CTERA vs Egnyte (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Egnyte grades higher than CTERA: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
CTERA grades higher on value for money. Egnyte grades higher on the free plan and ease of use. They get the same grade on features and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Egnyte
Business file sharing with governance and AI tools
Which one is for you
Pick CTERA if
- Fits if you run offices that need to share one set of files
- Works for enterprises that want a private or CTERA-hosted deployment
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you are a small team, as it is sold to enterprises
- Skip it if you want a price or a trial
- Watch out: each site needs its own virtualisation capacity for the Edge Filer
- Watch out: Drive Connect and Drive Protect list Windows and macOS only
Pick Egnyte if
- Fits if you're a business that needs permissions and governance on shared files
- Works for a team of up to 10 that wants the $10 Team plan
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want more than Team: Business is $22 a user and Elite is $48 billed annually
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there is none
- Tight if you need e-signature or PDF markup: both start at Elite
- Watch out: Ultimate has no published price, the Team plan stops at 10 users and the trial length isn't stated
How we grade them
| 1.8GPACTERAWeak | 2.0GPAEgnyteFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published, so it cannot be set against the category. | D$10 a user for Team, capped at 10 people, but the main Business plan is $22, past the category's $16.50 dearest-tenth line. Elite is $48. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan or trial on record. The site offers demos and sales contact. | DA free trial on each plan with no length stated, and no free plan. |
| Features | CA global file system, Edge Filers and apps for web, desktop and mobile. Drive Connect and Drive Protect are Windows and macOS only. | CFile sharing, governance and AI tools, but e-signature, PDF markup and multi-document AI need Elite. |
| Ease of use | DVirtual Edge Filers at each site and a private or hosted model to choose. No store rating on record. | CNo store rating on record, with an admin setup of folders, permissions and rules. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, plus AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Microsoft 365 Copilot. | AWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, and 6 integrations listed. |
| Best for | one global file system across offices for enterprises | business file sharing with governance rules |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: CTERA and Egnyte. How we grade
Where they differ
- CTERA is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- CTERA also covers file management.
- Egnyte also covers AI search and workflow automation.
At a glance
| CTERA | Egnyte | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | $10 per user / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial on each plan; length not stated on the pricing page |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | CTERA Networks | Egnyte, Inc. |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | egnyte.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
CTERA
- No prices are published; the site offers demos and sales contact only.
- Deployment is either a private subscription or a CTERA-hosted model, so hosting responsibility depends on which is chosen.
- Edge Filers are virtual appliances, so each site needs its own virtualization capacity.
- Drive Connect and Drive Protect are listed for Windows and macOS only.
Egnyte
- No free plan; the Team plan is limited to 1 to 10 users.
- The prices shown are for annual payment, and the page notes a multi-year discount on all plans.
- E-signature, PDF markup and multi-document AI start at Elite.
- Ultimate has no published price and is quoted by sales.
Key features
CTERA
- Global file system
- Cloud and on-premises storage silos are presented as one logical namespace, managed from a web-based multi-tenant portal.
- Edge Filers
- Virtual appliances at remote sites provide caching and NFS and SMB gateways, in sizes the site says range from a few users to thousands.
- CTERA Drive apps
- Drive Share syncs and shares files on Windows, macOS, iOS and Android; Drive Connect mounts the file system on Windows and macOS; Drive Protect backs up desktops and laptops.
- Encryption and key control
- The vendor says data is protected with AES-256 end-to-end encryption and that customers keep control of their keys.
- Ransomware and archiving tools
- Ransom Protect and immutable snapshots handle attacks, and an AI-assisted archiving service helps decide what to move to cheaper storage.
Egnyte
- Shared cloud storage
- Files are reached through a web app, Windows and macOS desktop apps, and iOS and Android mobile apps.
- External sharing controls
- External user accounts, email-validated sharing and, on higher plans, dynamic watermarking limit what outside recipients can do.
- AI assistant and search
- Plans include single-document Q&A. Multi-document assistant, AI Search and AI Workflows start at Elite.
- Ransomware and governance tools
- Ransomware detection, suspicious login alerts, lifecycle policies and snapshot recovery are spread across Enterprise Lite, Elite and Ultimate.
- Industry options
- Optional modules cover construction project hubs, financial services document rooms and life sciences records.
Plans
CTERA
Pricing could not be confirmed. See ctera.com.
Egnyte
Team$10
per user / month, billed annually
For 1 to 10 users: secure link sharing, external user accounts, email-validated sharing and single-document AI Q&A.
Business$22
per user / month, billed annually
Single-document AI Q&A, discretionary permissions, Google Workspace integration and Microsoft 365 co-editing.
Enterprise Lite$39
per user / month, billed annually
Adds artifact-based ransomware detection, suspicious login detection, content lifecycle policies and advanced workflows.
Elite$48
per user / month, billed annually
Adds AI Assistant, AI Search and AI Workflows, PDF markup, e-signature, dynamic watermarking and auto-remediation.
UltimateCustom
Adds document and sensitive data classification, ransomware detection with snapshot recovery and DLP integration. Quote only.
Ways to pay less
CTERA
No public discounts listed.
Egnyte
- Other savings
Multi-year discount on all plans
The pricing page notes that a multi-year discount is available on every plan; the amount is not stated.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, CTERA or Egnyte?
As of Nov 13, 2026, CTERA has no price we could confirm, and Egnyte starts at $10 per user / month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, CTERA or Egnyte?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither CTERA nor Egnyte has a free plan. Egnyte has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.