Globalscape EFT vs Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct comparison

Globalscape EFT vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

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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

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

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of August 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 4.1%, down from 7.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Managed File Transfer (MFT) Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct	4.1%
Globalscape EFT	3.8%
Other	92.1%

Managed File Transfer (MFT)

Featured Reviews

reviewer2753700

Transmission Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees

Flexibility has enhanced file control, though there is room for error prevention enhancement

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 The user interface needs improvement as it looks outdated. The auditing and reporting tools in Globalscape EFT need enhancement. The logs are an area that can be improved because sometimes you cannot find detailed logs for the problem you're working on or when encountering errors. The warning feature in Globalscape EFT needs improvement. When using the rule builder and building rules, it would be helpful to have warnings if code goes outside a certain place. For example, when using a loop and dragging activities up and down, sometimes if the code exits that loop, it runs for all setups and can cause problems. In one instance, while working on sending files from one folder to different vendors with different loops for every condition, the upload activity went out of the loop, resulting in all files being sent to the same vendor.

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reviewer1955103

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.

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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

"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."

"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."

"We definitely pay one-tenth of the cost as compared to our previous solution, and it is covering all the bases."

"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."

"Globalscape EFT allows us to have global connections; for example, there are multiple connections using the same SFTP, so we can add a single tab where we can declare it as a global connection and use it in different exports or imports."

"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."

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

"The staff went above and beyond to make our stay comfortable, offering suggestions for local attractions and even remembering our names throughout the weekend."

More Globalscape EFT pros

"The solution effectively reduced large transfer file transit time across global regions by over 50%."

"The most valuable feature of this solution is the security."

"Automation is the most valuable feature."

"The most valuable feature is that it provides 100% reliability for file transmission."

"The product has been very stable."

"Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is a solution that is on the market for a very long time. There is an integrator that has been developed and evolves every year. On the roadmap, there is always a new integration. For example, it's one of the solutions in the market that out of the box can handle EBICS protocol. The file processing is done very well. By default, there are a lot of configurations that can be customized."

"For Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct, my overall rating is ten out of ten."

"It's a great tool because it offers secure file transfers and it has a fast and efficient protocol for very large files."

More Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct 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."

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

"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."

"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."

"There are a few issues with Globalscape EFT; if I'm transferring large batches, it takes them in threads, uploading 100 files at a time while the rest of the files will be in a queue system, and when comparing it with GoAnywhere, they can send more files at a time."

"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."

"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."

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

More Globalscape EFT cons

"User interface is not user friendly."

"Sometimes we face issues and can't figure out the cause of failures."

"I do not have any notes for improvement."

"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."

"Technical support is difficult to work with."

"The user interface needs to be improved."

"Functionality-wise, they can make additional improvements to Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct."

"This solution cannot be deployed on a root_squash NFS, which limits superuser privileges."

More Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

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

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

"We are paying around 30K per year."

"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."

"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."

"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."

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

More Globalscape EFT pricing and cost advice

"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

12%

Financial Services Firm

11%

Outsourcing Company

10%

Construction Company

Financial Services Firm

31%

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	2
Large Enterprise	14

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	1
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	10

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?

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 is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct?

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct is an expensive platform.

What needs improvement with Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct?

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.

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Product Reports

Globalscape EFT

Download Globalscape EFT product report

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct

Download Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct product report

Also Known As

Globalscape GlobalSCAPE Managed File Transfer

No data available

Overview

Globalscape EFT enhances productivity through secure and location-independent data sharing. It features robust automation, integration with Windows and Linux, and a centralized interface for ease of use, making it ideal for seamless file transfer management and compliance.

Globalscape EFT specializes in secure file transfers between internal and external systems, supporting multiple encryption methods. It utilizes strong workflow automation and auditing tools, making it suitable for complex regulatory documentation. It integrates seamlessly with platforms like Salesforce for enhanced data management and is deployable both on-premises and cloud environments. Though it excels in many areas, improvements are needed in real-time collaboration and transfer speed for large files.

What are the key features of Globalscape EFT?

Location-Agnostic Data Sharing: Provides productivity tools for secure transfers regardless of user location.
Data Loss Prevention and PGP Encryption: Ensures secure data transmissions with enhanced protection.
Centralized Interface: Facilitates ease of use for file management and administration.
Powerful Automation: Streamlines complex workflows efficiently.
Advanced Workflow Engine: Supports challenging regulatory tasks.
Integration Options: Compatible with Windows, Linux, and systems like Salesforce.
Comprehensive Auditing Tools: Offers detailed insights into data management activities.

What benefits or ROI should users expect?

Enhanced Productivity: Facilitates efficient and secure file sharing.
Improved Compliance: Ensures adherence to regulatory requirements.
Streamlined Data Management: Automates processes for ease of operation.
Seamless System Integration: Connects with existing enterprise systems effortlessly.

Globalscape EFT is widely used in industries requiring secure data exchanges, such as finance and healthcare. Organizations utilize its event rules to automate workflows, connect with global financial networks, and meet compliance demands effectively. Its deployment flexibility supports both on-premises and cloud applications, catering to diverse operational environments.

Fortra

Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct offers robust security and encryption for fast, reliable file transfers across platforms. It supports large files and diverse protocols, integrating seamlessly with Sterling Control Center for real-time monitoring.

Known for its stability and scalability, Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct handles complex data transfer needs in banking and other sectors. Users value its integration capabilities, automation features, and flexibility with encryption. Checkpoint restart, advanced scheduling, and diverse deployment options enhance its reliability. While it supports EDI and XML automation, users identify the need for a reverse proxy in the DMZ and seek additional protocols. Licensing and setup complexity are noted, alongside a need for a more interactive GUI and improved technical support during American hours.

What are the key features of Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct?

Security and Encryption: Provides strong protection for data during transfer.
Checkpoint Restart: Ensures transfer recovery from failures without restarting.
Advanced Scheduling: Allows precise control over data transfer timing.
Real-Time Monitoring: Uses Sterling Control Center for instant status updates.
Protocol Support: Handles EBICS, EDI, XML, SFTP, FTPS, and more.

What benefits should users consider in their evaluations?

Data Transfer Reliability: Ensures consistent and secure file exchange.
Integration Capabilities: Allows seamless connection with diverse systems.
Scalability: Adapts to growing data transfer demands effectively.

In industries like finance and logistics, Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct facilitates secure transfers across platforms such as Linux, Windows, and mainframes. Organizations implement it for node-to-node data transmission, utilizing protocols including SFTP and FTPS. It enables protocol-based automated file transmission and EDI message interchange, crucial for complex tasks across sectors.

IBM

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

HZMO, Bank of Communications

Globalscape EFT vs. Sterling Commerce Connect:Direct