Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SFTPGo VS Xlight FTP Server

Compare SFTPGo VS Xlight FTP Server and see what are their differences

SFTPGo logo SFTPGo

Fully featured and highly configurable SFTP server with optional HTTP/S, FTP/S and WebDAV support - S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob

Xlight FTP Server logo Xlight FTP Server

Xlight FTP Server is a high performance and easy to use ftp server software for Windows.
  • SFTPGo Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-22
  • Xlight FTP Server Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-13

SFTPGo features and specs

  • Security
    SFTPGo provides secure file transfer capabilities by supporting SFTP, FTP/S, and WebDAV protocols, which are well-known for their ability to facilitate encrypted data exchange.
  • Flexibility
    It offers a range of storage backends, including local filesystem, S3-compatible storage, and Google Cloud Storage, allowing users to integrate it with various storage solutions.
  • User Management
    SFTPGo comes with a rich set of user management features, such as virtual folders, per-user permissions, and fine-grained controls over access and bandwidth, simplifying administration tasks.
  • Event-driven Automation
    The software supports event-driven task automation and notification through hooks and triggers, providing customization for workflows and system integration.
  • Web-based Interface
    SFTPGo includes a web-based management interface, which allows administrators to manage users, monitor activity, and configure the server without requiring command-line expertise.

Possible disadvantages of SFTPGo

  • Complexity of Configuration
    Due to its extensive configuration options and features, beginners might find the setup process complex and require time to fully understand and implement all functionalities.
  • Performance Overhead
    For deployments that do not require extensive security features, the overhead associated with encrypted protocols and additional settings might affect performance.
  • Community Support
    As an open-source project, while it has an active community, users might not have access to the same level of dedicated support compared to commercial alternatives.
  • Documentation Depth
    Although documentation is available, some users may find it lacking in detail for advanced configurations, requiring additional time for experimentation and community engagement.
  • Resource Use
    Depending on the scale of deployment and usage, SFTPGo may be resource-intensive, requiring careful planning to ensure hardware and associated infrastructure can handle the load efficiently.

Xlight FTP Server features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Xlight FTP Server offers a straightforward and intuitive user interface, making it accessible for both beginner and advanced users to manage FTP servers efficiently.
  • High Performance
    The server is optimized for high performance, supporting large numbers of simultaneous connections and fast data transfer rates, which is ideal for businesses with heavy traffic demands.
  • Security Features
    It includes strong security features such as SSL/TLS support, IP access control, and integration with Active Directory, providing enhanced protection for data transmissions.
  • Advanced Features
    Xlight FTP Server supports a range of advanced features like real-time monitoring, virtual servers, and event managers, allowing for sophisticated server management and automation.
  • Low Resource Usage
    The server is designed to use minimal system resources, making it suitable for deployment on servers with limited hardware capabilities.

Possible disadvantages of Xlight FTP Server

  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of Xlight FTP Server has limitations in terms of features and the number of users, which might not be suitable for larger enterprises or more demanding use cases.
  • Windows Only
    Xlight FTP Server is only available for the Windows operating system, which limits its deployment across diverse IT environments that include other operating systems like Linux or macOS.
  • Complex Configuration for Advanced Features
    Some advanced features require complex configuration, which may present a steep learning curve for users not familiar with FTP server management.
  • Lack of Community Support
    Compared to some open-source FTP servers, Xlight has a smaller community, which can limit the availability of community-driven support and resources.
  • Cost for Full Features
    Access to the full range of features requires purchasing a license, which might be a consideration for budget-conscious users or small businesses.

SFTPGo videos

SSHFS and SFTPGo

Xlight FTP Server videos

Xlight FTP Server for Windows 2016

More videos:

  • Review - Xlight FTP Server free download!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SFTPGo and Xlight FTP Server)
FTP Client
48 48%
52% 52
File Transfer
43 43%
57% 57
SSH
50 50%
50% 50
Cloud Storage
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using SFTPGo and Xlight FTP Server. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, SFTPGo seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 21 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

SFTPGo mentions (21)

  • What you guys are hosting instead of Nextcloud? I'm sick of it.
    EDIT: Thanks for the recommendations from all of you!! I've chose to use the below: - Files: sftpgo - Calendar: baikal - Notes: memos (But beware, it sends opt-out telemetry) - Network folder: webdav on sftpgo. Source: over 1 year ago
  • HashiCorp Did It Backwards
    > Even these projects have gotten to a level of sophistication that it would implode without big tech support. The worst thing is that all this FAANG or VC backed companies make a lot of people believe that they are the only viable way. > Why do you think you don't see any interesting oss tech from hobbyists is these days? Actually not true, just an example, - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Running an FTP server WITHOUT admin priveleges
    This is possible using SFTPGo. The default Windows installer register SFTPGo as a Windows service. You can download the portable version and run it manually or install SFTPGo from the Scoop packages. You can use the built-in SFTPGo virtual permissions to only allow uploads. SFTPGo uses virtual users, no system users are required. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Was the move to AES 256 really necessary?
    Basically it's a file storage managed over HTTPS. Nextcloud is pretty heavy, that's the reason why I using just a single statically compiled cross-platform binary SFTPgo. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Simple read only ftp server
    Using SFTPGo you can easily configure read-only accounts. SFTPGo uses virtual users and virtual permissions. So you don't need to create system users for your SFTPGo users and you don't need to use chmod to make folders read-only (but the system user that SFTPGo runs as needs file system level permission to access the files/folders you want to share). Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

Xlight FTP Server mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Xlight FTP Server yet. Tracking of Xlight FTP Server recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SFTPGo and Xlight FTP Server, you can also consider the following products

FileZilla Server - Download FileZilla Server 0.9.60.2 for Windows

vsftpd - Very secure FTP Daemon, a secure, fast FTP server for UNIX systems, including Linux.

Baby FTP Server - The simplest FTP server to setup. No authentication required.

ProFTPD - The Official ProFTPD web site. ProFTPD is a high-performance, extremely configurable, and most of all a secure FTP server, featuring Apache-like configuration and blazing performance.

Titan FTP Server - Windows FTP Server with SFTP and SSL. Includes events automation, host key support, and strong security.

Microsoft IIS - Internet Information Services is a web server for Microsoft Windows