Alternatives to ShareFile: Which solution for securely storing and sharing files is best for your company?

ShareFile is a benchmark in enterprise file sharing. It stands out, among other things, for its encryption, granular access controls, and portals designed for professionals. It allows us to manage a wide variety of workflows, share large files, and in many cases, includes integrated electronic signature so that small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can handle confidential data in a secure and reliable collaboration environment.

Its main disadvantage is that its pricing structure can be somewhat complex and unpredictable. Also consider that the interface does not feature the most modern design and its synchronization is not the fastest. The absence of real-time collaborative editing capabilities within documents is also something to keep in mind and that leads some companies to seek options that offer a more agile and scalable experience.

Let us then consider Box, Egnyte, Sync.com, as well as other solutions like Google Drive for Business, Microsoft OneDrive for Business, or SmartFile. Let’s look at these six options in detail and evaluate them based on security, usability, integrations, and cost to have a clear idea of which is the best alternative to ShareFile for us.

Why look for alternatives to ShareFile?

Although ShareFile offers us very high levels of security and compliance, some companies need more flexibility in the work environment. Its interface design can be a bit outdated, which for certain workflows can slow down access to key functions. From conversations we have had with several companies, synchronization speeds do not always meet the requirements of teams that continuously update files throughout the day.

Finally, the lack of collaborative editing in documents forces the use of external applications, greatly fragmenting workflows and reducing the appeal of all involved tools. Additionally, the pricing structure based on tiers and minimum user counts causes unpredictable cost jumps. In this context, considering tools with more transparent plans and better integration with the office suites we already use is common. Let’s talk about those tools.

Alternatives to ShareFile: A Quick Overview

For a quick look at the 5 tools that best qualify as alternatives to ShareFile, let's start with a quick table of advantages, disadvantages, and price. With this, at a glance, we can begin to see which alternative fits our projects and teams best.

Box: Integration and Security Above All

Box is a cloud content management platform with a clear business focus. It surpasses ShareFile in its application ecosystem and in the workflow automation it allows us to deploy. Thanks to its more than 1,500 integrations with Office, Google Workspace, Salesforce, and Slack, among others, Box enables us to orchestrate the most complex processes without leaving a single environment. Its Sign version also unifies electronic signatures and collaboration, avoiding the need to switch between applications and speeding up approvals.

It is highly recommended for teams that need to integrate the business tools they already use daily and manage content at scale with rigorous compliance controls.

Key Features of Box

• Integrations with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Salesforce, and more
• Excellent governance and version control policies
• Workflow automation with Box Relay
• Native electronic signature with Box Sign

Pros and Cons of Box

Box offers us great flexibility to connect enterprise applications and implement automated workflows, although its Business Starter plan may fall short on storage for the most active teams.

Box Plans and Pricing

• Business Starter: 5 EUR per user/month (100 GB, up to 10 users)
• Business: 15 EUR per user/month (unlimited storage)
• Business Plus: 25 EUR per user/month (advanced features)

Enterprise: Custom pricing

Egnyte: a hybrid approach to our data

Egnyte elegantly combines cloud storage with the use of local servers, offering us a hybrid solution that balances performance and security like no other on the market.

Unlike ShareFile, Egnyte synchronizes critical files locally, which increases offline access speed and reduces latency. Its content intelligence system automatically classifies sensitive data to ensure compliance and facilitates audits even in the most regulated industries.

It is ideal for organizations that require ultra-fast access to local files and strict governance policies for the data they manage.

Key features of Egnyte

• Hybrid synchronization: local and remote
• Automated content classification and policies
• Integrations with Office 365, Slack, and Jira
• Audit and compliance reporting

Pros and cons of Egnyte

Egnyte stands out compared to other alternatives in local access performance and also in compliance, but its initial setup can be more complex than that of a cloud-only solution.

Egnyte Plans and Pricing

Egnyte does not publicly share its prices, as they are customized and quoted according to data volume and users. We therefore recommend visiting their website and contacting the sales team.

Sync.com: Total Privacy for Stored Information

Sync.com is the best option if we need zero-knowledge encryption in all operations. Each file is encrypted at the source and only the user holds the keys, preventing external access to any content. This system far surpasses the encryption in transit and at rest of ShareFile and the systems of many other alternatives, as it guarantees absolute confidentiality even in the event of security breaches.

From Softonic, we recommend Sync for companies that handle highly sensitive data and require privacy certifications without any kind of concessions.

Key Features of Sync.com

• End-to-end zero-knowledge encryption
• Sharing links with password protection and expiration
• Unlimited version history
• Compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, and PIPEDA

Pros and Cons of Sync.com

Sync.com offers us unalterable privacy and infinite versions, although due to its security systems it lacks collaborative editing tools for documents.

Sync Plans and Pricing

Sync.com offers three different plans. They are the following:

• Free: 5 GB free
• Business Pro Standard: 5 EUR per user/month (1,000 GB)

Business Pro Advanced: 15 EUR per user/month (10,000 GB)

Google Drive for Business: Instant Coauthoring of Any Type of Document

Google Drive for Business is part of Google Workspace, offering us real-time collaboration in Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Unlike ShareFile, it allows multiple users to edit simultaneously without version conflicts, resulting in a continuous workflow. Its search engine, powered by Google AI, makes it easy to find any file by content, not just by name.

Its ideal use case is for teams seeking true cooperative work on documents and especially those already using Google's tools.

