Cerberus FTP Server review (2026): is it worth $1,599 a year?
Windows file transfer server for FTP, FTPS, SFTP and HTTPS
Black Friday: is there a Cerberus FTP Server sale?
Cerberus FTP Server report card
Weak · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a Windows file transfer server for FTP and SFTP
Cerberus FTP Server is a Windows server for FTP, FTPS, SFTP and HTTPS with unlimited users under one flat license. It starts at $1,599 a year, and the browser client, sharing links and SSO need the $3,499 Enterprise tier.
Who Cerberus FTP Server is for
- Fits if you run an on-premises transfer server on Windows
- Works for teams that prefer one flat license over per-user pricing
Who Cerberus FTP Server is not for
- Pricey if you just need basic FTP, at $1,599 a year on Professional
- Not for you if you run Linux or Mac servers, as the server is Windows only
- Too light for sharing links on Professional, because the browser client, SSO and automation are Enterprise
- Watch out: Enterprise Plus has no published price, and the page also shows $1,999 and $4,374 beside the lower figures
Why Cerberus FTP Server gets a 1.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- DValue for money$1,599 a year works out near $133 a month, far above the category's dearest-tenth line of $29.99. Unlimited users is the reason it is flat, and that is all the listing offers for it.
- CFree plan and trial25-day free trial and no card is needed. Nothing stays free.
- CFeaturesSeveral transfer protocols, cloud storage backends, automation and audit logs. The browser client, ad hoc sharing, SAML SSO and automation need Enterprise, so the entry tier is plain.
- DEase of useYou install and configure a server, with users, certificates and storage to set up. No store rating is on record.
- DPlatforms and integrationsThe server runs on Windows only, with a browser client on Enterprise. No Linux or Mac server.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Cerberus, a Redwood Software product's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Cerberus FTP Server? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/cerberus-ftp-server#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/cerberus-ftp-server.svg" alt="Cerberus FTP Server: 1.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Cerberus FTP Server stands among file storage and sync services
Cerberus FTP Server's GPA of 1.4 is higher than 0 of the 91 other file storage and sync services we grade.
It stands best on free plan and trial (C, above 18 of 91) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $133.25 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $6.64 for the category: 59 of the 60 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.3 out of 4. 64 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 92 file storage and sync services we grade, cut by the letter each got. Cerberus FTP Server’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 91, level with 13
- CFree plan and trialAbove 18 of 91, level with 48
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 91, level with 67
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 91, level with 21
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 91
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 66 file storage and sync services. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Cerberus FTP Server, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Cerberus FTP Server you would be making connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 91 of the 91 other file storage and sync services grade higher. It costs $1,599 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Storing and serving files for other people.
- A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on and audit logs.
What this rests on. Cerberus FTP Server’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Cerberus FTP Server?
Cerberus FTP Server is software you install on Windows Server to receive and send files over FTP, FTPS, SFTP, SCP and HTTPS. It manages users and groups, can connect to Active Directory or LDAP, and logs transfers. Higher editions add a browser client, event automation and single sign-on.
Worth knowing
- The server application is built for Windows; there is no Linux or Mac server.
- The browser client, ad hoc sharing, SSO and automation need Enterprise or above.
- Enterprise Plus has no published price and is bought through a quote.
- A non-production license for testing or disaster recovery is 50% off on Professional and Enterprise.
Key features
- Many transfer protocols
- Serves FTP, FTPS, SFTP, SCP and HTTP/S, and the vendor lists FIPS 140-3 validated cryptography for SSL and SSH.
- No per-user charge
- Every edition allows unlimited user accounts and connections; users come from a built-in manager, Active Directory or LDAP.
- Cloud storage backends
- Virtual directories can point at Amazon S3 or Azure Blob Storage instead of a local disk.
- Automation and retention
- Enterprise adds event-driven transfers and a Folder Monitor that deletes files by age.
- Audit logs
- Logs track client, file and administrator activity; Enterprise adds searchable audit reports by user and date.
Cerberus FTP Server pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Cerberus FTP Server is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $1,599 per year, billed annually.
- Starts at
- $1,599 per year, billed annually
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- 25-day free trial, no credit card required
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Professional | $1,599per year, billed annually | FTP, SFTP and FTPS, unlimited users and connections, 9-5 email and phone support. The page also shows $1,999. |
| Enterprise | $3,499per year, billed annually | Adds a browser client, ad hoc sharing links, file retention rules, SAML SSO and event automation. The page also shows $4,374. |
| Enterprise Plus | Custom | Quote only. Adds 24/7 severity 1 support, one non-production license and rogue-transfer detection. |
Read from cerberusftp.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Cerberus FTP Server before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Other savingsHalf-price non-production license
Professional and Enterprise customers can add a disaster-recovery, test or development license at a 50% discount at checkout.
Stated on cerberusftp.com
Works with
- Amazon S3
- Azure Blob Storage
- Microsoft Entra ID
- Active Directory
- LDAP
- Microsoft Hyper-V
- VMware ESX
Cerberus FTP Server alternatives
- Cerberus FTP Server vs Files.com
Free trial · from $199/mo
- Cerberus FTP Server vs FileCloud
Free trial · from $7/mo
- Cerberus FTP Server vs Kiteworks
Free trial
Common questions
Does Cerberus FTP Server have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Cerberus FTP Server is listed for Windows and Web.
Does Cerberus FTP Server have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Cerberus FTP Server is listed for Windows and Web.
Is Cerberus FTP Server open source?
Cerberus FTP Server is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Can Cerberus FTP Server be self-hosted?
Yes. Cerberus FTP Server's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.