The Original Source Advantage

Since 2019, SFTPGo has evolved from a specialized open-source project into a globally recognized managed file transfer solution. Our core advantage is technical ownership: we don't just provide a solution; we maintain the very foundations it is built upon.

Protocol Expertise

Many file transfer solutions rely on third-party libraries or engines they do not control. In contrast, the SFTPGo engineering team includes the primary maintainer of the upstream golang.org/x/crypto/ssh package and co-maintainers of key SFTP and FTP libraries for the Go ecosystem.

When you choose SFTPGo Enterprise, your support comes directly from the engineers who help maintain the core protocol libraries. We are active contributors to the ecosystem with a deep, code-level understanding of the technology.

Supply Chain Control & Transparency

Many file transfer services and SaaS offerings are essentially "wrappers" around external components. These components often include:

  • Standard engines like OpenSSH.
  • The open-source edition of SFTPGo (without enterprise features).
  • Closed-source, third-party commercial libraries or products.

This raises a critical question of accountability: What happens if you report a problem caused by a component outside of your vendor's direct control? Your vendor must first analyze the issue and then report it to their upstream provider. If that component is an external project or a proprietary library they do not own, a fix typically depends on third-party timelines.

Furthermore, updating core engines can be complex. Vendors may be hesitant to upgrade underlying components immediately, potentially leaving your infrastructure running on outdated code with known vulnerabilities. This is why security-conscious organizations now demand a Software Bill of Materials (SBoM). We encourage you to request a SBoM from any provider to verify the origin, age, and maintenance status of their dependencies.

Rapid Security Response

Because we have end-to-end control over our stack—from the web interface down to the cryptographic transport layer—we can address vulnerabilities efficiently.

A practical example is the Terrapin attack (December 2023). As maintainers of the core Go SSH library, we contributed to the upstream fix and released a secured version of SFTPGo immediately following the public disclosure. Vendors who rely on third-party engines typically face a waiting period for external updates. As the maintainers, we are the upstream.

Official Enterprise Edition vs. Third-Party Distributions

SFTPGo is frequently available on various hosting platforms, app catalogs, and container marketplaces. While these services offer convenient deployment, it is critical to understand the nature of these distributions:

  • Community Edition vs. Enterprise: These distributions package the Open Source core. They do not include the additional features found in the Enterprise edition.
  • Infrastructure vs. Software: Payments made to these platforms cover their hosting infrastructure or automation services, not the development of the SFTPGo software.
  • Vendor Support: These versions are not connected to the SFTPGo engineering team. They operate without direct access to the software authors for code-level issues.

The only SFTPGo offerings directly supported and guaranteed by us are those described on this website. By choosing the official Enterprise edition or our SaaS plans, you ensure you are utilizing the complete feature set, backed directly by the expertise of the team that built it.