Control-M vs Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT comparison

BMC and Fortra are both solutions in the Managed File Transfer (MFT) category. BMC is ranked #4 with an average rating of 9.0, while Fortra is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.9. BMC holds a 4.2% mindshare in MFT, compared to Fortra’s 7.4% mindshare. Additionally, 98% of BMC users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Fortra users who would recommend it.

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Control-M and Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Managed File Transfer (MFT) solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Control-M vs. Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT Report (Updated: October 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Control-M vs. Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT

October 2024

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Categories and Ranking

Aspera Managed File Transfer

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Managed File Transfer (MFT) category, the mindshare of Aspera Managed File Transfer is 3.5%, up from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Control-M is 4.2%, up from 2.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT is 7.4%, up from 5.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Managed File Transfer (MFT)

Featured Reviews

Michele Illiano

Head of Division at Innovery

Beneficial quick protocol, powerful, but limited use cases

Aspera Managed File Transfer should be packaged into another solution. Explaining to customers you need to have multiple solutions from multiple vendors for their use cases can get complicated for them to understand. The best way to propose a suite is to have an integrated suite where the customer could choose to license part of it. This solution could be one solution not two choices between 10 or 12 different solutions. The main feature of Aspera Managed File Transfer is the communication protocol, which is fast. There are a lot of different clients that are offering features related to these fast protocols. It's possible to create one unique suite that can handle this base protocol. It will be quite easy to propose to the customers.

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Pedro Fuentes

System Engineer at Community Loans of America, Inc.

Cost-effective, excellent support, and centralized access and control

They have a department that handles requests for enhancements. I talked to Control-M guys back in October or November when they had a gathering here in Atlanta. We talked about not being able to go back in history in Helix Control-M for more than two weeks. We submitted a request for enhancement. They told us that they are working on it, and they are thinking of expanding that to 30 days. We would like to see it expand to 90 days, but they are working on it. In Control-M, we were able to go back 180 days, but that was on-prem. The storage of that data was on our own servers. We know that storage is money, and we do not expect them to store that much of the data, but at least 30 to 60 days seem proper.

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Joel Vinas

Senior Analyst at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees

Created a much better working relationship with our partners and saved a lot of time

While I was happy with the training and support, more of it could be beneficial. We had some basic training and support. I talked with Fortra recently, and they said that they revamped and changed their training support. I have not used it since December. I got support in February and May of last year, and it was not bad. I was just not sure which questions to ask. Trying to learn this stuff on the fly as you are handed a project is always stressful. I like that you can tweak the interface so much, but it would be nice to be able to tweak it some more. The ability to further tweak the interface would be advantageous, as our end users had some questions about modifications that we could not address. Other than that, GoAnywhere seemed to fulfill its role as a simple solution for secure file transfer.

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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

"Good user interface and ability to set up multiple file transfer jobs."

"The main feature of Aspera Managed File Transfer is that it's an incredibly fast protocol, you can use all the bandwidth available. If I need to send large amounts of data this is the fastest protocol on the market. I have been using it for some minor projects and it is very powerful."

"Aspera Managed File Transfer is an optimal solution for customers who want to transfer large files to remote sites with lower bandwidth and in less time."

"The reporting is top-notch. I haven't found any other applications on the market that can replicate what Control-M offers. The alerting is very good, and I think their service monitoring is the best in the industry."

"It has certainly helped speed things up."

"It helps us meet our service-level agreements. It is integrated into our CI/CD pipeline. It enhances our operational productivity."

"The most valuable feature is the reporting function. It allows us to pull up reports for specific information that the end-users are looking for."

"The web interface is handy. It's easy to use, and Control-M provides you with the necessary materials to understand the features and perform various tasks."

"The solution is innovative. Specifically for the overseas and time differences, you can feel the efficiency of Batch Impact Manager on jobs, batch processing, and impact management. It works the best on these kinds of issues. It saves us time and money, which is important. We save a lot using Control-M."

"It can do anything that I need. We do real-time jobs. We also do jobs that have to run at certain times. I have not been presented with a scheduling need that I was not able to do. It is very flexible and dynamic."

"We value Control-M mainly for the ability to control multiple nodes in a coordinated manner. Control-M has the ability to really coordinate across a lot of nodes."

More Control-M pros

"All of it is valuable, but the most valuable would be the ability to release medical records without having a limitation for size and not having to deal with the fax machine."

