Skip to content
New AI Custom Form BuilderDescribe the intake form. It ships branded and end-to-end encrypted.AI Custom Form Builder is here See it build
Home Comparisons SendSafely vs ShareFile
SendSafely vs ShareFile

An end-to-end encrypted alternative to ShareFile for encrypted file sharing.

ShareFile (now owned by Progress) gives teams a centralized portal for sharing files. SendSafely encrypts files on the sender's device with split-key custody — no portal account required for recipients, no admin path to plaintext, and native integrations inside the tools your team already runs.

Request Demo Explore SendSafely encrypted storage
At a glance

Two products, different jobs.

A side-by-side picture of what ShareFile is built for, and where SendSafely is built differently.

What ShareFile does well
  • Established customer base in accounting, legal, and professional services
  • Portal-based file request and approval workflows for client onboarding
  • E-signature and document workflow tooling for in-org content
Where SendSafely is different
  • Client-side encryption, not portal-managed. ShareFile encrypts at rest with keys ShareFile manages. SendSafely encrypts on the sender's device with OpenPGP — files leave the device already encrypted, and the platform sees ciphertext only.
  • Split-key custody, no admin path. ShareFile administrators and the service itself can recover or decrypt customer files when needed. With SendSafely, neither half of the decryption key alone can read the file — the architecture prevents an operator-level read.
  • Recipients don't need a ShareFile-style portal account. External counterparties verify identity (email, SMS, SSO) and decrypt the file locally. No portal sign-up, no account license.
  • Encryption inside Outlook, Gmail, and your helpdesk. Native plug-ins put encrypted attachments where work already happens, instead of asking users to detour to a portal.
Feature comparison

SendSafely and ShareFile side by side.

Each row reflects how the two products approach the same problem. Both companies maintain their own certifications and audit programs — consult each vendor's public documentation for current capabilities.

Feature SendSafely ShareFile
Client-side encryption (before upload) Yes — OpenPGP Server-side at rest; ShareFile manages keys
Split-key architecture Yes — no admin path to plaintext No — admins can recover content
Server on your perimeter to keep files on-premises None — bring your own S3 bucket instead Storage Zone Controller (internet-facing Windows server)
Recipient experience One-time link + identity verification, no account Portal-based with optional guest access
Native helpdesk + email plug-ins Zendesk, Salesforce, Intercom, Freshdesk, Outlook, Gmail Outlook plug-in, limited helpdesk reach
Max file size Up to 100 GB Up to 100 GB on most plans
HIPAA BAA On Business and Enterprise Available on appropriate plans
Audit log API REST endpoint with JSON event records Activity log with API access

Comparative claims reflect publicly documented behavior of ShareFile as of the page's last update. ShareFile maintains its own product roadmap; consult their documentation for current capabilities.

The on-prem trade-off

On-prem buys control. It also buys attack surface.

Why teams choose it

ShareFile runs in Progress's cloud by default. Teams that need files kept on-premises, under their own residency and governance rules, add a Storage Zone Controller. Some regulators and contracts require exactly that.

What it costs

You run an internet-facing Windows server on your perimeter, often joined to Active Directory, while logins and permissions still live in ShareFile's cloud. That's two attack surfaces instead of one. When a zero-day hits, you wait on Progress for the fix. In July 2026 that meant powering it down. And a compromised server can expose the files it serves.

The SendSafely approach

Data control comes from the encryption, not the server's location. Files are end-to-end encrypted, and you can store them in an S3 bucket you own. Custody of your data, with no server on your perimeter to defend.

Security record

Three Storage Zone Controller incidents in three years.

Every platform ships vulnerabilities. What matters is where the vulnerable code runs, and what an attacker gets when it fails.

All three hit the same component: a Windows server customers run on their own perimeter to keep files on-premises. SendSafely gives you data control without that attack surface. Files are end-to-end encrypted, and you can back storage with an S3 bucket you own. Read our breakdown of the July shutdown.

