Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Thru, Inc. (THRU) Managed File Transfer

SFTPGo is a full-featured, highly configurable managed file transfer (MFT) server that provides SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS, and WebDAV access to local and cloud storage. It includes web-based administration and a browser file client, plus automation via a REST API.

Key Features

• Multi-protocol server: SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS, and WebDAV for broad client compatibility
• Pluggable storage backends: local filesystem, encrypted local filesystem, S3-compatible object storage, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob Storage, and remote SFTP backends
• WebAdmin UI for managing users, groups, permissions, quotas, and virtual folders
• WebClient for browser-based file browsing, uploads, and downloads
• Secure sharing via time-limited HTTPS links with optional passwords and download limits
• Security controls including granular permissions, audit logs, and data-at-rest encryption
• Authentication options including OpenID Connect (SSO) and built-in two-factor authentication
• Event-driven architecture with automation and integration via REST API

Use Cases

• Replace legacy file transfer servers while using modern object storage as the backend
• Provide secure partner file exchange with per-user isolation, quotas, and auditing
• Offer browser-based file access and controlled public sharing without external clients

SFTPGo is well suited for organizations that need a secure file transfer gateway with modern storage backends, strong administration tooling, and API-driven automation while keeping compatibility with standard protocols.

FileGator is a self-hosted, open-source web application for managing files and folders through a modern browser UI. It supports multiple users with roles and permissions and can work with local storage or external providers via storage adapters.

Key Features

• Multi-user accounts with roles, permissions, and per-user home folders
• Core file operations: upload, download, copy, move, rename, delete, create, edit, and preview
• Chunked, resumable uploads with drag-and-drop and progress indication
• Bulk download and on-the-fly ZIP/unzip support
• Pluggable storage backends (local filesystem and third-party storage via adapters)
• Designed to run without a mandatory database (depending on chosen adapters)

Use Cases

• Provide a simple web-based alternative to FTP/SFTP for teams
• Collect uploads from students, clients, or field workers into controlled folders
• Manage and transfer files across local and supported cloud/object storage backends

Limitations and Considerations

• Symlinks and file ownership changes (chown) are not supported in typical local adapter usage
• Very large numbers of files in a single directory can reduce performance

FileGator is a practical solution for browser-based file administration and sharing with access control. It fits well for small to mid-sized deployments that need a lightweight, extensible file manager with optional external storage integration.

ProjectSend is a clients-oriented file sharing web application designed for securely distributing and collecting files through a simple portal. It focuses on privacy and control, with client accounts, access restrictions, and detailed activity tracking.

Key Features

• Client accounts and client groups for targeted file delivery
• Role-based permissions with granular access controls and custom roles
• Detailed logging and statistics for user/client actions and file access
• Optional server-side file encryption at rest (AES-256-GCM)
• Upload controls such as auto-expiration, disk quotas, and download limits
• Optional client uploads to allow two-way file exchange
• External storage support including S3-compatible destinations
• Multi-language interface with extensive community translations
• Theming and customizable email templates (with editor integration)

Use Cases

• Securely sharing project deliverables and documents with external clients
• Collecting files from customers with controlled access and audit trails
• Replacing ad-hoc email attachments with an organized client portal

Limitations and Considerations

• Requires a PHP-compatible web server and a MySQL database
• Some deployment options (such as community Docker images) may be unofficial and differ from the upstream support model

ProjectSend is a practical choice for teams that need a straightforward, self-managed client file portal with strong permissioning and traceability. It fits well for small businesses and agencies that want controlled file exchange without relying on third-party file sharing services.

Sharry is a self-hosted web application that provides simple, privacy-conscious file sharing. It offers both send and receive workflows, resumable uploads, and a web client plus a REST API for automation and integration.

Key Features

• Resumable uploads implemented via the tus protocol, enabling reliable large-file uploads and resume after network interruptions.
• Bidirectional workflows: authenticated users can publish download links; anonymous users can upload to user-managed alias pages.
• Multiple storage backends: supports storing files on the filesystem, inside the database, or in S3-compatible object storage.
• Relational database support for metadata and optional file storage: PostgreSQL, MariaDB, and H2 are supported.
• Download-friendly behavior using ETag and HTTP range requests to enable partial downloads and in-browser video seeking.
• REST API exposing core functionality for scripting and integration with other systems.
• Access controls for public shares: configurable lifetime, optional password protection, and download limits.
• Web-based management UI and email notification capabilities when configured.
• Packaging and deployment options including Debian packages, Docker, and Nix/NixOS integrations.

Use Cases

• Team file exchange: share large artifacts, logs, or media with coworkers via short-lived, password-protected links.
• External collection: allow customers or partners to upload files to a named alias page without requiring accounts.
• Automated workflows: integrate Sharry into CI, backup, or content pipelines using the REST API and supported storage backends.

Sharry combines a resilient upload stack with multiple storage and database options to fit varied infrastructure needs. Its focus is on straightforward file exchange, resumability, and integration points for automation and self-hosted deployments.

