Fortra&#39;s Globalscape Managed File Transfer vs Kiteworks comparison

Fortra's Globalscape Manage...

Read 12 Kiteworks reviews

2,017 Views
1,536 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 15, 2024

Kiteworks and Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer are competitive solutions in the secure file transfer market, each offering distinct advantages. Kiteworks takes the lead in security features, making it ideal for organizations prioritizing data protection, while Globalscape's strength lies in its integration capabilities, appealing to businesses seeking operational flexibility.

Features: Kiteworks includes strong data security and compliance tools, a user-friendly interface for easy management, and robust logging for monitoring activity. Globalscape offers extensive integration options with third-party applications, a centralized management platform, and a strong automation engine for streamlined operations.

Room for Improvement: Kiteworks could enhance integration capabilities and expand its API functionalities. It may also benefit from offering more flexible pricing models and improving user training resources. Globalscape might improve its initial learning curve, optimize its GUI for more intuitive use, and offer more robust out-of-the-box reporting capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Kiteworks is known for its straightforward deployment model, ensuring quick setup and ease of implementation. It focuses on providing excellent customer support. Globalscape, on the other hand, provides flexible deployment options, including both cloud and on-premises solutions, supported by extensive customer service that includes proactive communication and feature updates.

Pricing and ROI: Kiteworks incurs a high initial setup cost with a significant ROI focus on security features, appealing to those prioritizing security investments. Globalscape offers a moderate setup cost, balancing cost efficiency with ROI benefits driven by integration capabilities and scalable architecture, making it attractive for organizations valuing integration.

To learn more, read our detailed Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer vs. Kiteworks Report (Updated: January 2025).

Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer vs. Kiteworks

Download the complete report

Helped 831,265 peers since 2012

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

Fortra's Globalscape Manage...

Ranking in Managed File Transfer (MFT)

12th

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Kiteworks

Ranking in Managed File Transfer (MFT)

9th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Enterprise Content Management (11th), Email Security (23rd), Content Collaboration Platforms (13th), Secure Email Gateway (SEG) (11th)

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2025, in the Managed File Transfer (MFT) category, the mindshare of Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer is 2.1%, down from 2.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Kiteworks is 9.7%, up from 5.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Managed File Transfer (MFT)

Featured Reviews

Sumit Mundik

Application Development Senior Analyst at Accenture

Includes encryption and decryption functionalities with advanced workflow engine

The most effective feature is its advanced workflow engine. Another feature is the flexibility of the code we use to create tasks. For example, with other tools, you receive only one notification upon completing or failing the task. However, in Globalscape, you can set up step-by-step email notifications. For instance, if you pick up a file from the source location, you can add a condition to send an email notification to a specific address once that step is successful. Conversely, a different notification can be sent to a designated address if the step fails. This allows us to receive notifications for each process step without waiting for the entire task to complete.

Read full review

Sukkanta Banerjee

Senior Software Engineer at Wipro Limited

Two-factor authentication and .ZIP format make large file transfers very secure

The most valuable feature is the ability to send a large file of 30 GB in size and more. In Outlook and other email applications, you cannot send files that are larger than 20 MB. But with Kiteworks, 30 GB is transferable by default and, with the proper approval, a file of up to 100 GB can be sent. It makes file transfer very easy and smooth. Also, only the .ZIP format is supported because it is a very secure mode of file transfer, and that is why it is recommended. It also has built-in antivirus, so if it detects any malware it will quarantine the file and it won't be delivered. This is really important to keep the service up and running in a proper and secure manner. With people working from home, the data needs to be checked to see what kind of data is being sent. It has a two-factor authentication mechanism. For example, if a person with a particular domain is using Kiteworks and sends a file to a party outside of his domain, that external party has to go through two-factor authentication. The receiver gets a link that takes them to the setup of a temporary account, which will be valid for three days. The recipient will also receive a customized password separately. Only after all these steps will they be able to access the file. That access is only available to a person with the mail ID to which the file was sent. In addition, admins can see who is sending sensitive content, what that content is, and to whom it is being sent, and can track emails. One week of good training will give a user complete knowledge for using the solution. The system is very easy to use. You just click on "Compose," attach a file, and send it. It's very easy compared to Outlook or Teams. It's quite simple, even for someone logging in for the first time. It is very smooth and easy to send files.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"A job skeleton can be used from test to production so you don't have to build jobs from scratch in production."

