TL;DR: While traditional file transfer tools impose restrictive storage limits and force costly upgrades, SFTP Gateway and StorageLink let you use unlimited cloud storage at transparent, predictable costs: your data, your storage, your control.
Think about it: no file transfer storage limits!
If you’ve ever managed file transfers for your organization, you’ve likely encountered the dreaded storage limit notification. When your business is humming along, transferring critical files between partners and systems, you hit an artificial ceiling.
Suddenly, you’re in an awkward conversation with your vendor about upgrading to a more expensive tier, or worse, your transfers start failing at the worst possible moment.
This scenario occurs daily across organizations using traditional managed file transfer (MFT) solutions. But what if storage limits didn’t have to exist at all?
The Hidden Cost of Storage Limitations
Recent industry research reveals a troubling pattern: businesses are increasingly frustrated with storage restrictions in their SFTP solutions.
One user of a competitor’s products recently shared their experience: “I’m really disappointed with the storage limits. The service offers a very low storage allowance compared to other providers, and it quickly became a problem as my data grew.”
This isn’t an isolated incident. Storage limitations create several critical business challenges:
1. Unpredictable Cost Escalation
Traditional SFTP providers bundle storage into pricing tiers with significant jumps between levels. What starts as a $50/month solution can suddenly become a $200/month expense when you exceed arbitrary storage thresholds. These “soft limits” might not shut down your service immediately, but they trigger uncomfortable upgrade conversations that feel more like ransom negotiations than business discussions.
2. Operational Disruption
When you hit storage limits, you face an impossible choice: stop accepting new files (disrupting business operations) or rush through an emergency upgrade (disrupting your budget). Neither option is acceptable when you’re managing critical business data flows.
3. Growth Constraints
Storage limits force you to monitor and manage your data footprint instead of focusing on your core business. You might find yourself deleting important historical data or implementing complex archival processes to stay under an arbitrary cap.
4. Hidden True Costs
Many providers advertise attractive entry-level pricing but hide the reality that most businesses will quickly outgrow these tiers. The real cost only becomes apparent months into your implementation when switching providers would be painful and expensive.
A Fundamentally Different Approach
We recognized these pain points at Thorn Technologies and designed SFTP Gateway and StorageLink based on a revolutionary principle: your storage shouldn’t limit your business.
How SFTP Gateway Eliminates Storage Limits
SFTP Gateway takes a fundamentally different approach by separating file transfer functionality from storage:
- Bring Your Own Storage (BYOS): Instead of forcing you into our storage tiers, SFTP Gateway connects directly to your existing cloud storage—Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, or Google Cloud Storage.
- Unlimited Capacity: Since you’re using native cloud storage, you can access virtually unlimited capacity. Need to store 10TB? 100TB? A petabyte? Your cloud provider can handle it, and so can we.
- Transparent Pricing: You pay us for the SFTP functionality (at just $0.07/hour for Standard), and you pay your cloud provider for whatever storage you use. There are no surprises, no bundling, and no artificial limits.
- Multi-Cloud Flexibility: Unlike solutions locked to a single cloud provider, SFTP Gateway works across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. You can even run SFTP Gateway on one cloud while storing data on another.
How StorageLink Extends Your Reach
StorageLink complements SFTP Gateway by providing a modern web-based interface for the same unlimited cloud storage:
- Browser-Based Access: Give users an intuitive drag-and-drop interface to access the same cloud storage locations that SFTP Gateway uses—no FTP client required
- Same Storage, Different Access: Whether users connect via SFTP or StorageLink’s web portal, they’re accessing the same unlimited cloud storage buckets
- Zero Storage Limits: Just like SFTP Gateway, StorageLink connects directly to your S3, Azure Blob, or Google Cloud Storage—no intermediate storage, no artificial limits
- Perfect for Non-Technical Users: While SFTP Gateway serves your automated workflows and technical users, StorageLink provides a familiar web interface for business users who need simple file uploads and downloads
Real-World Impact: No File Transfer Storage Limits
Let’s look at how this approach benefits real organizations:
Healthcare Organization Case Study
A major healthcare provider was struggling with the 5 TB storage limit on their previous SFTP solution. Medical imaging files were rapidly consuming their quota, forcing them to constantly archive data and disrupting their workflows.
After switching to SFTP Gateway:
- Storage capacity expanded to meet their 50TB+ needs without any configuration changes
- Monthly costs decreased because they only paid for the storage they used
- IT staff stopped spending time on storage management and focused on improving medical data workflows
Financial Services Example
A financial services firm processing daily transaction files faced unpredictable storage spikes during month-end processing. Their traditional SFTP provider’s soft limits meant surprise overage discussions every quarter.
With SFTP Gateway and StorageLink:
- Month-end spikes are handled automatically by their Azure Blob Storage
- Predictable pricing: compute costs remained flat while storage scaled elastically
- Automated workflows moved processed files to lower-cost archive storage
The Technical Advantage
Beyond just eliminating limits, our architecture provides several technical benefits:
1. Data Sovereignty
Your data never passes through our infrastructure. SFTP Gateway runs in your cloud environment, writing directly to your storage. This means:
- Complete compliance with data residency requirements
- No third-party access to your sensitive information
- Full audit trails within your environment
2. Performance at Scale
By leveraging native cloud storage APIs, we achieve:
- Multi-gigabit transfer speeds
- Parallel upload capabilities
- No bottlenecks from intermediate storage
3. Cost Optimization
Take advantage of cloud storage features like:
- Lifecycle policies to automatically move old data to cheaper storage tiers
- Intelligent tiering based on access patterns
- Reserved capacity discounts from your cloud provider
Making the Switch: Easier Than You Think
If you’re currently constrained by storage limits, switching to SFTP Gateway is straightforward:
- Deploy in Your Cloud: Launch SFTP Gateway in your AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud environment
- Connect Your Storage: Point it to your existing cloud storage buckets or containers
- Migrate Users: Use our migration tools to move users and permissions
- Enjoy Unlimited Scale: Start transferring files without worrying about limits
We even offer free deployment plans to help you escape storage restrictions quickly and safely.
The Future of File Transfer is Limitless
Storage limitations are a relic of outdated architectures where vendors tried to monetize every aspect of their service. Modern cloud architectures make these limits unnecessary and counterproductive.
With SFTP Gateway and StorageLink, you get:
- ✅ Unlimited storage capacity through native cloud storage
- ✅ Predictable, transparent pricing
- ✅ Complete control over your data
- ✅ Multi-cloud flexibility
- ✅ Enterprise-grade security and compliance
Ready to Break Free?
Don’t let artificial storage limits constrain your business growth. Whether you’re hitting limits today or want to avoid them tomorrow, SFTP Gateway and StorageLink provide a better path forward. Connect with our team and get started with a free deployment plan. Schedule a 15-minute call with our sales team to get started.
Ready to dive into the technical details? Check out our white paper on SFTP Gateway for the Enterprise.
Let’s get you started toward no file transfer storage limits.