GoMFT is a web-based managed file transfer (MFT) application built with Go and powered by rclone to move data between many storage providers. It provides a central UI to configure transfer jobs, schedule them, and monitor progress with logs and file-level history.

Key Features

• Create and manage transfer jobs with configurable source/destination settings
• Cron-based scheduling for recurring transfers
• Real-time job monitoring with detailed logs and transfer statistics
• Broad storage backend support via rclone (S3-compatible, WebDAV, SFTP/FTP, SMB/CIFS, local, and more)
• File metadata tracking with history, status, filtering, and retention controls
• Optional archiving of transferred files for compliance/traceability
• Notifications via email and webhooks, plus integrations such as ntfy and Gotify
• Role-based access control and admin-managed user accounts
• Supports external authentication via OpenID Connect/OAuth2 providers

Use Cases

• Scheduled syncs and backups between on-prem storage and cloud object storage
• Managed, auditable file delivery workflows between teams and systems
• Consolidated transfer monitoring and alerting for rclone-based operations

Limitations and Considerations

• Actively under development; configuration and database fields may change between releases
• Requires rclone to be installed and available for transfer execution

GoMFT fits teams that want a lightweight web UI around rclone for repeatable, scheduled transfers with visibility and notifications. It is suitable for both homelabs and small-to-medium environments needing basic MFT capabilities without heavy enterprise infrastructure.

QuickDrop is a self-hosted file sharing application that enables anonymous uploads with chunked transfers, configurable lifetimes, and per-file access controls. It provides an admin dashboard for managing storage, cleanup schedules, notifications, and privacy settings.

Key Features

• Anonymous uploads with chunked transfer support for reliable large-file uploads
• Folder uploads with preserved structure and manifest handling
• Per-file controls: passwords, hidden (link-only) files, keep indefinitely, and visibility toggles
• Token-based share links with expiration dates and download limits; QR code generation for links
• Optional encryption at rest for stored files and server-side session tokens for access control
• Built-in previews for images and text, plus extended previews for PDF/CSV/JSON with syntax highlighting
• Admin single-page UI for file list/history, search, pagination, extend/delete actions, and runtime settings
• Notifications via SMTP and Discord webhooks with batching and test actions
• Scheduled cleanup tasks for expired files, tokens, and DB maintenance

Use Cases

• Share large files temporarily without requiring user accounts for ad-hoc transfers
• Host a private file-drop service for teams to collect uploads with optional password protection and expiries
• Maintain a small-scale public file sharing endpoint with admin-managed retention and audit logging

Limitations and Considerations

• Default deployment uses SQLite which is convenient for small or single-node setups but can limit concurrency and horizontal scaling
• Designed primarily as a single-instance service; no built-in clustering or object-storage integration by default

QuickDrop is focused on simple, privacy-minded file sharing with granular per-file controls and an easy admin experience. It is well suited for small teams, labs, or personal self-hosted environments that need temporary file exchange and retention policies.

OpenSSH's sftp-server is the server-side SFTP subsystem that runs under sshd to provide secure file-transfer operations over the SSH transport. It is distributed as part of the OpenSSH suite and is available as an external sftp-server binary or via the internal-sftp implementation inside sshd. (openssh.com)

Key Features

• Implements the server side of the SFTP protocol (invoked via sshd Subsystem or ForceCommand internal-sftp). (man.openbsd.org)
• Provides both a standalone sftp-server binary and internal-sftp (in-process) mode for chrooted and restricted sessions. (openssh.com)
• Supports modern SSH authentication methods (public-key, certificate support and protocol extensions such as FIDO/U2F) and a range of key-exchange and cipher algorithms. (cvsweb.openbsd.org)
• Server-side protocol extensions are implemented (examples include server-side copy/corp-data extensions tracked in the sftp-server tree). (cvsweb.openbsd.org)
• Designed with OpenSSH's privilege separation, logging options, and portability across Unix-like systems; crypto implementations include both dedicated algorithms (e.g., ChaCha20-Poly1305 sources) and links to OpenSSL/crypto APIs in the tree. (cvsweb.openbsd.org)

Use Cases

• Providing secure SFTP access for remote users or automated backup clients over SSH with configurable chroot jails and restricted shells. (unitedbsd.com)
• Embedding secure file-transfer into existing SSH-based infrastructure (system accounts, authorized_keys, certificates, and server-side policy). (openssh.com)
• Offering server-side copy and protocol-extension features for efficient remote file operations (reducing client-side data movement). (cvsweb.openbsd.org)

Limitations and Considerations

• Chroot configuration is strict: the chroot path must be owned by root and have strict permissions, which often causes confusing permission errors for administrators if not set up exactly. (reddit.com)
• Platform/packaging variations (e.g., Windows ports or distro-packaged builds) have historically exhibited differences or bugs (notably reported issues with some Windows builds' ChrootDirectory handling). Administrators should test the exact packaged build used in production. (reddit.com)

OpenSSH's sftp-server is the canonical, widely used SFTP implementation for SSH-based file transfer. It is actively maintained inside the OpenSSH/OpenBSD source tree, supports protocol extensions and modern authentication methods, and is intended for integration with system-level account and chroot configurations.