SFTPGo vs Firepipe: self-hosted server or managed gateway

SFTPGo and Firepipe can both put SFTP in front of cloud object storage, but the operating model is different. SFTPGo is software you can deploy and run. Firepipe is a managed service.

SFTPGo: you run the server

SFTPGo is open-source software under the AGPL. The source material for this guide lists SFTP, FTP/S, WebDAV, and HTTP support, with backends for S3, Google Cloud Storage, and Azure Blob. You can run it on your own VM or container and control the deployment, scaling, patching, and monitoring. Its maintainers also offer a managed cloud based on dedicated instances.

Choose that model when:

• You need to self-host because a third party cannot sit in the data path.
• You need protocols beyond SFTP.
• Your team already operates this kind of infrastructure and wants deep server-level configuration.
• You prefer free software plus your own infrastructure and operational effort to a managed-service bill.

Firepipe: the SFTP service is managed

Firepipe is a multi-tenant SFTP gateway for object storage you own. It supports SFTP and is built around Amazon S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, and S3-compatible stores.

Choose that model when:

• You want the SFTP server operations handled as a service rather than patching and monitoring your own deployment.
• SFTP is the protocol you need and the storage already lives in an object store.
• You want separate password or SSH-key credentials, path prefixes, and exportable audit logs without assembling those pieces around a self-hosted server.
• The Firepipe free tier of 5 GB per month and 5 users, or paid plans from $19/mo, fits the workload.

Side by side

	SFTPGo	Firepipe
Model	Open-source server you run, or managed dedicated cloud	Managed multi-tenant gateway
Protocols	SFTP, FTP/S, WebDAV, HTTP	SFTP
Storage	Your S3 / GCS / Azure, self-configured	Your S3 / Azure / GCS / S3-compatible storage
SFTP service operations	Your team when self-hosted	Firepipe
Best fit	Self-hosting, control, multi-protocol	Managed SFTP, object storage

If self-hosting or multi-protocol support is the requirement, SFTPGo is the more natural fit. If you want a managed SFTP layer in front of a bucket you already own, see SFTP to S3. SFTPGo features and service details can change, so check its current documentation before deciding.