Fortra's GoAnywhere Gateway for Windows (BYOL)

What do you like best about the product?

Support and ease of use. Most of the time with the easy UI and documentation I can figure things out on my own. Any time I have needed to contact support I get a timely and knowledgeable response. I almost forgot to mention the logging which has saved me multiple times when troubleshooting with our vendors. I don't have to reach out to the network team. I can see almost everything that is happening from the logs in the admin console.

What do you dislike about the product?

The cost went up, but what hasn't gone up these days. And they handled that well since we had been customers for several years now. It would be easier to have multiple Admin console windows open or an easier way to copy code blocks between projects, but I have worked with much, much worse.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

We needed a relatively easy on prem SFTP server with scheduling, and some integration capabilities. It has grown as we have with AWS and Azure service access. It has all the security and protocols we have needed.

What do you like best about the product?

I feel that GoAnywhere MFT is a pretty solid tool. It's pretty straightforward, making it suitable for any beginner to implement workflows. The toolbox it provides is very wide and helpful for our organization. I also appreciate its integration capabilities, like with SFTP, native S3, SharePoint, and Azure Storage. The ease of implementation of workflows was notably faster than our previous IBM solution, and the architecture setup was similar, requiring only a few changes. Infrastructure-wise, setting up workflows from the previous tool was straightforward. I would recommend it to any organization looking for easy-to-set-up, centralized managed file transfer solutions, and I would give it a nine out of ten.

What do you dislike about the product?

Sometimes its logging features are not too clear

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

I use GoAnywhere MFT for transfer solutions and workflow tasks like encryption and compression. It's straightforward, easy to implement, and provides a wide toolbox, making it beneficial for my organization.

What do you like best about the product?

I like how GoAnywhere MFT makes file transfers easy and brings a good balance with its well-roundedness, combining ease of use with enterprise-level functionality. The automation capabilities, centralized management, and visibility into transfers have made our day-to-day operations much more manageable. I appreciate that it has all the enterprise features found in other products. Additionally, the initial setup was quite easy thanks to the POC, managed services, and the helpful support from our account management team. The guides and documentation were very easy to use, making it convenient for our experienced operations team.

What do you dislike about the product?

While GoAnywhere MFT is very capable, I guess some parts of the UI and the bulk flow configuration process feel a bit dated. It's not the most friendly system, especially for the newer admin we onboard; there's always a definite bit of a learning curve. Complex workflows and integrations can be challenging, but once you get the hang of it, I think it's manageable.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

GoAnywhere MFT centralizes data transfer, enhancing visibility and reliability. It reduces manual intervention and troubleshooting with automation, providing a single platform for various tasks. This streamlines managing internal systems and external partnerships, making operations more reliable and efficient for our team.

What do you like best about the product?

GoAnywhere MFT has helped us make major improvements in our File Transfer process by letting us centralize them into one system. The service works with many file transfer protocols such as SFTP, AS2, AS4, S3 buckets, HTTPS, SharePoint and others so it is a very flexible platform which lets us transfer data to partners in a secure and efficient manor. The workflows allow for file manipulation as well, which means process that were being handled by several individuals can now be completed by one process.

We had great support from the onboarding team when implementing the service. Great user guide that is straight forward to use and easily accessible through workflow setup.

We have never had performance issues or bottlenecks when using the system, and we have internal processes that are running on a constant basis

What do you dislike about the product?

The product’s GUI doesn’t have a modern look and feel. Also, some of the logged errors are difficult to understand because they appear as Java errors, and it isn’t always clear what the underlying issue might be.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

Prior to the switchover, we had several SFTP servers in our environment, and we were able to consolidate them into one platform, which has made management much easier.

We were also able to tighten the security of our connections. We no longer have to share passwords between users to connect to external sites, since we now use one SSH key per GoAnywhere connection.

With GoAnywhere’s ability to process PGP encryption, we now have workflows in place to encrypt or decrypt files. Previously, users had to handle these steps manually.

