AWS Transfer Family Reviews & Product Details

AWS Transfer Family has made our file-transfer workflows dramatically simpler. We replaced legacy SFTP/FTP servers with a fully managed service that plugs directly into our S3 buckets. The setup is straightforward, the service scales automatically, and we no longer worry about patching, uptime, or maintaining Linux servers. Identity options are flexible whether using IAM, service-managed users, or a custom identity provider. I also appreciate the deep integration with CloudWatch and CloudTrail for monitoring and auditing. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Pricing can feel a bit high for low-volume transfers, and the cost structure (per hour + per GB transferred) requires careful monitoring. Configuration for custom identity providers could be more intuitive, and the AS2 setup is powerful but not as well documented as it could be. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What I like best about AWS Transfer Family is its simplicity and reliability for secure file transfers. It eliminates the need to manage traditional SFTP servers, which saves a ton of operational effort. The integration with Amazon S3 is seamless — files land directly into buckets, making it easy to trigger downstream workflows. I also appreciate the support for multiple protocols (SFTP, FTPS, FTP), which makes it flexible enough to work with various external partners. Plus, the built-in IAM and CloudWatch integration gives us strong control and visibility over access and activity. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

While AWS Transfer Family is powerful, there are a few areas where it could improve. The pricing model can be a bit confusing — especially when you're running multiple endpoints or dealing with high volumes of data transfer. Also, the customization options for the user login experience are quite limited; you can't really brand or personalize the login page. Another challenge is debugging authentication issues when using custom identity providers — the logs aren't always detailed enough, which can slow down troubleshooting. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The protocol coverage is comprehensive, with native support for SFTP, FTPS, FTP, and AS2, which lets me plug cloud-backed storage into long‑lived B2B and enterprise workflows without refactoring legacy clients or partners’ systems.

Direct integration with Amazon S3 and Amazon EFS simplifies landing zones: I can map users to buckets, prefixes, or POSIX paths and keep access enforcement close to storage while using logical directories to abstract away raw paths.

The managed operational model removes server care‑and‑feeding; high availability and scaling to thousands of concurrent users happen behind the scenes, which is ideal for spiky partner traffic or seasonal onboarding.

Workflow automation is built in: post‑transfer processing can trigger low‑code workflows and orchestrations via AWS Step Functions or related managed steps, which streamlines downstream data pipelines.

Security and compliance posture aligns with regulated environments; encryption in transit and at rest, plus compatibility with HIPAA/PCI‑oriented workflows, makes it a fit for financial services and healthcare exchanges. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Cost forecasting needs discipline because each enabled protocol bills per hour on top of transfer and feature usage; multi‑protocol endpoints created for redundancy or phased migrations can inflate spend unexpectedly without explicit guardrails or budget alerts. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I love this platform for its secure file transfer protocol leaving less for teams to worry about. Its robust security allows team to allot resources on productivity and other critical assets rather than focusing on managing the infrastructure. Files can be secured with MFA to improve security. Its AWS integration makes this platform more powerful. The cloud watch allows monitoring and audit trails of login details providing more information to authentication. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I feel that proper understanding and learning of this platform to be very effective in implementing this powerful platform. I also wish that the cost of implementing this platform as little more moderate. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Spin up a “real” SFTP/FTPS/FTP/AS2 in minutes. With Terraform we bring up a server per test branch, wire it to an S3 bucket prefix, and hand partners a stable hostname. No pets, no patching, no weekend pager for a crusty VM.

User -> bucket isolation is clean. Logical directories and per-user IAM roles make it trivial to sandbox fixtures. My E2E tests can create a temp user mapped to /fixtures/run-123/* and I know they can’t wander elsewhere.

Event-driven by default. Uploads kick off Transfer Workflows (copy/tag/decrypt/run Lambda). That lets me assert the entire path, “partner drops CSV” -> “PGP decrypt” -> “validate schema” -> “load to staging”, in one trace.

