Microsoft Azure now has a managed SFTP option designed to work with their Blob storage. This is a good option when setting up an account that will stay exclusively in Microsoft Azure when you only need basic SFTP functionality, and is included with usage-based pricing.
So if SFTP over Azure Blob is included in Azure subscriptions, is Couchdrop still a good fit for SFTP to Azure?
That depends on your use case and future expectations. If you expect to use file transfer workflows, secure file sharing, or plan on using SFTP with more cloud storage platforms, Couchdrop is still the best option available.
Here we'll compare the features and configuration of the two solutions to help you choose the right option for your use case.
SFTP support for Azure Blob Storage by Microsoft
Recently, Microsoft announced updates to its SSH File Transfer support (using SFTP) for Azure Blob Storage. You can enable this through the Azure CLI, PowerShell, or web portal if you have a general-purpose v2 or premium blob storage account with the hierarchical namespace feature enabled.
Enabling SFTP incurs an hourly cost as soon as the feature is turned on.
Creating new SFTP users
Microsoft Entra identities can't be used with the SFTP feature, and instead, new users called Local Users need to be created specifically to connect via SFTP.
Each Local User needs to have access permissions and authentication methods configured, with support for passwords and SSH key pairs. Since these are separate user types, they do not interoperate with Azure RBAC or ABAC, so SFTP permissions will need to be set independently or by using Access Control Lists.
Inbound SFTP only
One of the biggest drawbacks of using the native Azure Blob SFTP is that it is inbound only, meaning you can SFTP to Azure but not the opposite direction. While this isn't a problem if you only ever plan to ingest files into the Azure account, it's a major issue if you need to do something like transfer files to an external SFTP server.
No additional functionality
Another downside to using Microsoft's Azure SFTP option is that it's a very simple and limited SFTP connection. Local users can move files into Azure Blob via SFTP, and that's it.
This doesn't mean that you can't automate the process; just that it can involve a patchwork of different tools to accomplish the job. For instance, it's possible to automate SFTP transfers using Power Automate into an Azure container, but, like with automating the connection itself, it's a configuration in another location with another tool that has to be created and maintained.
Azure Blob SFTP pricing
Pricing for enabling SFTP for Azure Blob is charged in hourly increments for the time the connection is active and doesn't change regardless of how much data is transferred. The pricing is per storage account and not per container. This can make it an excellent choice if large volumes of data need to be transferred into multiple Azure containers via SFTP, but prohibitively expensive for light usage.
To reduce charges with lower transfer volumes, Microsoft recommends disabling SFTP when not in use. While this works to lower unnecessary costs when you only have transfers on a very limited, regular schedule, it also limits connectivity, so should only be used for stable transfers that happen consistently on the same schedule.
Even with this schedule, creating an Azure Automation in PowerShell or similar is something else that needs to be built, documented, and maintained to essentially flip a switch, and something that can become an issue if needs change in the future.
No other platforms supported
Something obvious but still worth mentioning is that this SFTP option only works with Azure storage. Not with OneDrive. Not with SharePoint. Not with any other cloud platform.
When the only need for SFTP is for inbound transfers to Azure Blob, Microsoft's solution can be a simple and direct solution. However, when connecting to other cloud storage or if you need features like automated file transfers, a solution like Couchdrop may be a better option.
Couchdrop SFTP with Azure Blob
Couchdrop SFTP is easy to set up and integrates with Azure Blob storage along with over 25 other storage options. Within a few minutes, you can connect Azure to other cloud storage or on-prem servers and securely transfer files between systems.
SFTP for Azure Blob
Couchdrop SFTP can connect to Azure Blob storage directly in the platform. All connections, including Azure Blob, can be configured by clicking Create on any page and choosing to add a new storage connection.
Couchdrop can connect to Default Azure Blob endpoints as well as US Gov't Storage. Another option is to connect using an Azure SAS URL.
After making the connection to Azure Blob, the simplicity of Couchdrop as a cloud SFTP server starts to shine. Creating users is simple and can be generated automatically, with pre-defined user types like SFTP and FTP that can be further customized with more granular permissions if needed.
While Azure only allows for inbound SFTP connections, with Couchdrop, you can also transfer files out of an Azure Blob container using SFTP.
FTP for Azure Blob and other protocol support
One benefit of using Couchdrop is that you can connect to Azure using multiple protocols. With Couchdrop, you have much more flexibility. For instance, you can FTP to Azure Blob and create FTP users directly in Couchdrop.
But you can use any other protocol as well. For instance, you could transmit or receive EDI documents via AS2 and have those documents land in an Azure Blob container without any extra configuration. The same works for platforms using any S3-compatible storage.
Send, receive, and automate in one place
Another reason to use Couchdrop is that it's a central location where you can manage everything to do with secure file transfers. For instance, you can receive files directly from SFTP users, but there are several other options available as well.
Brandable upload portals allow you to request files from external parties and have them securely uploaded directly to Azure. These uploads can include optional supplementary information you can collect using forms, and have multiple security settings available like an expiration period and password protection.
Mailboxes allow you to route email attachments to storage like Azure Blob. When any person or system emails your unique email address, the attachments will be sent directly to the folder specified during cloud storage.
Couchdrop also lets you generate secure file-sharing links that can be connected to an Azure Blob container. This allows external parties to download files from the container in a secure way without ever having access as a user to the container itself.
All of these features can be used to trigger automated workflows that you can create in Couchdrop too. Automations are created using a visual builder that doesn't require coding, with multiple ease-of-use options like
Connecting Azure to other cloud storage
The ability to use multiple cloud storage platforms is one reason that Couchdrop is such a powerful tool. After connecting Microsoft Azure, you can move files between other cloud storage platforms with ease. You can transfer files from Google to Azure Files, S3 to Azure Blob storage, move files from Azure to a remote server, and more. And you can do it all within Couchdrop’s easy-to-use interface.
If your organization or companies you work with need to transfer files to more than just Azure Blob, Couchdrop has a massive advantage. You don't need to configure, manage, and pay for a separate tool simply for a subset of transfers. Instead, you can SFTP to Azure and any other cloud storage (or file server or remote FTP/SFTP server) using the same cloud platform.
When you should use Microsoft's SSH for Azure Blob
If you are exclusively needing inbound SFTP to Azure Blob and don't plan to automate transfers or need other ingestion or sharing methods besides simple SFTP transfers, then Microsoft's option may be a good fit for you. It's easy to enable and has no transfer limits, and external SFTP users can be managed within the Azure account under SFTP settings.
However, the heavy limitations and hourly connection pricing mean the solution is really only ideal for simple connections with high transfer volumes or when combined with external automations or scripting.
When to use Couchdrop for Azure Blob SFTP
When you need advanced functionality or file automations between cloud platforms, consider Couchdrop. As the modern solution to secure file transfers, Couchdrop simplifies SFTP and FTP and brings them to the cloud.
The versatility and flexibility make it suitable not only for Azure, but for secure transfers involving any other platform as well. Management is simple and requires no infrastructure, and updates and improvements are rolled out frequently to all users automatically. Security and ease-of-use are unmatched by any managed file transfer platform, and can meet any file transfer requirements with ease.
Integrating Azure Blob with Couchdrop is simple and straightforward, and you can set up secure file transfers between Azure and other platforms in minutes. Get started today with Couchdrop today with a free 14-day trial, with no credit card required. Register now to get instant access.