"When we were doing the demo, we took one project from the old system and got it running in GoAnywhere in less than 30 minutes. That says a lot. I've written queries and understand code, so I'm not a novice. Still, I think that's pretty impressive for a software product to be able to deliver a functional use case in half an hour."

"The user interface is simple."

"We like that GoAnywhere helps to centralize the exchange of data among our systems, employees, and customers."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to call a workflow from another workflow. That really gives you an edge by increasing reusability and speeding up development time. You can create a workflow which is a type of template and then call that workflow from any other workflow... It has sped up development time by 80 to 90 percent."

"The most valuable features are the automatic processing of files and scheduled execution of the files."

"When we first started using it, SecureMail, or the ability to securely send mail to end users, as a single file or as a package of files, was very helpful for sending large packets of files. We could not send that through traditional email."

"The usability is valuable because I am self-taught and have not had any formal training in the product. The help feature is quite handy."

More Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT pros

Cons

"Aspera Managed File Transfer should be packaged into another solution. Explaining to customers you need to have multiple solutions from multiple vendors for their use cases can get complicated for them to understand."

"Deployment is complex and it was difficult to get support."

"The solution's pricing is high and should be reduced."

"The biggest improvement they could have is better QA testing before releases come out the door."

"For installing or upgrading the PeopleSoft and SAP plugins, currently there is no way to do it via Control-M Configuration Manager. So, we are installing or upgrading the plugins, like PeopleSoft and SAP, manually. If BMC could provide an option via Control-M Configuration Manager to upgrade these plugins, it probably would reduce a lot of manual work as well as ease our work. This is one improvement that I personally want to see, because it would help our way of working."

"There are numerous boxes to tick and things to check to ensure everything is in order before the upgrade happens. The process is very long"

"The reporting tool still needs a lot of improvement. It was supposed to get better with the upgrade, and it really didn't get better. It needs help, because it's such a useful thing to have. It needs to be more powerful and easier to use."

"I am unsure if Control-M is compliant with Microsoft Azure environment integrations. We have some clients in Azure environments. Specifically, in Canada, government agencies and nonprofits mostly use Microsoft Azure."

"The documentation could be improved, and I'd also like to see automatic upgrades."

"I talked to Control-M guys back in October or November when they had a gathering here in Atlanta. We talked about not being able to go back in history in Helix Control-M for more than two weeks. We submitted a request for enhancement. They told us that they are working on it, and they are thinking of expanding that to 30 days. We would like to see it expand to 90 days, but they are working on it."

"I'm currently working on the SaaS version, but I've also worked on the on-prem versions before. There is a handful of features that haven't been added to the SaaS version, and the BMC knows that. It's a matter of time before they prioritize the missing pieces and bring them into the SaaS version."

More Control-M cons

"The product could be improved by being modular. There are more features in the core product than any client needs."

"It would be helpful to have a way to actually have a job run without notifying the email addresses you have set up and without posting to the actual FTP... when you need to make a small change to a job that is deployed to production, and test that change, you have to go back and reset everything. It's not really a great way to test."

"I would like to be able to do MFA and reset the password via email."

"The solution's support for the Unix platform and AS2 should be improved."

"When we restart the agent on each server, it tries to go out to the internet and it takes about a 13-minute timeout before it can move forward. Why is there a 13-minute timeout value when trying to go to the internet? ...If they could limit that timeout or give us a way to modify it so we could have a faster timeout, that would help us at least knock out a half-hour's worth of outage."

"When a monitor invokes a project to accomplish something, that gets logged as a job. I've had a little difficulty figuring out where to look to see the monitor's activities itself, to see if the monitor is having a problem. For instance, if an account on a secure FTP server has expired, the monitor that uses that account doesn't announce to us that it's having a problem. I want to work with them on this to get it fixed."

"There is a function referred to as write CSV, to write a general text file. In this scenario of creating a simple text file, I ran into a situation where, if the product saw a quote or a double-quote in the data, it started wrapping all the text fields in double-quotes. The request I put in asks them to provide a feature that leaves my data alone and does not interpret anything."

"I like that you can tweak the interface so much, but it would be nice to be able to tweak it some more. The ability to further tweak the interface would be advantageous, as our end users had some questions about modifications that we could not address."

More Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Aspera Managed File Transfer is not an inexpensive solution. I am not aware of many competitors to determine how affordable the price is overall."

