Frequently Asked Questions

FilePulse supports SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) and FTP (File Transfer Protocol). SFTP provides encrypted file transfers over SSH, while FTP is available for legacy integrations.

FTPS (FTP over TLS) is on the roadmap. For new deployments we recommend SFTP, which is more firewall-friendly and uses a single port. If you have an existing FTPS partner integration you cannot change, get in touch and we can discuss timing.

The virtual filesystem maps logical directory paths to physical storage backends. You can combine multiple S3 buckets, GCS buckets, and Azure containers into a single unified directory tree that users access via SFTP or FTP. For example, you could map /invoices to an S3 bucket, /reports to a GCS bucket, and /archive to Azure cold storage. Users see a normal directory structure and never need to know where the data physically lives.

Yes. FilePulse can be deployed in your own infrastructure using Docker. The self-managed option gives you complete control over your data and configuration while still benefiting from the full feature set. You manage the host and we provide the software, updates, and support. This is popular with organizations that have strict data residency requirements.

There is no hard cap on individual file size. Transfers stream directly to your storage backend, so you are limited only by what your storage provider supports (5 TB per object on S3, for example). We have customers regularly moving multi-gigabyte files without issue.

Each tenant supports thousands of concurrent SFTP and FTP connections, with per-tenant and per-IP limits to prevent any single client from monopolizing resources. If you expect very high concurrency, the Enterprise plan includes capacity sizing as part of onboarding.

Yes. You can point a CNAME from your own domain (such as sftp.yourcompany.com) to your FilePulse server and connect using that hostname. Custom domains are included on all paid plans.

Yes. You can subscribe to file events (uploads, downloads, deletions) and receive HTTPS webhooks in near real time. This is useful for triggering downstream pipelines, notifying partners, or feeding into observability tools.

Yes. FilePulse supports Bring Your Own Storage (BYOS) plans where you connect your existing Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage, or Azure Blob Storage accounts. Your data stays in your cloud account and FilePulse never stores a copy. BYOS plans are priced lower than standard plans since you provide the storage. This is a good option if you already have cloud storage set up or need data to stay in a specific region or account.

Yes. Depending on your plan, you can connect multiple storage backends and map them into your virtual filesystem. The Small plan includes 1 backend, Medium includes 3, and Large includes 10. You can mix providers freely, for example two S3 buckets and one GCS bucket. This lets you organize data across providers while giving users a single access point.

Standard plans store data in our managed infrastructure in EU and US regions, and you can choose your region at signup. With BYOS, data lives wherever you have configured your S3, GCS, or Azure bucket. Self-managed deployments give you full control over location.

Yes. All data on managed storage is encrypted at rest using AES-256. With BYOS, data inherits the encryption settings of your cloud account, including any customer-managed keys (KMS) you have configured.

FilePulse includes SSH key authentication, password authentication, IP allowlists with CIDR support, comprehensive audit logging, encrypted data transfer, and role-based access control with admin and member roles. All security features are available on every paid plan.

FilePulse is built to support GDPR-compliant data handling out of the box, with EU hosting options, data processing agreements, and full audit trails.

Yes. IP allowlists let you restrict SFTP and FTP access to specific IP addresses or CIDR ranges, on a per-tenant or per-user basis. This is included on all paid plans and is one of the simplest ways to lock down a partner-facing endpoint.

FilePulse supports Ed25519, ECDSA, and RSA keys. Ed25519 is recommended for new deployments because it offers strong security with shorter keys. RSA keys are accepted with a minimum length of 2048 bits.

The web admin dashboard supports MFA via TOTP. For SFTP itself, the strongest multi-factor model is to combine SSH key authentication with IP allowlists, which together require both a key and a trusted network. True interactive MFA over SFTP (such as TOTP prompts) is not part of the protocol.

Audit logs are retained for 12 months by default on paid plans. Enterprise plans can configure longer retention or stream logs to your own SIEM. Logs include timestamps, user identity, source IP, file path, and operation type.

The free trial lasts 14 days with full access to all features. No credit card is required to start. You can upgrade to a paid plan at any time during or after the trial.

We accept all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) for monthly and annual billing. Enterprise customers can pay by invoice with bank transfer, PO, or ACH.

Yes. Annual billing is available on all plans and includes a discount compared to month-to-month. Get in touch for current annual pricing and Enterprise volume discounts.

Yes. You can change plans at any time from your account settings. Upgrades take effect immediately and we prorate the difference. Downgrades take effect at the start of your next billing cycle so you keep what you paid for.

Your transfers are never cut off mid-month. If you exceed your plan's transfer limit, you will be notified and can either upgrade your plan or pay for overage at a per-GB rate. We do not interrupt active file transfers.

Yes. All plans are month-to-month with no long-term contracts. You can cancel at any time from your account settings. Your data stays in your own cloud storage, so there is nothing to migrate out.

On BYOS and self-managed plans, your data lives in your own cloud or infrastructure and stays put when you cancel. On standard plans, you have a 30-day window after cancellation to export your data via SFTP or the API before it is permanently deleted.

All plans include email support with same-business-day responses. Medium and Large plans include priority support with faster response times. Enterprise plans come with a dedicated account manager and custom SLA. We also provide documentation, setup guides, and migration assistance for all customers.

You can run FilePulse in parallel with your existing SFTP server during migration. Set up the same user accounts and credentials, point FilePulse at your cloud storage, and test with a subset of clients. Once verified, update your DNS to cut over. Most migrations complete in under a day.

Yes. We help all customers plan their migration: account mapping, key import, parallel-run testing, and DNS cutover. Larger or more complex migrations (multiple servers, partner notifications, EDI integrations) are part of Enterprise onboarding.

A working SFTP server typically takes 5 to 10 minutes from signup: pick a region, connect a storage backend (or use ours), add your first user, and connect with your favorite SFTP client. Adding partners and customizing access takes a bit longer but is rarely a multi-day project.

All paid plans include a 99.9% uptime SLA. Enterprise plans can negotiate custom SLAs with higher guarantees and dedicated support commitments.

Yes. Our public status page shows real-time service health, ongoing incidents, and scheduled maintenance windows. You can subscribe to receive notifications by email or RSS.