Key Features of Google Drive for Business

• Coauthoring in Docs, Sheets, and Slides
• AI-powered smart search
• 15 GB free shared with Gmail and Photos
• Offline access and through mobile apps

Pros and Cons of Google Drive for Business

Google Drive stands out for its collaborative editing capabilities, but the free storage is shared with other Google services.

Google Drive Business Pricing

• Business Starter: 7 EUR per user/month (30 GB)
• Business Standard: 14 EUR per user/month (2,000 GB)

Business Plus: 22 EUR per user/month (5,000 GB)

Microsoft OneDrive for Business: Microsoft’s ecosystem extends to the cloud

OneDrive for Business enjoys native integration with Microsoft 365 and offers selective sync and co-authoring in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Thanks to the Files On-Demand feature, we can preview files without downloading them, optimizing the local storage they occupy. The personal vault convinces us with an extra level of protection for the most critical documents.

OneDrive is perfect for organizations focused on Office 365 that want to enjoy a seamless workflow both on desktop and mobile.

Key features of Microsoft OneDrive for Business

• Simultaneous editing in Office 365
• Files On-Demand to optimize space
• Personal vault protected by MFA
• Granular permissions and auditing

Pros and cons of Microsoft OneDrive for Business

Microsoft OneDrive for Business stands out as the natural extension for Windows users, but it may be less intuitive outside the Microsoft ecosystem.

Microsoft OneDrive for Business Plans and Pricing

• Included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic: 6 EUR per user/month (1,000 GB)
• Microsoft 365 Business Standard: 12 EUR per user/month
• Standalone OneDrive for Business: 5 EUR per user/month (1,000 GB)

SmartFile: Detailed Permissions at All Times

SmartFile offers us a file sharing platform with extremely granular controls, including user quotas, very detailed audits, and extensive logs of all activity. Unlike ShareFile, SmartFile allows us to configure retention policies and automations for each folder, which we can easily adapt to our internal processes without writing a single line of code.

Regarding its ideal use case, we recommend SmartFile for sectors that require extreme control over each permission and personalized, automated retention policies.

Key Features of SmartFile

• Access permissions by folder and user
• Detailed audits and activity logs
• Process automation with folder rules
• Integration with FTP, SFTP, and WebDAV

SmartFile Pros and Cons

SmartFile stands out for the permission customization it offers and the process flows we can tailor, although its interface may be somewhat more technical for less experienced users.

SmartFile Plans and Pricing

• Team: 39 EUR/month (10 users)
• Business: 99 EUR/month (25 users)

Enterprise: custom pricing

Comparison by categories

With the detailed information in hand, let's talk about how each of the tools ranks in the main analysis categories we have covered. Let's discuss the alternatives combined from the perspective of security, implementation, price, or scalability, among others.

Security and compliance

Sync.com leads in privacy with its full zero-knowledge encryption. Box and Egnyte also stand out with their governance workflows and audit compatibility. OneDrive and Google Drive comply with regulations, although they process data in their own cloud. Meanwhile, SmartFile offers very detailed logs for internal audits.

Ease of implementation

Google Drive and OneDrive require very little configuration, especially if we are already users of their ecosystems. Sync.com and Box are equally easy to deploy. Egnyte, due to its hybrid format, and SmartFile, because of its automations, may require initial support and a somewhat more planned deployment.

Customization and integrations

Box offers us the widest ecosystem with 1,500 integrations. Egnyte and SmartFile provide specific integrations, such as ETL, FTP, SFTP. Google Drive and OneDrive integrate perfectly into their respective office suites, but not much beyond that.

Hosting

Egnyte and SmartFile allow hybrid or on-premise deployment. The rest are managed cloud services, reducing infrastructure burden on our part, but with the privacy implications that entails.

Scalability

Box, Egnyte, and Google and Microsoft services scale very simply by adding users and capacity. Sync.com and SmartFile limit storage depending on the plan we choose, but allow quick increases without changes to our infrastructure.

Price

Sync.com and OneDrive for Business are the most competitive in cost per user. Google Drive offers the added value of AI and other Google tools. Box and Egnyte are more expensive in enterprise plans, while SmartFile sits in the middle with fixed monthly fees.

Among the alternatives to ShareFile, which one to choose?

The final decision will always depend on our needs and the project we are going to manage. In general terms, however, we can present some recommendations according to the team profile:

• Teams with a limited budget will find that Sync.com and OneDrive for Business excellently combine cost and features.
• Larger companies will see how Box and Egnyte scale without losing controls and offer us hybrid options.
• Users who prioritize privacy will see how Sync.com guarantees uncompromising end-to-end encryption.
• Distributed or remote teams will find that Google Drive for Business and OneDrive for Business facilitate real-time collaboration and cross-platform access.

Verdict: Which secure file sharing client to choose?

Given what we've seen, it's clear that each option offers advantages: Box stands out in enterprise integrations; Egnyte, in hybrid synchronization; Sync.com, in absolute privacy; Google Drive and OneDrive, in co-authoring; and SmartFile, in detailed permissions. The final choice will depend on our budget, the level of integration we seek, and the security policies our company requires.

The best approach here is to take advantage of the free plans or trials from each provider. Only then will we firsthand verify which one fits our workflow best, guarantees the required security, and integrates easily into our existing infrastructure. With the information now in hand, we will know which option to try first. From here, whatever we choose, we are about to take the next step with our file management infrastructure.