"Its pricing and licensing could be a little bit better. Based on my experience and discussions with other existing customers, everybody feels that the regular Managed File Transfer piece, not the enterprise one, is a little overpriced, especially for folks who already have licensed Advanced File Transfer. We understand that Advanced File Transfer is going away and is going to be the end of life, and there is some additional functionality built into MFT, but the additional functionality does not really correlate with the huge price increase over what we're paying for AFT already. This has actually driven a lot of people to look for alternative solutions."

"This is an expensive product compared to other solutions, although I think that it is a good one. We are in a good position with licensing, as we can run 10,000 jobs."

"For the tooling that you get, the licensing is acceptable. It has competitive pricing, especially with all the value that you get out of it. There are additional costs with some of the additional modules, but they are all electives. Out of the box, you get the standard Control-M experience and the standard license. They're not forcing some of the modules on you. If you decide that you do need them, you can always purchase those separately."

"There are human costs in addition to the standard pricing and licensing of this solution."

"It works on task-based licensing."

"We have a five-year contract with task-based licensing."

"The pricing and licensing could be better. However, when I compare Control-M pricing with JAMS, Control-M is still better priced than JAMS enterprise."

"we are more looking for a better cost/license/performance model because BMC, while we could say it's the best, is also the most expensive. That is what we are probably most annoyed with. We are paying something like €1,000,000 over three years for having 4,000 jobs running. That's expensive."

More Control-M pricing and cost advice

"GoAnywhere's price is justified by its features and the time it saves me."

"For what we pay to GoAnywhere every year, we are getting a fantastic deal. From a dollar perspective, it provides very good value."

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

"It would be good for the company to explore a modular approach to selling the product so it could be cheaper and more attractive to users."

"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."

"The product is not cheap, but it is not expensive."

"I get the invoices, and its price is fine and appropriate. It is well priced. Even if it was double the price, we'd use it. For us, it is indispensable. We're not going to go anywhere else. There are no additional costs. Its licensing is good. There is just one charge that we get. That's it."

"Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT carries a higher price tag than other MFT solutions."

More Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

19%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

Healthcare Company

Financial Services Firm

29%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aspera Managed File Transfer?

Aspera Managed File Transfer is an optimal solution for customers who want to transfer large files to remote sites wi...

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What needs improvement with Aspera Managed File Transfer?

The solution's pricing calculation needs revision to be more competitive

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What advice do you have for others considering Aspera Managed File Transfer?

Aspera Managed File Transfer has superior technology. Overall, I rate Aspera Managed File Transfer a nine out of ten.

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How does Control-M compare with AutoSys Workload Automation?

Control-M acts as a single, centralized interface for monitoring and managing all batch processes, which is helpful b...

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What do you like most about Control-M?

First of all, the shift from manual to automation has been valuable. We have a tool that can automate.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Control-M?

While it is quite flexible, the licensing cost could be more affordable, especially for small and mid-sized enterprises.

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

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

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

The pricing is too expensive for what we need. If we could cut it by 50%, that would be great.

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What needs improvement with Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT?

I am not able to go in and say 'forgot password.' I need to access the admin portal to change the password from there...

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Comparisons

IBM Sterling File Gateway vs Aspera Managed File Transfer

Compared 76% of the time

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct vs Aspera Managed File Transfer

Compared 15% of the time

Axway AMPLIFY Managed File Transfer vs Aspera Managed File Transfer

Compared 9% of the time

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AutoSys Workload Automation vs Control-M

Compared 20% of the time

IBM Workload Automation vs Control-M

Compared 9% of the time

Automic Automation vs Control-M

Compared 7% of the time

Rocket Zena vs Control-M

Compared 6% of the time

Redwood RunMyJobs vs Control-M

Compared 5% of the time

More Control-M Competitors

IBM Sterling File Gateway vs Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT

Compared 15% of the time

MOVEit vs Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT

Compared 11% of the time

JSCAPE by Redwood vs Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT

Compared 11% of the time

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct vs Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT

Compared 9% of the time

TIBCO Managed File Transfer vs Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT

Compared 4% of the time

More Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Managed File Transfer (MFT)

November 2024

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Buyer's Guide

Control-M

November 2024

Download Control-M product report

Buyer's Guide

Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT

November 2024

Download Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT product report

Also Known As

No data available

Control M

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

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IBM

BMC

Fortra

Overview

IBM Aspera takes a different approach to tackling the challenges of big data movement over global WANs. Rather than optimize or accelerate data transfer, Aspera eliminates underlying bottlenecks by using its proprietary fasp technology that fully utilizes available network bandwidth to maximize speed and quickly scale up with no theoretical limit. Using fasp, transfers are secure end-to-end and are largely unaffected by file size, transfer distance, or network conditions, making transfer times up to 100Xs faster than TCP-based protocols.