The UI-based workflows in GoAnywhere also save us time when creating flows. Before, we spent a lot of time writing scripts to transfer files. Once the workflows are in place, they save time for our end users as well, since they no longer have to process the files themselves.

What do you like best about the product?

Reliable and Secure — Backed by an Excellent Support Team"

I've been using GoAnywhere MFT for just over a year now, primarily for secure file transfers, and it has been a solid, dependable solution. What initially drew me to it was the robust security it offers — knowing that sensitive files are encrypted and transferred safely gives real peace of mind.

But what truly sets GoAnywhere apart is the support team. Any time I've run into a question or needed guidance, their team has been responsive, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful. It's rare to find that level of support from a software vendor, and it makes a real difference in day-to-day use.

What do you dislike about the product?

The biggest drawback I've noticed with GoAnywhere MFT is the learning curve. When you first get started, the interface and configuration options can feel a bit overwhelming — especially if you don't come from a technical background. It takes a fair amount of time to get fully up to speed and understand how everything connects.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

Here's your "problems & benefits" response:

"A Dependable Solution for Staying Compliant"

Before using GoAnywhere MFT, keeping up with compliance requirements around file transfers was a constant concern. We needed a solution that could ensure sensitive data was being handled and transmitted in a way that met regulatory standards — and GoAnywhere delivered on that.

The built-in security controls and detailed logging have made a noticeable difference when it comes to audit time. Instead of scrambling to pull together documentation or worry about gaps in our process, we now go into audits with confidence knowing everything is tracked and handled properly.

What do you like best about the product?

Running an MSP means juggling multiple client environments simultaneously, and GoAnywhere MFT has made that significantly more manageable. The thing we like best is how everything lives in one place — user management, transfer workflows, scheduling, encryption, and audit logs — all accessible through a clean, browser-based interface without needing to hop between tools.
The drag-and-drop workflow builder is genuinely powerful. We've automated file delivery pipelines for clients that previously required manual intervention or custom scripting, cutting down our operational overhead considerably. It integrates seamlessly with cloud environments like AWS and Azure, which matters a lot as more of our clients move workloads off-premise.
From a compliance standpoint, the built-in audit trails and detailed reporting give our clients the paper trail they need for regulatory requirements — and give us the visibility we need to troubleshoot quickly when something goes wrong.
The support team at Fortra also deserves a mention — responsive, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful when we've hit edge cases. For an MSP recommending solutions to clients, knowing vendor support won't let you down is worth a lot.
GoAnywhere MFT is one of those tools we confidently recommend without hesitation.

What do you dislike about the product?

No tool is perfect, and GoAnywhere MFT does have a few areas where there's room for improvement. As an MSP, the initial learning curve is something we've noticed when onboarding new team members — while the interface is browser-based and reasonably clean, fully understanding the workflow builder and advanced project configurations does take time. More built-in examples and guided templates would go a long way here.
The UI, while functional, feels somewhat dated compared to modern platforms. It gets the job done, but a fresher, more intuitive design would improve the day-to-day experience, especially for junior administrators.
We've also encountered occasional performance slowdowns under heavier workloads, which appear tied to memory usage. Not a dealbreaker, but worth noting in larger deployments.
Lastly, pricing can be on the higher end, particularly when add-ons or support for technical issues outside the standard scope are factored in. For smaller MSP clients with tighter budgets, this can be a harder sell.
That said, these are relatively minor friction points compared to the overall value the platform delivers. The Fortra support team has been responsive when it matters most.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

As an MSP serving multiple clients across different industries, we were dealing with a fragmented and risky file transfer landscape — clients relying on legacy FTP setups, manual processes, inconsistent encryption practices, and zero audit visibility. GoAnywhere MFT solved all of that in one platform.
The biggest problem it addressed was eliminating manual, error-prone file transfer processes. We've replaced scattered scripts and ad hoc transfers with centrally managed, automated workflows that run reliably without human intervention — freeing our team to focus on higher-value work.
Compliance and auditability was another major pain point for several of our clients in regulated industries. GoAnywhere's detailed audit logs and reporting give them a clear, defensible paper trail for every file movement — critical for meeting requirements like PCI DSS and industry data protection standards.
Security consistency across client environments has also improved dramatically. With support for OpenPGP, SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS, and AES encryption baked in, we no longer have to patch together security measures client by client. Everything is handled through one governed, centralized platform.
The bottom line benefit for Genius Tech Solutions: faster client onboarding, reduced operational overhead, stronger security posture, and greater client confidence in how their sensitive data is being handled. GoAnywhere MFT has genuinely elevated the quality of managed services we deliver.