"The most effective feature is its advanced workflow engine. Another feature is the flexibility of the code we use to create tasks."

"The Event Rules functionality is a key feature. It is very simple to understand and work with. If you have a support team that doesn't know anything about coding, they can really relate to the way event rules are designed. So, I try to make them as simplistic as possible when we create file transmissions. When I first started working in Globalscape, a lot of the file transmissions were handled through Advanced Workflow, which is a similar product. We had a lot of scripts in Advanced Workflow. I moved them to Event Viewer in Globalscape because of the simplicity of building scripts and understanding how they work. It literally takes 5 to 10 minutes to set one up, but if you're in an advanced workflow, it could take an hour to two hours to understand via code what it is actually doing. It has definitely been a plus."

"The Advanced Workflow Engine it comes with is brilliant because it allows us to create scripts and perform behind-the-scenes jobs that would otherwise require a third-party solution... You would have to create a special code on the outside to get all that other stuff done in the background. With Globalscape, we can get all of that done in one package."

"It bolsters security with features like Data Loss Prevention and seamless integration with DLP for a safe and compliant environment which enables real-time document sharing and control over file actions."

"The High Security Module is valuable. It allows for increased security. It allows me to integrate Globalscape with our Active Directory. So, we manage all our customer accounts outside of Globalscape, and it allows us to import them with LDAP queries. It's very convenient. It also gives our customers the confidence that it's a very secure product."

"Its ease of use is most valuable. Especially for the configuration of the rules, we don't need to have any scripting knowledge. Previously, we used to have a lot of custom scripts to transfer these files. Now, it's all managed in one place, and it's like a self-service. It's saving a lot of time for us."

"The fact that it is Windows-based was a huge factor for us because most of our endpoints are Windows-based. And the ability to configure it means standardization is available with the product."

More Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer pros

"The solution removes the limitations with file attachment size that is found with regular email."

"I like Kiteworks or Accellion because it's continuously upgraded. I also know that it probably works with a lot of clients."

"The solution can be used remotely; it's easy to upload and share files."

"The benefits that Kiteworks has provided to its customers in terms of data sovereignty."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to send a large file of 30 GB in size and more. In Outlook and other email applications, you cannot send files that are larger than 20 MB. But with Kiteworks, 30 GB is transferable by default and, with the proper approval, a file of up to 100 GB can be sent. It makes file transfer very easy and smooth."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to allow end-users to manage their own information and data with minimal administration. That's the best feature from my perspective."

"The top two features are the two-factor authentication, which is pretty good. It's easily understood by the users. And their API is rather robust. We have numerous integrations that work off the API."

"The most valuable aspect of Kiteworks is undoubtedly the private content network. This feature is particularly beneficial for us. Furthermore, it serves as a centralized platform that enables us to track and manage our information exchange."

More Kiteworks pros

Cons

"Instead of using a fat client to access the administrator panel, where you have to install client software on any server that you need to use to access, I would like them to switch to a web-based model where you could connect from anywhere without having to maintain and install the software."

"The solution lags a bit when thousands of jobs, multiple users, and multiple developers are accessing it at the same time."

"Another area for improvement is the ARM (Auditing and Reporting Module) database, in terms of accuracy and the data being logged."

"There are two ways to install Globalscape: as a standalone server or as a high-availability server, either Active-Active or Active-Standby. We are currently using standalone servers. That means if we want to upgrade the software, I shut down one of the two back-end servers, upgrade the software, make sure everything is correct, and then turn traffic back on to that one. I then proceed to upgrade the second server. With their high-availability solution, that is not a possibility. Both servers have to be shut down to perform the upgrade. We're a 24/7 shop. We don't have a window where we can have downtime."

