well as modern key exchange, cipher, and MAC algorithms. Details
Yes

Other features

Virtual directoriesVirtual directory system allowing the administrator to attach any directory or drive to a user account's root folder. Details
Yes
Users & GroupsManage user accounts and security groups from the native User Manager or by integrating your existing Active Directory or LDAP systems. Details
Yes
Password PoliciesDefine user password complexity, change policies, authentication order and other requirements. Details
Yes
AD Security GroupsConfigure fine-grained directory access for multiple FTP security groups using Active Directory groups. Details
Yes
File Retention PoliciesFolder Monitor to schedule automatic age-based file deletions. Details
Yes
Ad Hoc File SharingAllow users to share any file or folder through a unique, time-limited, public link.
No
Web password change and recoveryEnable user self-service for account and password recovery.
Only password update

High availability and audit

Server ReplicationSynch Manager supports multi-server environments to help maintain identical user and setting configurations or provide backup, failover and disaster recovery support. Details
Yes
Advanced Stats & ReportingView detailed file transfer audit trails for all client, file, and administrator activity based on user names, date ranges, or file access Details
Yes
Detailed LogsTrack all client and file activity in near real-time.
Yes
SQL Database CaptureOutput all log activities to your SQL database of choice
SQLite

Support

Phone & EmailCerberus has a US-based team. SFTPPlus has a UK/EU-based team. Details
Yes
On-call supportOut of office hours scheduled on-call support Details
2 events per year
24/7/365 Severity 1 Support24/7/365 support is only provided with the extended SFTPPlus support contract.
No
Remote support and troubleshootingMS Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc
Yes
Onboarding and configuration assistanceAssistance is provided as part of the support contract. We encourage our customers to keep the SFTPPlus version up to date. Details
Yes
Dedicated professional servicesWe provide secure file transfer consultancy services. Details
Yes
Migration Support for JSCAPE MFTWe provide migration support from any other file transfer solution.
Yes

Cerberus Professional

First year
$1599
Following years
$1599

Licensing

PerpetualCan use the production without a subscription or any additional payment. Details
No
Included non-production instancesDevelopment, pre-production, and cold disaster recovery use. Details
50% discount
Unlimited users & connectionsThe licence does not impose per-user or per-connection limits. Details
Yes

Runtime and deployment

Windows ServerRun on Windows Server 2019 or newer. Details
Yes
Linux, Docker & KubernetesRun on Linux on x86 or ARM64, either as a standalone application or as a Kubernetes container. Details
No
MacOSRun on macOS on ARM64. Details
No
Cloud deploymentEasily integrate with AWS, Azure and other cloud servers. Details
Yes

File transfer protocols

FTPSupports FTP transfer for legacy transfers. Details
Yes
FTP with TLS/SSL (FTPS)FTPS provides secure file transfer by first encrypting the client/server connection using SSL or TLS encryption. Details
Yes
SFTPYou can configure Cerberus as an SFTP server on-premise or in the cloud. Details
Yes
SCPA simple file transfer protocol perfect for firmware updates and backups. Details
Yes
HTTP/S Web ClientAllow any user on any device to easily connect to your organization’s file server and share files or perform file operations. Details
No
AS2Applicability Statement 2 is a secure business-to-business protocol that uses HTTP/S to transport EDI and file payloads. Details
No
WebDAVA standard file transfer protocol on top of HTTP. Details
No

Administration and integration

Web administrationEasily control any feature and configuration remotely over the web. Details
Yes
Command-line administrationControl and configuration using command line tools. Local or remote servers. Details
No
Configuration formatConfigure the whole SFTPPlus MFT product from a single .INI plain text configuration file. Details
Multiple XML files
HTTP Control APIPerform remote management through HTTP API. Cerberus uses SOAP, while SFTPPlus uses JSON-RPC.
Yes

Automation

Event SupportAutomated file transfer actions make it easy to manage a high volume of file transfers. Details
No
Email NotificationCreation of email alerts for any file, access or directory activity.
No
Folder Automation EventsEasily create folder-based scheduled tasks that manipulate every file in a folder without needing to know specific file names
No
Transfer orchestrationLocal or remote transfer, with automated retries and advanced scheduling Details
No
Cloud storage transfersSend and receive files from SharePoint, Azure BLOB, and other cloud-based storage options. Details
No
PGP encryption and validationPGP encrypt, decrypt, sign or validate the signature for files.
No

Security and identity

LDAP and Active DirectoryConfigure user accounts and security groups within their AD instance or LDAP server. Details
Yes
Entra ID/Azure AD SSOOrganizations running cloud-based Entra ID in Azure. Details
No
Okta/Google SSOOrganizations running cloud-based authentication with Okta or Google Identity. Details
No
RADIUSOrganizations using legacy or MFA schemes based on RADIUS, such as RSA SecurID or Duo. Details
No
CRL & CA SupportCheck client certificates against master revocation lists, or your own authorized certificate authority lists. Details
Yes
Client Cert VerificationRequire clients to verify themselves using digital certificates for SSL/TLS connections. Details
Yes
IP Allow/Deny Lists & Auto-BanningChoose whether to allow or deny access to your server based upon IP address. Details
Yes
GeoblockingRestrict server access by country of the request's origin. Details
Yes
Two-Factor AuthenticationUse native TOTP, external identity providers, or RADIUS to require more than one authentication factor. Support for SFTP and FTP for legacy users. Details
Yes
TLS v1.3TLS 1.3 protocol support as well as modern key exchange, cipher, and MAC algorithms. Details
Yes

