MOVEit and Couchdrop overview

MOVEit is a suite of products by Progress for securely moving data. They have four modules: Cloud, Transfer, Automation, and Clients & Add-Ons. When comparing Couchdrop and MOVEit, we'll be referring to MOVEit Transfer unless otherwise stated. 

What is MOVEit?

MOVEit is an established enterprise MFT solution with two main offerings: MOVEit Transfer for on-premise deployments and MOVEit Cloud as a Platform-as-a-Service option. It provides a secure environment for handling sensitive files, but requires significant infrastructure management and setup.

The platform focuses primarily on large enterprises with complex compliance requirements. While it supports multiple protocols, automations require purchasing a separate platform (MOVEit Automation) at an additional cost.

What is Couchdrop?

Couchdrop is a modern cloud-based MFT platform designed to eliminate infrastructure headaches while maintaining enterprise-grade security. It connects your existing storage systems via SFTP, FTP/S, AS2, and other protocols without storing your data.

The platform works for organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to enterprises, with a focus on simplicity and quick deployment. All features, including automations, are included in a single platform with transparent pricing.

Setup & Deployment

Testing and trials

Testing MOVEit requires coordinating with their sales team, potentially sitting through demos, and then navigating the complex setup process. Even with their cloud option, this can take days or longer to complete.

Couchdrop offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. You can sign up and start using the platform immediately, with full access to Business Plan features during the trial period. This allows you to validate that the solution meets your needs first. 

Initial setup

Setting up MOVEit Transfer requires over a dozen technical steps, including: removing non-MOVEit MySQL versions, installing a new MySQL Server or connecting to a Microsoft Azure SQL server, specifying storage directories, configuring IIS websites, and setting up encryption certificates. Once this is done, you finish the configuration with the MOVEit Transfer Configuration program. 

This complex process takes time to complete, requires significant technical expertise, and must be repeated for each node you deploy. It's not unusual to take days, weeks, or even months before your MFT solution is operational thanks in part to the setup. 

Couchdrop's setup process takes minutes:

  1. Register an account
  2. Choose your domain name
  3. Start connecting your storage platforms

There's no infrastructure to configure, no databases to set up, and no server certificates to manage. You can sign up and start connecting platforms and transferring files in minutes. 

Couchdrop has the simplest setup out of any MFT platform out there, with all the complex parts handled for you automatically. Even connecting to a file server is easier than MOVEit thanks to the Couchdrop Agent that installs in a few clicks. MoveIT Transfer, meanwhile, requires following an installation guide with over 15 steps to get started. That same process must be followed for every node used.

Storage Integrations

MOVEit focuses primarily on on-premise file servers with limited cloud storage options. It supports local folders, mapped drives, external FTP/SFTP/Windows servers, and other MOVEit Transfer servers. For cloud storage, it connects to SharePoint and Google Cloud Storage, plus Azure Blob Storage and Amazon S3 for object storage.

Couchdrop connects to over 20 storage platforms instantly, with no infrastructure required. This includes local folders via the Couchdrop Agent, external FTP/SFTP/Windows/OSX servers, popular cloud storage like SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, and Egnyte, plus comprehensive block storage support including S3, Azure, Wasabi, Backblaze, and more.

A major standout is that Couchdrop never stores your data. Files move directly between your storage platforms, reducing risk and complexity, and leaving you in full control of your data. 

For versatility, Couchdrop wins easily with support for dozens of storage platforms, including on-prem Windows Servers, OSX Servers, and NAS devices, all without ever storing data.

File Transfer Automation

Automation is a separate product in the MOVEit ecosystem, requiring additional licenses and setup. MOVEit Automation supports logic-based workflows without scripting, PowerShell integration, and multi-server access, but with the complexity of managing an entirely separate platform.

Couchdrop includes no-code automations at no additional cost. These automations support multi-step workflows, scheduled transfers, event-based triggers, and multiple encryption methods, all managed through the same web interface as the rest of the platform.