Why teams choose SendSafely

Four architectural differences that matter.

01

Client-side encryption, not portal-managed

ShareFile encrypts at rest with keys ShareFile manages. SendSafely encrypts on the sender's device with OpenPGP — files leave the device already encrypted, and the platform sees ciphertext only.

02

Split-key custody, no admin path

ShareFile administrators and the service itself can recover or decrypt customer files when needed. With SendSafely, neither half of the decryption key alone can read the file — the architecture prevents an operator-level read.

03

Recipients don't need a ShareFile-style portal account

External counterparties verify identity (email, SMS, SSO) and decrypt the file locally. No portal sign-up, no account license.

04

Encryption inside Outlook, Gmail, and your helpdesk

Native plug-ins put encrypted attachments where work already happens, instead of asking users to detour to a portal.

Who switches

Teams moving from ShareFile to SendSafely.

Teams moving off ShareFile typically aren't looking for another portal — they want encryption that drops into the tools they already run, with an architecture where the vendor itself can't read customer content.

  • Accounting firms exchanging client documents during tax season
  • Law firms sending discovery and signed agreements to outside parties
  • Healthcare practices moving PHI under HIPAA
  • Finance teams pushing audit responses and KYC packets

Recipients never see a portal. Files arrive through Dropzone or land in encrypted storage, and they decrypt in the browser. FreshBooks collects payroll and KYC data this way without any of it touching Zendesk.

Enterprise controls

Deep admin control, built in.

Policy, identity, storage, and automation controls for teams that answer to auditors.

Multi-Portal Administration

Run every portal you manage, across subsidiaries, regions, or sandbox and production, from one login. No standing admin accounts, and every action lands in that portal's audit log.

Enterprise

Security Groups

Decide who can send outbound, own Workspaces and Dropzones, or generate API keys. Everyone else stays receive-only, across every integration.

Business · Enterprise

Bring your own bucket

Store encrypted files in an AWS S3 bucket you control, or host in the US, EU, or Sydney. Custody of your data, with nothing to run on your perimeter.

Business · Enterprise

Enforced Workspace expiration

Set default, minimum, and maximum file expiration for every Workspace in the portal, then exempt only the named accounts that need longer.

IP restrictions

Limit registered users to your office or VPN ranges on every path: web, integrations, REST API, and SCIM. Guests are unaffected.

Enterprise

SSO and SCIM

SAML SSO with any SAML 2.0 identity provider. SCIM provisioning for Okta and Entra ID, including admin rights managed from Okta.

Audit Log API

Stream every send, download, and admin action to Splunk, Sentinel, or Chronicle, with long-term retention through S3 export.

Enterprise

Actions

Scan every inbound file with CrowdStrike, OPSWAT, or Sophos, check it with Google Cloud DLP, and quarantine, hold, or archive it automatically.

Enterprise

Native integrations

Encryption inside Outlook, Gmail, Zendesk, Salesforce, Intercom, Freshdesk, and Slack, plus a REST API for everything else.
Audited and compliant

The same controls regulated procurement asks for.

Every file is encrypted on the sender's device using OpenPGP. SendSafely sees ciphertext only — the decryption key is split so nobody, not even SendSafely, can read the contents on its own.

Audited annually. SendSafely maintains the certifications regulated industries require.

How our architecture works Compliance & certifications
Compliance & certifications
SOC 2 Type 2 HIPAA PCI DSS GDPR CCPA
Client-side OpenPGP
Files are encrypted on the device before they ever leave it.
Split-key architecture
The decryption key is split so no single party—including SendSafely—can decrypt file contents on its own.
Full audit trail
Every send, recipient open, identity check, and download is logged with timestamps for compliance reporting.
Compare side by side

Ready to see how SendSafely handles your file sharing workflow vs ShareFile?

Real product demo, real questions, no slideware. Bring your toughest ShareFile edge case and we'll walk through the SendSafely architecture against it.

Request Demo Explore SendSafely encrypted storage