"If Globalscape has a higher number of tasks, performance issues will occur."

"In the beginning, it could be considered a bit challenging."

"It could improve its operations by incorporating real-time collaboration features like those offered by platforms such as Microsoft OneDrive and Office 365."

"We need some capability for faster transfers and large file transfers. If we want to transfer a terabyte file, it is not capable of doing that right now. They say it is possible, but we are not able to do so with our environment."

More Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer cons

"There are always issues when there are bugs or upgrades. The challenge with upgrading is getting more storage from the customer. Every time we have a new version, it requires additional storage. This means that the customer would need to procure more storage for their server, which they don't like because it means additional cost to them. So, I think my request would be that the version upgrades don't require any significant storage requirement."

"In my experience, their technical support can be a little slow."

"The one feature, which I have also requested directly to Kiteworks, is to have a scheduled upgrade function. Currently, one of my engineers logs in after hours for the upgrade. We're a hospital, and we're 24/7, but the primary users are seven to five. So, we log in the early evening just to push a button to tell it to do the update. It would be nice if that could be very easily scheduled."

"There is no offboarding process for end-users in Kiteworks. It's a manual process. There is no automated syncing with LDAP and checking to see if the account is still active. It's a manual process to get people out of here, which isn't the best way."

"We have experienced a few hiccups and bugs when using the admin console and from a user perspective."

"I would like to see immediate releases of fixes because now it takes at least a week. If that time span can be reduced to one day or two days, that would be very helpful for users so that things are sorted and transactions work smoothly."

"Kiteworks could benefit from enhancing the proposal knowledge base section, specifically regarding the type of work involved. Currently, the knowledge base seems insufficiently dedicated to this topic, making it challenging for new users to access the relevant administrative law. Improving the visual aids and providing clearer explanations could alleviate this issue."

"File location could be improved."

More Kiteworks cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is reasonably priced in comparison to other products."

"It is much more competitively priced. Axway is probably three or four times more expensive than Globalscape. I like the server-based license. It's easier to manage than a seat license, which our previous product Axway had. Axway's license model is to charge by the account while Globalscape's model is by the server. It is much simpler and much easier when audit time comes."

"Maintenance and services for Globalscape EFT have an annual price tag, and it is not cheap."

"We are paying around 30K per year."

"A large factor in our decision to go with Globalscape was the price."

"It is a very good product in terms of purchase. It didn't cost that much, even with the way we had scaled and architecturally put things in place. It is definitely comparable to other products."

"It offers excellent value and its pricing is straightforward, making it easy to acquire, set up, and use."

"Globalscape is not cheap, but you get what you pay for. The cost is worth the value of the product. What you're getting is a good, stable solution that does a lot."

More Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer pricing and cost advice

"I believe it's a little costly, but given the faith that we put into it from a security perspective to maintain the integrity of our patient information that is being transferred through this system, that's a small price to pay. So, on the surface, it might look like a lot of money, but depending on the need for security, which is where we feel it shines, it's okay price-wise."

"They changed it midstream. We were being charged a certain flat rate for SFTP traffic. For whatever reason, at the beginning of the year, our pricing changed, and we are now being charged more for using a feature of the product than we were when we first bought it. That has been our experience with billing. It turned out to be more expensive than when we started with it."

"The price of Kiteworks is reasonable."

"The license management is changing and confusing. If I could make one change to it, it would be better license management through the API."

"It is not really expensive. I mean, to me it's obviously expensive, but it's worth it."

"The solution is very expensive because we are buying with Malaysian Ringgit and it's sold in US dollars."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Managed File Transfer (MFT) solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

831,265 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

21%

Computer Software Company

12%

Insurance Company

Healthcare Company

Government

14%

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Globalscape Managed File Transfer?

It bolsters security with features like Data Loss Prevention and seamless integration with DLP for a safe and compliant environment which enables real-time document sharing and control over file ac...

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Globalscape Managed File Transfer?