Identity options fit reality. I can do quick service-managed users for CI, or flip to a custom identity provider (Lambda) to mirror prod SSO/secret rules. Password, SSH key, or both, tests cover the same combos partners use.

Good auditability. CloudWatch logs capture commands, sessions, and failures; CloudTrail shows who changed what. When something 550s, I have receipts, not vibes.

AS2 without headaches. Trading partners, certs, MDN modes, all managed. I can run contract tests against the exact production policy set (sign/encrypt/compression) without a Confluent/EDI side quest. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Cold start tax. New servers and AS2 partner changes can take a few minutes to become active, annoying in tight feedback loops.

FTPS/network quirks. Passive mode + firewalls still bite, misconfigured ranges look like flaky tests until you remember the data port story.

Debugging ergonomics. Errors like 530/550 are terse; you end up spelunking CloudWatch logs to learn the real IAM/permission miss.

Cost nits. You pay per endpoint hour even when idle; great for prod, less great for long-lived test envs that nap between runs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I find AWS Transfer Family incredibly valuable for its secure, encrypted transfer capabilities, which ensure that the information we migrate from our on-premise data center to the AWS cloud is safe and confidently handled. This security aspect was pivotal in our decision to select AWS Transfer Family, especially given our concerns about protecting sensitive data during such significant migrations. I'm particularly impressed with how easy it was to set up, leveraging our existing experience with AWS to configure it quickly and without hassle. The setup was straightforward, requiring just a few clicks to initiate transfers, which underscores the user-friendly nature of the service. Additionally, I appreciate the peace of mind I get from knowing that as our data enters the cloud, its integrity and security remain intact, mirroring what we have in our data center. The overall satisfaction with the solution, coupled with its ease of setup and rapid deployment, makes AWS Transfer Family a top choice for our needs. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

nothing to say.. I was happy with the result Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I appreciate the AWS Transfer Family's integration features, especially with access control and CloudWatch logging. The seamless integration with Lambda is invaluable for triggering our ML workflow effectively. It significantly streamlines our operations by connecting traditional and cloud-native systems. The platform's high availability and scalability are standout features, making our workflow more efficient and reliable. The detailed community support helps quickly address setup challenges, highlighting AWS Transfer Family's robustness. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

At times, the AWS Transfer Family feels too lightweight or easy to the point where certain features seem to be missing. I can't pinpoint these features exactly, but there's a general sense that the platform could be enhanced in some areas. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What is most about the AWS Transfer family, it has the ability to safely move files using SFTP, FTPS and FTP without changing the workflow. The uninterrupted integration with AWS services, scalability and strong security features makes it reliable for companies that require safe, efficient and automatic transfer of cloud file. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

While the AWS Transfer family is powerful and safe, some users may know that the first layout and configuration requires careful attention. However, it ensures that the service is in line with your safety and work flow needs. When configured, it provides a reliable, simple and automatic file transfer in the blame environment. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

AWS Transfer Family makes it really easy to set up managed SFTP, FTPS, and FTP endpoints without having to worry about managing servers. I like that it integrates seamlessly with S3 and EFS, so we can move files directly into storage services we already use. It’s secure, scalable, and reliable, which saves a lot of operational overhead. The fact that it supports identity providers and IAM roles is also very useful for managing access. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The pricing can get expensive if you have a high number of connections or data transfers. The configuration options, while powerful, sometimes feel limited compared to running your own server if you need very customized workflows. Also, initial setup can be a bit tricky if you’re new to AWS networking and permissions. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The best part is how seamlessly it integrates SFTP and FTPS with Amazon S3. This allowed us to migrate partners and clients without changing their workflows, while gaining the scalability, automation, and compliance benefits. The fully managed environment also means no patching or maintaining servers, which saves significant operational overhead. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The main downside is the cost model. It can get expensive for continuous workloads since pricing is based on endpoint hours plus data transfer.

Also, customization options are limited compared to managing your own SFTP server, so adding unique logic requires extra effort with Lambda or external services. IAM and permission setup can also be a bit complex for new users. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.