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Globalscape EFT vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 22, 2026

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

Globalscape EFT
Ranking in Managed File Transfer (MFT)
9th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
14
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Sterling Commerce Connect:D...
Ranking in Managed File Transfer (MFT)
7th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2026, in the Managed File Transfer (MFT) category, the mindshare of Globalscape EFT is 3.8%, up from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is 4.2%, down from 7.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Managed File Transfer (MFT) Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct4.2%
Globalscape EFT3.8%
Other92.0%
Managed File Transfer (MFT)
 

Featured Reviews

RD
Software Developer at a computer software company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Seamless integration and enhanced automation streamline complex tasks while opportunities exist for improved batch file processing
The best feature of Globalscape EFT is that it has inbuilt encryption. We can use outside PGP encryption or we can use the inbuilt encryption as well, enabling us to do the encryption file transfer to the destinations. The other thing is that, by using the advanced workflow, we can make complex integrations for ease, and the workflow allows us to have alerts and everything by using email notifications through SMTP. We utilize the advanced automation capabilities, and we can also integrate to Azure. In one of the projects, we use Globalscape EFT as an intermediate integration and we use SAP BI where they send the files to Globalscape EFT. We take the files and push them to the banking system, where we get the response and return that back to the SAP system. Globalscape EFT can integrate with the Azure cloud systems as well. We can upload as many files as we can, and we can automate everything using SFTP software such as FileZilla, WinSCP, or any of the SFTP tools.
reviewer1955103 - PeerSpot reviewer
Assistant Vice President at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
Has delivered robust secure file transfer with exceptional encryption features
Based on experience, the one area IBM can improve for Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is the support mechanism. While support is available 24/7 whenever required, the solution time during American hours can take longer. In general, during American hours, the resource availability is not up to the standard. However, availability of support staff during UK timings or GMT timings is very good; they are supportive and helpful. Functionality-wise, they can make additional improvements to Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct. They recently improved by adding a GUI for configurations on Windows as well as UNIX platforms, which is very helpful. However, the web client is cumbersome and not as interactive as it should be. The CLI part is comprehensive, but the GUI needs improvement.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The staff went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable, offering suggestions for local attractions and even remembering our names throughout the weekend."
"Looking at the product and being trained on it, I find Globalscape to be a great file transmission application."
"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."
"If it weren't for Globalscape's automations, it would be a lot more difficult to use and it has been a blessing to have those features available to us to make our jobs a lot easier."
"We definitely pay one-tenth of the cost as compared to our previous solution, and it is covering all the bases."
"We have absolutely realized a return on our investment in Globalscape."
"The best feature of Globalscape EFT is that it has inbuilt encryption, and by using the advanced workflow, we can make complex integrations for ease, with alerts and email notifications through SMTP, along with the ability to integrate with Azure and automate everything using SFTP tools."
"The other solutions were cheaper, but they didn't give us the peace of mind to go to bed and know that we were going to have a good night of sleep, which we get with Globalscape EFT."
"Automation is the most valuable feature."
"The Security Plus feature of this solution is excellent, and allows you to send encrypted files very securely to remote destinations."
"The solution effectively reduced large transfer file transit time across global regions by over 50%."
"It's a great tool because it offers secure file transfers and it has a fast and efficient protocol for very large files."
"The most valuable feature is that it provides 100% reliability for file transmission. It ensures that files get delivered in a secure manner. When you use Connect:Direct, your file 100% gets delivered to the next delivery location. If the log shows that a file got delivered, it will have all the transmitted data without truncation or other data issues."
"Connect Direct offers Check Point functionality to ensure data integrity during transfers."
"The solution's file transfer speed is quite high."
"For Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct, my overall rating is ten out of ten."
 

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."
"Globalscape EFT is prone to errors because one single click can lead to a file being sent to another vendor, and it doesn't give any warning if the code goes out of certain loops."
"Currently, with the folder monitoring services in Globalscape, if any changes are made to our firewalls, network, or something else that affects the directory services where the files are located, for some reason, the folder monitoring services get cut out, and the files are left there."
"Globalscape EFT needs to improve system performance."
"I do have some complaints or concerns around the centralized platform for the management of file transfer operations, and I know that they're working towards a better solution there. At its core, it's a good feature, but needs some improvements. I would like to see a web interface so that there is universal support across versions, because we have test and production environments that aren't always in sync. It would be nice to have one administrative interface to access both."
"The solution lags a bit when thousands of jobs, multiple users, and multiple developers are accessing it at the same time."
"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."
"They have File Agent, which is an additional utility and a component of Connect:Direct, for automated file transmission. In that utility, there is some issue with the file name. There is a limitation on the file name, and that is being fixed by IBM."
"Functionality-wise, they can make additional improvements to Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct."
"Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct could improve by adding some of the functionality that some other vendors have. For example, GoAnywhere has call agents, which are small clients that can be installed on the endpoints and can be handled by the central point on the server. If I want to do this with the IBM solution, I have to sell a lot of account addresses. The price could be unprofitable for the customer. There is some small functionality that could be implemented and could be easily done to improve this solution."
"This solution cannot be deployed on a root_squash NFS, which limits superuser privileges."
"The user interface could be more user-friendly."
"The resources required for this tool are costly and not easily available in the market."
"Sometimes we face issues and can't figure out the cause of failures."
"User interface is not user friendly."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is reasonably priced in comparison to other products."
"It offers excellent value and its pricing is straightforward, making it easy to acquire, set up, and use."
"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."
"A large factor in our decision to go with Globalscape was the price."
"Maintenance and services for Globalscape EFT have an annual price tag, and it is not cheap."
"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."
"The on-prem licensing is very good. It's a perpetual license and I would advise others to purchase that license. That way, you don't have to pay yearly."
"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."
"Annual licensing fee."
"The price and licensing of Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is expensive."
"The solution's licensing cost is too high."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Healthcare Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Construction Company
9%
Computer Software Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
33%
Construction Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Healthcare Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business2
Large Enterprise14
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business1
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise10
 

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Globalscape Managed File Transfer?
I never looked at the pricing for Globalscape EFT because it was at the management level where my line manager handled it. I was a team lead, so we only did the RFQs and everything. I never had a c...
What needs improvement with Globalscape Managed File Transfer?
Globalscape EFT is prone to errors because one single click can lead to a file being sent to another vendor, and it doesn't give any warning if the code goes out of certain loops. The user interfac...
What is your primary use case for Globalscape Managed File Transfer?
Currently, I'm working on Globalscape EFT 2020. The usual use cases for Globalscape EFT that we are applying involve imports and data that we send from our organization to different vendors, and so...
What needs improvement with Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct?
Based on experience, the one area IBM can improve for Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is the support mechanism. While support is available 24/7 whenever required, the solution time during American...
What is your primary use case for Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct?
The majority use case for Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is for file transfer, specifically secure file transfer.
 

Also Known As

Globalscape GlobalSCAPE Managed File Transfer
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
HZMO, Bank of Communications
Find out what your peers are saying about Globalscape EFT vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct and other solutions. Updated: June 2026.
902,988 professionals have used our research since 2012.