What do you like best about the product?

We currently use GoAnywhereMFT as our primary solution for the secure and automated transfer of programmatically generated date within our environment. One of the mots valuable feature is the Secure Forms capability which provides a reliable and easy to use method for external parties to submit files to use in a controlled and encrypted manner. The flexibility to support a variety of protocols has been instrumental in enabling seamless integration across diverse systems. The ability to centrally manage all of our SFTP connections has significantly streamlined administration and improved overall operational efficiency.

What do you dislike about the product?

Probably the only thing I could think of that would be a better solution would be more flexibility in the secure forms creation that we can add some more customization or possibly utilize external authentication sources.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

I use GoAnywhere MFT for managed file transfers and secure file submission. It connects through various protocols to different sources and manages all our SFTP connections, scheduling connectivity and automating tasks.

What do you like best about the product?

Centralized, Secure File Transfer..............

What do you dislike about the product?

The interface isn’t as modern or responsive as newer platforms

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

GoAnywhere MFT is primarily solving the problem of uncontrolled, fragmented, and insecure file transfers across systems

What do you like best about the product?

I like GoAnywhere MFT for its automation capability. It significantly reduces manual intervention by scheduling job monitoring and file transfers. The user interface is great, simple, and easy to understand, making it accessible for new joiners. I also find it straightforward to connect to different protocols like AES, HTTPS, and SFTP. Overall, it's a very reliable platform.

What do you dislike about the product?

In GoAnywhere, I can say there is one thing that I wanted to improve: the PGP encryption key. We do not find where it is used. So we import the PGP encryption key and GoAnywhere, and we don't have any option like in which projects it is used. Also, enhance the real-time analytics; that would be a much better feature. API management—like, I do not see many projects having much better API integration over there. As we are working more with a hybrid cloud environment, flexible API management would add good value to it. Improvement in usability, vulnerable monitoring, and modern indication would make the platform even stronger. And one thing I would like to add as well is the AI integrations, as we are moving in a world full of AI agents, I would like to see GoAnywhere having AI agents which we can interact with. Also, the initial setup was not quite easy for our team.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

I use GoAnywhere MFT for automating payments and HRMS processes, reducing manual work, and ensuring secure, efficient file transfers. It enhances operational efficiency, supports compliance with encryption and audit tracking, and simplifies connections to various protocols.

What do you like best about the product?

🔹 1. Strong Mapping & Resource Abstraction (Big Advantage)
One of the best things about GoAnywhere MFT is its resource-based architecture, which keeps integrations clean, secure, and reusable.

You can define storage endpoints as “Resources” (e.g., Azure Blob / ADLS / SFTP). Those resources can then be referenced in workflows without exposing credentials. This helps ensure:

Separation of duties (admins configure, developers consume)
Security (credentials are centrally managed)
Reusability across projects


🔹 2. Seamless Integration with Azure Storage (ADLS / Blob)
GoAnywhere provides native connectors for Azure storage, including ADLS Gen2. Key aspects include:

Supports Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 (ADLS) integration via Cloud Connector
Uses:

Azure Storage Accounts (Gen2)
Azure AD (App registration: Client ID, Tenant ID)

Enables:

Upload / Download / Move files to ADLS
Treat ADLS as a file repository or virtual folder


📌 Setup typically involves:

Storage account creation
Azure AD registration for authentication
Configuring Cloud Connector in GoAnywhere

➡️ The ADLS connector allows integration and transfer directly with Azure storage services.

