FTP Today vs. ExaVault: A Comparison for Secure File Exchange

Finding a secure file sharing solution that is right for your company means looking for an option to meet your unique needs. Each company considering a file sharing solution will have different concerns, price requirements, and other factors that could make a specific solution right for them. It’s important to dissect your needs, thinking about them carefully before you make any decisions.

Two of the top FTP/SFTP-based file sharing options are FTP Today and ExaVault. Both of these solutions have appealing features, but you need to think carefully about which one is best for your business before you invest. We’ll look at both options, what they have to offer, and how they can meet your secure file sharing requirements. To better compare these solutions, let’s break them down into three different categories – key features of FTP Today and ExaVault, how the solutions differ, and pricing options for each solution.

Key Features of Each Software

FTP Today and GOVFTP

Many companies, especially government agencies or contractors, have specific data security requirements. FTP Today is not only is compliant with the most important standards and regulations, the software has unique features on a cloud, site, user, folder, and activity level. This vendor also offers a government-compliant solution, GOVFTP, which is the ideal fit for government contractors. FTP Today and GOVFTP offer the highest levels of secure file sharing, as demonstrated in the following features:

• Platform Compliance - FTP Today has numerous features that make it compliant with a variety of regulations, like HIPAA, SOX, ITAR, PCI-DSS, and GLBA. However, if you’re a government agency or a defense contractor, you should be aware that FTO Today’s GOVFTP Cloud is a comprehensive compliance option, aligning with all the regulations listed above, plus FISMA/FedRAMP, NIST, DFARS, CJIS, and EAR.

• Cloud-Level Features - FTP Today offers a secure cloud-based solution meaning that while you avoid investing in costly equipment, you also benefit from:
• Enterprise Grade Infrastructure
• Dedicated Firewalls
• High Availability Servers
• Automated Intruder Protection
• Cloud Backup
• Network Intrusion Detection (GOVFTP only)
• Antivirus and Malware Protection (GOVFTP only)
• Standby Disaster Recovery (GOVFTP only)

• Site-Level Features - Site-level features of FTP Today make it the perfect option if you need:

• Support for Multiple Protocols (FTP, FTPeS, FTPS, SFTP, and HTTPS)
• File Sharing with Expiring Links
• Country Access Restrictions
• Dedicated IP and Custom SSL Certificate
• Branded Web UI
• In-transit Encryption
• At-Rest Encryption
• Unlimited Bandwidth
• Unlimited Connections
• Unlimited File Size

• User-Level Features - The ability to control how users interact with your data and your secure file sharing solution can have a large impact on how protected your data actually is. FTP Today and GOVFTP offer the following user-level controls to keep your data safe:

• Multiple User Interfaces
• Multiple User Roles
• SSH Key Authentication (SFTP)
• User IP and Protocol Restrictions
• Password Enforcement
• Multi-Factor Authentication

• Folder-Level Features - With FTP, you have unparalleled control over your data and your file sharing solution. The features below extend your control even to the folder level.
• Flexible Directory Structure
• Limited Folder Views Per User
• Distinct User Permissions
• Email Notifications
• File Retention Controls

• Activity-Level Features - Usability is a key feature to consider in a secure file sharing solution. FTP Today and GOVFTP offer the following activity-level features to make working in the solution as easy and convenient as possible.
• Real-Time Dashboards
• On-Demand Reports
• Permanent Audit Log Archive

ExaVault

ExaVault, also file sharing solution, offers many of the features you would expect from a traditional option. Some of the similarities between ExaVault, FTP Today, and GOVFTP are listed later in this article, but you will also find one or two features that are unique to ExaVault.

• Share Files and Folders - ExaVault strives to make data sharing as simple as possible, offering the following features:
• One-click Sharing
• Secure Permissions
• Client-specific Branding
• Notifications
• Sharing History

• Receive Files - Receiving files is simple, too. You can receive files via a link, embed an upload form onto your website, and schedule notifications for received files.

• Notifications - With ExaVault, you have control over notifications, setting them based on folder activity, file activity, and user activity.

• Web File Manager - Like FTP Today, you can access and manage your file sharing solution via a web browser with ExaVault. This web-based interface allows you to easily share files and work efficiently.

• FTP Server - ExaVault works with all S/FTP software and enables you to work with thousands of FTP clients.

• Activity Logs - Do you need to determine who has been using your solution and why? Track file sharing activity, filtering by username, filename, path, and more.

• Permissions - With ExaVault, you can control permissions down to the user level, limiting actions like:

• Sharing and Sending Files
• Uploading Data
• Downloading Data
• Deleting Data
• Modifying Folders and Files (Creating, Renaming, Copying, and Moving Files)
• Setting Up Notifications
• Viewing Lists
• Changing Password

Comparing Features of the Platforms

While both ExaVault and FTP Today have numerous overlapping features, let’s look at some areas where these two solutions diverge.

• Platform Compliance - FTP Today is compliant with 5 different regulations, GOVFTP is compliant with 10, and ExaVault is compliant with 3.

• Cloud-Level Features - While FTP Today offers a host of cloud-level features, ExaVault only offers dedicated network firewalls, vulnerability scanning, and full backups.

• Site-Level Features - Site-level features are where FTP Today offers the greatest level of data security. In contrast to the features offered by FTP Today and GOVFTP, ExaVault does not offer country access restrictions, dedicated IP and custom SSL certifications, or at-rest data encryption.

• User-Level Features - Although FTP Today provides a high level of user activity control, ExaVault does not offer multiple administrative roles, multi-factor authentication, or user IP and protocol restrictions. It should also be noted that ExaVault maintains only one user database for all its customers; therefore, no two customers can issue the same username for login. FTP Today segregates all user databases and allows you to assign any username you choose.

• Folder-Level Features - ExaVault does offer many of the same folder-level permissions offered by FTP Today. However, ExaVault doesn’t offer file retention controls, which allow you to automate data purges.

• Activity-Level Features - ExaVault is a simple solution to use. However, it does not offer inactive user suspension and only has detailed audit log archives up to 90 days.

Pricing Comparison

While price shouldn’t be the only criteria you consider before you integrate a secure file sharing solution into your business operations, you do want to make sure you receive value for your money.

Like most file sharing solutions, both FTP Today and ExaVault offer a range of tiered pricing options depending on your solution needs.

• FTP Today - Ranges from $50 to $500 per month
• GOVFTP (also from FTP Today) - Ranges from $400 to $800 per month
• ExaVault - Ranges from $20 to $500 a month

Clearly, if you all you need is long-term storage at the cheapest price per GB, then ExaVault may fit the bill. But, if things like high-performance storage systems, along with added security controls for achieving compliance is more important, you will likely give FTP Today the nod.

Learn more about other security file sharing options on the market and how they compare to FTP Today. Download this comprehensive comparison guide now.