Other features

Virtual directoriesVirtual directory system allowing the administrator to attach any directory or drive to a user account's root folder. Details
Yes
Users & GroupsManage user accounts and security groups from the native User Manager or by integrating your existing Active Directory or LDAP systems. Details
Yes
Password PoliciesDefine user password complexity, change policies, authentication order and other requirements. Details
Yes
AD Security GroupsConfigure fine-grained directory access for multiple FTP security groups using Active Directory groups. Details
Yes
File Retention PoliciesFolder Monitor to schedule automatic age-based file deletions. Details
No
Ad Hoc File SharingAllow users to share any file or folder through a unique, time-limited, public link.
No
Web password change and recoveryEnable user self-service for account and password recovery.
No

High availability and audit

Server ReplicationSynch Manager supports multi-server environments to help maintain identical user and setting configurations or provide backup, failover and disaster recovery support. Details
Yes
Advanced Stats & ReportingView detailed file transfer audit trails for all client, file, and administrator activity based on user names, date ranges, or file access Details
No
Detailed LogsTrack all client and file activity in near real-time.
Yes
SQL Database CaptureOutput all log activities to your SQL database of choice
Yes

Support

Phone & EmailCerberus has a US-based team. SFTPPlus has a UK/EU-based team. Details
Yes
On-call supportOut of office hours scheduled on-call support Details
No
24/7/365 Severity 1 Support24/7/365 support is only provided with the extended SFTPPlus support contract.
No
Remote support and troubleshootingMS Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc
No
Onboarding and configuration assistanceAssistance is provided as part of the support contract. We encourage our customers to keep the SFTPPlus version up to date. Details
No
Dedicated professional servicesWe provide secure file transfer consultancy services. Details
No
Migration Support for JSCAPE MFTWe provide migration support from any other file transfer solution.
No

Cerberus Enterprise

First year
$3499
Following years
$3499

Licensing

PerpetualCan use the production without a subscription or any additional payment. Details
No
Included non-production instancesDevelopment, pre-production, and cold disaster recovery use. Details
50% discount
Unlimited users & connectionsThe licence does not impose per-user or per-connection limits. Details
Yes

Runtime and deployment

Windows ServerRun on Windows Server 2019 or newer. Details
Yes
Linux, Docker & KubernetesRun on Linux on x86 or ARM64, either as a standalone application or as a Kubernetes container. Details
No
MacOSRun on macOS on ARM64. Details
No
Cloud deploymentEasily integrate with AWS, Azure and other cloud servers. Details
Yes

File transfer protocols

FTPSupports FTP transfer for legacy transfers. Details
Yes
FTP with TLS/SSL (FTPS)FTPS provides secure file transfer by first encrypting the client/server connection using SSL or TLS encryption. Details
Yes
SFTPYou can configure Cerberus as an SFTP server on-premise or in the cloud. Details
Yes
SCPA simple file transfer protocol perfect for firmware updates and backups. Details
Yes
HTTP/S Web ClientAllow any user on any device to easily connect to your organization’s file server and share files or perform file operations. Details
Yes
AS2Applicability Statement 2 is a secure business-to-business protocol that uses HTTP/S to transport EDI and file payloads. Details
No
WebDAVA standard file transfer protocol on top of HTTP. Details
No

Administration and integration

Web administrationEasily control any feature and configuration remotely over the web. Details
Yes
Command-line administrationControl and configuration using command line tools. Local or remote servers. Details
No
Configuration formatConfigure the whole SFTPPlus MFT product from a single .INI plain text configuration file. Details
Multiple XML files
HTTP Control APIPerform remote management through HTTP API. Cerberus uses SOAP, while SFTPPlus uses JSON-RPC.
Yes

Automation

Event SupportAutomated file transfer actions make it easy to manage a high volume of file transfers. Details
Yes
Email NotificationCreation of email alerts for any file, access or directory activity.
Yes
Folder Automation EventsEasily create folder-based scheduled tasks that manipulate every file in a folder without needing to know specific file names
Yes
Transfer orchestrationLocal or remote transfer, with automated retries and advanced scheduling Details
No
Cloud storage transfersSend and receive files from SharePoint, Azure BLOB, and other cloud-based storage options. Details
No
PGP encryption and validationPGP encrypt, decrypt, sign or validate the signature for files.
No