While MOVEit's separate automation platform might offer more flexibility for organizations heavily invested in on-premise infrastructure, Couchdrop's integrated approach works well for most use cases, especially when the goal is to transfer files between cloud storage platforms.

Security & Compliance

Both solutions prioritize security but implement it differently.

Couchdrop gives users full control of their data and doesn’t store it at any point. All transfers are encrypted, and Couchdrop can meet HIPAA guidelines by using a dedicated HIPAA-compliant infrastructure. Files are encrypted end-to-end, and additional AEP or PGP encryption can be added as part of file transfer workflows. 

MOVEit offers strong enterprise compliance certifications (PCI, SOC 2, HIPAA) and encryption features for sensitive data handling. They have put a heavy emphasis on bolstering security since a critical vulnerability affected thousands of organizations in 2023.

While a patch was deployed quickly, the event highlighted one of the major downsides of traditional MFT solutions. Even with a fix available, users still had to be aware of the vulnerability and apply the fix themselves, with any delay leaving them at risk. Some organizations that didn't learn about it fast enough or couldn't apply the patch in time fell victim to attacks. 

Couchdrop addresses this challenge through its fully-managed cloud design, where updates deploy automatically to all customers. This ensures immediate protection without requiring administrative action or scheduled maintenance windows. 

Pricing

MOVEit doesn't publish official pricing on their website, requiring you to contact their sales team for a quote. Third-party review sites estimate costs at around $15,000 per license. Keep in mind that MOVEit Automation is sold separately from the core product, so automating secure file transfers with MOVEit will cost more than the base license. Any other services like MOVEit Gateway or the Microsoft Outlook add-on come with an additional cost. 

Couchdrop takes a transparent approach with publicly available pricing:

  • Couchdrop Link: $50/month (1 user, 1 external connection)
  • Essentials: $300/month (10 users + automations)
  • Business: $450/month (100 users + static IP & unlimited transfer)
  • Enterprise: From $750/month (unlimited users & premium support)

All plans include core features like storage integrations with direct storage-to-storage transfers. Pricing is month-to-month with no lock-in so you can cancel or change plans at any time. 

Support and customer reviews

Product support

MOVEit offers several support options, but comprehensive technical support is only available with an active service agreement. Their offerings include a knowledge base, community forum, and 24/7 emergency support for eligible customers. Professional services are available at additional cost.

Couchdrop provides direct access to product experts through email and chat for all customers. Standard support includes a 6-hour initial response time, while premium support with a 30-minute response is available as an add-on with 24/7 availability.

Customer experience

Couchdrop is rated highly on G2 with 4.9 stars. Customers are happy with how easy it is to set up and manage transfers, the wide range of integrations, and their experience with the support team. Because of these positive experiences, Couchdrop has been consistently rated Easiest to Do Business With and Best Support multiple years in a row. 

On G2, Progress is currently rated 4.4 stars on G2, with recent reviews being mostly positive. Some organizations were impacted by the 2023 breach, and pricing and support are occasionally mentioned as downsides. 

Overall, users tend to have a better experience with Couchdrop thanks to the ease of use, zero infrastructure, and how support helps resolve issues. 

Making the Right Choice

MOVEit and Couchdrop both provide managed file transfer capabilities, but with fundamentally different approaches. The right choice depends on your compliance requirements, workflows, and which storage systems you need to connect.

Couchdrop works best for organizations that want to use their existing storage, need fast deployment, or don't want to worry about infrastructure. Because it's cloud native, scaling is done automatically without maintenance, servers to set up, or VMs to worry about. 

However, if you require a completely on-premise solution because of compliance or regulatory requirements, MOVEit might be the better fit. It's also a good match if you need advanced scripting capabilities for automating file transfers and already have infrastructure in place that you plan on continuing to use. 


For businesses that want simplicity without sacrificing security, need to connect to multiple cloud storage platforms without data being stored, and prefer simple and predictable pricing, Couchdrop is a good fit.