🔹 3. Identity & Security Integration (Enterprise-grade)
Another major advantage is how well it integrates with the Azure security stack:

Azure Active Directory (AAD) / Entra ID for identity
Key Vault for secrets (optional)
Secure protocols: SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS, AS2

It also supports end-to-end encryption (AES, PGP).

📌 This helps with:

Centralized IAM control
Compliance readiness (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.)
Strong audit + logging

➡️ GoAnywhere integrates with Azure services like AAD for identity and supports secure file transfer protocols.

🔹 4. Powerful Workflow Automation (Core Strength)
For DevOps and data pipeline use cases, the biggest differentiator is the workflow automation:

Drag-and-drop workflow orchestration
Multi-step pipelines (Extract → Transform → Encrypt → Transfer)
Event-based triggers (file arrival in ADLS, scheduled jobs)
API/CLI integration for CI/CD

🔹 5. Hybrid & Multi-Cloud Connectivity
This is especially useful in environments that include Databricks, Snowflake, and SFTP.

It works across:

On-prem systems
Azure / AWS storage
External partners (B2B)

And it can move files between flows like ADLS → SFTP → Databricks → Snowflake.

📌 Overall, it acts as a centralized hub for data movement.
➡️ GoAnywhere supports hybrid cloud environments and integrates with cloud storage like Azure.

🔹 6. Centralized Monitoring & Audit
For governance and process controls, the centralized monitoring and audit capabilities are important:

Full audit logs of who accessed files and what transfers happened
Alerts (success/failure)
Compliance reports

➡️ Provides centralized monitoring and audit capabilities for file transfers.

What I like best about GoAnywhere MFT is its ability to abstract storage systems into reusable resources, enabling secure and scalable integrations with platforms like Azure ADLS. It lets you configure Azure storage as centralized resources mapped to workflows, which supports separation of credentials, stronger security, and reusability. Combined with Azure AD integration, robust encryption, and native connectors, it provides a seamless way to move data across cloud and hybrid environments. On top of that, its workflow automation, event-driven triggers, and centralized monitoring make it highly efficient for managing enterprise data transfers—especially when you’re dealing with SFTP integrations, cloud storage, and governed data pipelines.

What do you dislike about the product?

What I dislike about GoAnywhere MFT is that while it is powerful, it can become quite complex to manage, especially when dealing with multiple resource mappings and integrations. The abstraction of storage systems like Azure ADLS into resources is useful, but maintaining these virtual mappings across environments can be confusing and sometimes difficult to troubleshoot, particularly when issues arise in workflows. The platform also has a noticeable learning curve for new users, as understanding its workflow design, connectors, and configurations takes time. In addition, the user interface can feel a bit dated and not as intuitive for advanced use cases, and integration with some external systems or connectors is not always seamless. There are also occasional performance and stability concerns under heavy workloads, along with limited flexibility in certain features like scheduling and error handling. Overall, while the tool is robust, it requires strong familiarity and careful management to use it effectively at scale

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

GoAnywhere MFT solves several key problems around secure and reliable file transfers, especially when working with external providers and enterprise systems. One of the biggest challenges it addresses is securely exchanging sensitive data with third parties—rather than relying on manual processes or insecure methods, it allows us to enforce strong authentication mechanisms like SSH keys along with passwords, ensuring controlled and secure access. It also helps standardize security practices such as encryption, access control, and even integrating antivirus scanning to safeguard files before and after transfer. Another major problem it solves is the lack of visibility and governance across multiple data flows—by centralizing all transfers, it provides audit logs, monitoring, and alerting, which improves compliance and troubleshooting. Additionally, it eliminates dependency on custom scripts and fragmented tools by offering automated workflows for file movement between systems like SFTP servers, cloud storage (e.g., Azure ADLS), and internal applications. This significantly reduces operational overhead, improves reliability, and ensures consistency in data handling. Overall, it allows us to securely manage external integrations, enforce enterprise-grade controls, and streamline complex file transfer operations into a more governed and efficient process.