Security and identity

LDAP and Active DirectoryConfigure user accounts and security groups within their AD instance or LDAP server. Details
Yes
Entra ID/Azure AD SSOOrganizations running cloud-based Entra ID in Azure. Details
Yes
Okta/Google SSOOrganizations running cloud-based authentication with Okta or Google Identity. Details
No
RADIUSOrganizations using legacy or MFA schemes based on RADIUS, such as RSA SecurID or Duo. Details
Yes
CRL & CA SupportCheck client certificates against master revocation lists, or your own authorized certificate authority lists. Details
Yes
Client Cert VerificationRequire clients to verify themselves using digital certificates for SSL/TLS connections. Details
Yes
IP Allow/Deny Lists & Auto-BanningChoose whether to allow or deny access to your server based upon IP address. Details
Yes
GeoblockingRestrict server access by country of the request's origin. Details
Yes
Two-Factor AuthenticationUse native TOTP, external identity providers, or RADIUS to require more than one authentication factor. Support for SFTP and FTP for legacy users. Details
Yes
TLS v1.3TLS 1.3 protocol support as well as modern key exchange, cipher, and MAC algorithms. Details
Yes

Other features

Virtual directoriesVirtual directory system allowing the administrator to attach any directory or drive to a user account's root folder. Details
Yes
Users & GroupsManage user accounts and security groups from the native User Manager or by integrating your existing Active Directory or LDAP systems. Details
Yes
Password PoliciesDefine user password complexity, change policies, authentication order and other requirements. Details
Yes
AD Security GroupsConfigure fine-grained directory access for multiple FTP security groups using Active Directory groups. Details
Yes
File Retention PoliciesFolder Monitor to schedule automatic age-based file deletions. Details
Yes
Ad Hoc File SharingAllow users to share any file or folder through a unique, time-limited, public link.
Yes
Web password change and recoveryEnable user self-service for account and password recovery.
Yes

High availability and audit

Server ReplicationSynch Manager supports multi-server environments to help maintain identical user and setting configurations or provide backup, failover and disaster recovery support. Details
Yes
Advanced Stats & ReportingView detailed file transfer audit trails for all client, file, and administrator activity based on user names, date ranges, or file access Details
Yes
Detailed LogsTrack all client and file activity in near real-time.
Yes
SQL Database CaptureOutput all log activities to your SQL database of choice
Yes

Support

Phone & EmailCerberus has a US-based team. SFTPPlus has a UK/EU-based team. Details
Yes
On-call supportOut of office hours scheduled on-call support Details
No
24/7/365 Severity 1 Support24/7/365 support is only provided with the extended SFTPPlus support contract.
No
Remote support and troubleshootingMS Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc
No
Onboarding and configuration assistanceAssistance is provided as part of the support contract. We encourage our customers to keep the SFTPPlus version up to date. Details
No
Dedicated professional servicesWe provide secure file transfer consultancy services. Details
No
Migration Support for JSCAPE MFTWe provide migration support from any other file transfer solution.
No

Pricing and features as found at the time of writing this article. Contact us and we will update the page.

Why choose SFTPPlus over Cerberus? ​

The information from this page is based on the Cerberus pricing comparison page. Use it to compare product capabilities and recurring costs side by side.

Five reasons to consider SFTPPlus as an alternative to Cerberus:

  • Lower total cost of ownership
  • Perpetual licence, pay once own it forever
  • Support for Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, or macOS
  • PGP and AS2 EDI capabilities.
  • Transfer orchestration

Total cost of ownership (TCO) ​

Cerberus pricing assumes a 3-year contract.

SFTPPlus is based on a perpetual software license, with optional support subscriptions for ongoing years. You have the option not to pay for the support service, resulting in zero cost for SFTPPlus after the first year.

The primary reason our customers choose SFTPPlus over Cerberus is the reduced cost.

SFTPPlus is cheaper than even Cerberus Professional, starting from the second year of operation.

With the option to deploy on Linux or Kubernetes, operational costs can be reduced even further.

MFT vs File Server ​

Both SFTPPlus MFT and Cerberus FTP focus on being lightweight, self-hosted, highly secure managed file transfer servers rather than complex enterprise integration suites. They share similar core traits: strict compliance (PCI DSS, HIPAA, FIPS), multi-protocol support (SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS), and robust audit logs.

SFTPPlus MFT is explicitly positioned as a Managed File Transfer (MFT) / B2B integration platform, covering both server and client/agent-side transfers, with support for AS2. Cerberus is primarily a secure file-transfer server, with MFT automation layered on top.

SFTPPlus missing features ​

SFTPPlus lacks support for geoblocking. We think this can lead to false positives. Instead, SFTPPlus uses explicit IP filtering and automatic blocking, allowing administrators to configure the IP addresses or network ranges that are accepted or rejected.

Users in SFTPPlus can only update their own password. They can't self-recover a lost password. This is for security reasons, and we are considering extending this functionality in future releases, while avoiding account hijacking. In Cerberus, users can recover a lost password.

Cerberus also allows ad hoc sharing of files and folders over the web. This functionality is missing in the current SFTPPlus version and is a high-priority item on the SFTPPlus roadmap.

SFTPPlus is actively developed and maintained. If there are any features missing from SFTPPlus in comparison with Cerberus, get in touch with us and we will be happy to include them in the next release.