Cerberus FTP Server vs Syncplify AFT!

Cerberus FTP Server is a secure file transfer server built for Windows. It supports FTP, FTPS, SFTP, SCP, and HTTP/S transfers, with a web client for accessing, editing, and transferring files from desktop or mobile browsers. Administrators can manage accounts through the native user database or Active Directory and LDAP; version 2026.3 adds RADIUS authentication. That version also supports Amazon S3 and Azure Blob Storage as Virtual Directory backends. Security features include SSH, SSL, FIPS 140-3, and TLS 1.3. Event, alert, and synchronization tools support managed file transfer automation, while file access, user, and administrator logs support auditing and reporting. The product is positioned for PCI DSS, HIPAA, FIPS-140-2, and GDPR requirements. Professional and Enterprise editions include unlimited phone and email support during business hours; Enterprise Plus adds 24/7/365 Severity 1 support. Commercial use requires a subscription license, and each license permits installation on one machine. The paid product has no free plan but offers a 25-day trial. Cerberus FTP Server was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

Syncplify AFT! automates file-transfer workflows through SyncJS, an ECMAScript 5.1-based scripting engine with more than 200 file-transfer functions. Scripts use one virtual file system for local files, SFTP, AWS S3, Azure Blob Storage, and Google Cloud Storage. Jobs can start on Cron-compatible schedules, filesystem events, or REST API triggers. The library handles CSV and XML parsing, HMAC and PGP operations, SQL, AMQP, HTTP/S, and notifications to Slack, Teams, Telegram, Twilio, and email. AFT! keeps searchable indexed job logs and stores credentials and API keys in an encrypted secrets store for runtime retrieval. It runs on Windows and Linux as a statically linked binary for bare metal, virtual machines, or Docker. A VS Code extension adds language-server features, autocomplete, documentation, and an MCP server. The product costs $99 or VM. A 15-day trial requires no credit card.