It offers excellent value and its pricing is straightforward, making it easy to acquire, set up, and use. While there are some areas where it could improve, such as GUI and collaboration features, ...

What needs improvement with Globalscape Managed File Transfer?

If Globalscape has a higher number of tasks, performance issues will occur. It will get hung, and then we need to restart the services. They need a robust tool to handle 5000-6000 jobs at a time.

What is Kiteworks?

Kiteworks is a secured file sharing platform that enables users to collaborate with different parties across a robust offering of secured protected channels. Users have the option of virtual privat...

What do you like most about Kiteworks?

The benefits that Kiteworks has provided to its customers in terms of data sovereignty.

What needs improvement with Kiteworks?

There is room for improvement in terms of support. My team always faces challenges in accessing fast resolution for the issues.

BMC Control-M Managed File Transfer vs Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer

Comparisons

Compared 20% of the time

Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT vs Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer

Compared 20% of the time

MOVEit vs Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer

Compared 18% of the time

webMethods.io vs Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer

Compared 15% of the time

IBM Sterling File Gateway vs Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer

Compared 13% of the time

More Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer Competitors

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct vs Kiteworks

Compared 45% of the time

MOVEit vs Kiteworks

Compared 13% of the time

SharePoint vs Kiteworks

Compared 12% of the time

Fortra's GoAnywhere MFT vs Kiteworks

Compared 9% of the time

FileCloud vs Kiteworks

Compared 8% of the time

More Kiteworks Competitors

Product Reports

Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer

Download Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer product report

Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer report

Download Kiteworks product report

Also Known As

Globalscape GlobalSCAPE Managed File Transfer

Accellion

Learn More

Video not available

Fortra

Overview

Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer offers comprehensive solutions for file exchanges, secure storage, automated compression tasks, and encrypted transactions, catering to on-prem and cloud deployments across global locations.

Globalscape Managed File Transfer enables seamless file transfers, monitoring, and automation for B2C and B2B exchanges. Users benefit from secure data replication, API integrations, and internal system collaborations. It supports compliance with regulatory documentation through its advanced workflow engine, High Security Module, and encryption features. With a centralized platform and robust auditing, organizations can manage encrypted file transactions and large reports efficiently and securely.

What features does Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer offer?

Ease of Use: Intuitive graphical interface simplifies file management.
Centralized Platform: Efficiently manage and monitor all file transfers from one place.
Robust Auditing: Detailed logs for compliance and security insights.
Comprehensive Security: Encryption with the High Security Module and keyring for PGP and SSH.
Seamless Integration: Works with Active Directory, PowerShell, and APIs.
Advanced Workflow Engine: Automates file transfers and regulatory documentation.
Scheduling and Monitoring: Schedule tasks and monitor folders for changes.
Graphical Interface: User-friendly visual tools for configuration and management.
Data Loss Prevention: Real-time secure document sharing and control.

What benefits and ROI should users look for in reviews?

Increased Productivity: Automated workflows save time and effort.
Enhanced Compliance: Robust auditing and security meet regulatory requirements.
Secure Data Handling: Encrypted file transactions ensure data integrity.
Scalability: Supports both small and large-scale operations efficiently.
Integration Capability: Seamlessly integrates with existing systems and APIs.

Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer is implemented across industries like finance, healthcare, and manufacturing, providing secure data transfers and compliance management. Its scalability and integration capabilities make it suitable for both on-premises and cloud-based deployments, handling high volumes of transactions and data replication with ease.

Kiteworks empowers organizations to effectively manage risk in every send, share, receive, and save of sensitive content over numerous communications channels: email, file sharing, managed file transfer, APIs, and web forms. The Kiteworks platform unifies, tracks, controls, and secures sensitive content moving within, into, and out of an organization, significantly improving risk management and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

United States Securities and Exchange Commission, National Health Service, Husch Blackwell LLP, NYC Health + Hospitals, Viatris, MITRE Corporation, Chubb, Kraft Heinz, KPMG, Kohler, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Purdue Pharma, AVL

Fortra's Globalscape Managed File Transfer vs. Kiteworks