IBM Aspera offers SaaS, on-prem, and hybrid solutions to meet the needs of modernizing infrastructures. All solutions offer robust security and compliance, intuitive file sharing, workflow automation, central administration, and real-time visibility. Quickly and easily initiate transfers across hybrid infrastructures, including support for cloud-to-cloud transfers. IBM Aspera offers unmatched transfer speeds, end-to-end security, reliability, and exceptional bandwidth control.

Control-M is used for enterprise workload automation, orchestrating finance, retail, healthcare, and supply chain processes. It handles batch job scheduling, managed file transfers, cloud integrations, and compliance auditing across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.

Organizations leverage Control-M to efficiently monitor and manage business-critical processes like payroll, HR, SAP, Informatica, and database tasks. It enhances visibility, security, and error resolution. Automating and optimizing workflows in data centers, AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, Control-M supports diverse technological environments. The platform's robust capabilities make it suitable for effective centralized management of applications and data pipelines, ensuring enhanced collaboration and scalability.

What are Control-M's most important features?

Integration capabilities: Seamlessly integrates with various systems
Automation API: Facilitates automation through APIs
Managed File Transfer: Simplifies secure file transfers
GUI console: Intuitive graphical user interface
Role-based administration: Provides access control
Single-pane view: Centralized monitoring dashboard
Scheduling options: Flexible job scheduling
Workflow orchestration: Coordinates complex workflows
Reporting: Generates insightful reports
Monitoring: Tracks and manages tasks
Forecasting: Predicts future workloads
Self-service portal: Empowers users with self-service tools
Plugins: Extends functionality through additional plugins

What are the benefits or ROI of using Control-M?

Enhanced visibility: Centralized view of all processes
Ease of use: User-friendly interface
Error reduction: Minimizes manual errors
Improved collaboration: Facilitates teamwork
Scalability: Supports growth and scale
Support: Comprehensive customer support

Control-M is implemented in industries like finance to handle payroll and HR tasks, in retail for inventory management and supply chain processes, and in healthcare for compliance auditing and patient data processing. Organizations benefit from streamlined workflows and automated processes across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments, ensuring efficient and secure operations.

Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT facilitates secure file transfers across platforms like Windows, Linux, and cloud environments, automating movements and supporting SFTP, FTP, and HTTPS protocols.

Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT manages secure file transfers between trading partners and internal systems, enhancing data exchanges in financial, healthcare, and regulatory sectors. It automates batch jobs, report exports, and maintains security and compliance. The platform integrates with external services, reducing reliance on custom scripts and enabling efficient handling of complex processes. Features such as advanced workflow management, encryption, IP filtering, and real-time notifications are highly valued.

What are the key features of Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT?

Advanced workflow management: Streamlines processes with automated workflows
Robust security: Ensures data protection with encryption and IP filtering
Ease of integration: Seamlessly connects with external applications and services
Intuitive interface: User-friendly design for simplified operation
Comprehensive auditing: Tracks and logs all file transfer activities

What benefits or ROI should users look for in the reviews?

Automated file transfers: Reduces manual intervention and errors
Efficient process handling: Manages complex operations with ease
Reduced custom scripting: Lowers development and maintenance effort
Real-time notifications: Keeps users informed of transfer statuses
Data centralization: Consolidates file transfer operations for better control

Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT is widely used in industries such as finance, healthcare, and regulation to securely handle sensitive data. It automates batch job processing, exports critical reports, and ensures compliance with stringent security standards. While it excels in data centralization and protocol support, areas like DNS support, user interface, and integration with antivirus solutions require improvement. Enhancing JSON parsing, CSV writing performance, and documentation for cluster environments can further elevate its utility across sectors.

Sample Customers

Gwinnett County Public Schools, Evonik, Voith, BITMARCK, Oracle

CARFAX, Tampa General Hospital, Navistar, Amadeus, Raymond James, Railinc

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

Buyer's Guide

Control-M vs. Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT

October 2024

Free Report: Control-M vs. Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT

Find out what your peers are saying about Control-M vs. Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT and other solutions. Updated: October 2024.

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