Wing FTP Server Corporate vs Serv-U: Which Should You Buy?

At a Glance

Wing FTP Server Corporate Edition

Wing FTP Server runs as a Windows service, and you manage everything from a browser. You create domains (separate virtual servers, each with its own ports and users), switch each protocol on or off, and give users their own folders, quotas, IP and time restrictions. People who don't use FTP clients simply sign in to the web client, and there are iOS and Android apps too.

Wing FTP Server's web administration console: the Create Domain dialog with switches for the FTP (21), FTPS (990), HTTP (80), HTTPS (443) and SFTP (22) ports, and the Event Manager, WebLink Manager, Users and Groups menu on the left.

The Corporate edition is the one that competes with Serv-U MFT Server. It removes the user and connection limits of the cheaper editions and adds Windows and LDAP (Active Directory) sign-in, TOTP two-factor authentication, user accounts stored in an ODBC or MySQL database, an events manager that reacts to uploads and logins, and a task scheduler. Users can also create download links and upload links to share with people who have no account.

The Edit User dialog: tabs for directories, subfolders, limits, quotas, IP access, file access and access time, the two-factor authentication (TOTP) option, and the protocols this user may use.

Where Wing FTP Server falls short is mostly outside the product itself. Free updates end after two years, so later security fixes need paid upgrade protection. Each license covers one computer, and the Linux, macOS and Solaris versions are separate products. And in 2025 it had a maximum-severity security flaw that attackers exploited (see the security section below).

Download Wing FTP Server Free TrialBuy Wing FTP Server Corporate

Serv-U (FTP Server and MFT Server)

Serv-U has been around for decades and is now a SolarWinds product. You manage it from the Serv-U Management Console in a browser, with the same idea of domains, users, groups and virtual folders as Wing FTP Server. The two editions differ a lot. Serv-U FTP Server handles FTP, FTPS and HTTP with web and mobile clients, for up to 250 user accounts and 100 concurrent sessions. Serv-U MFT Server adds SFTP and HTTPS, unlimited users and sessions, Active Directory (Windows only) and LDAP sign-in, database authentication, events and notifications, ad-hoc file sharing with password-protected, expiring links, remote web and iPad administration, custom branding and phone support.

Serv-U Management Console, Limits & Settings > Encryption: the SSL certificate for FTPS and HTTPS, the SSH private key for SFTP, the Enable FIPS 140-2 mode option, switches to disable SSLv3 and TLS 1.0, and the SSH ciphers, MACs and key exchange algorithms.

The MFT edition is where Serv-U pulls ahead of Wing FTP Server for regulated work. It offers FIPS 140-2 validated cryptography, which some government and healthcare buyers must have, SolarWinds publishes a guide for running it under PCI DSS 3.2, and it supports high availability (with additional Serv-U licenses). The optional Serv-U Gateway add-on, for either edition, keeps data out of the DMZ so outside users never connect directly to your internal network.

The Serv-U Management Console Dashboard: session, login and transfer statistics at the top, and the Active Sessions tab listing three users connected over HTTP with their IP address, last command and browser.

Where Serv-U falls short is cost and licensing. It's a subscription, so you pay every year to keep using it. The FTP Server edition can't do SFTP or HTTPS, which most companies now want. Its system requirements list only Windows Server editions up to 2022, not desktop Windows or Server 2025. And SolarWinds has announced that the older Java-based web client modules (FTP Voyager JV and Web Client Pro) will be dropped, so long-time users have a migration to plan.

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Price and Licensing

Wing FTP Server Corporate costs less in year one and far less over time. At $1,299, it costs about a third of one year of Serv-U MFT Server, and you keep using it after that without paying again. The catch is updates: Wing FTP includes two years, and after that new versions and security fixes need upgrade protection, which Wing FTP sells in 4-year, 6-year and lifetime options. Serv-U's subscription includes updates for as long as you pay.

Both are licensed per server. Wing FTP also sells Site Licenses for unlimited computers at one site ($15,000 for Corporate), and its Windows, Linux, macOS and Solaris versions are separate products. Serv-U's editions run on Windows or Linux, and high availability needs extra Serv-U licenses.

Features

Wing FTP Server Corporate and Serv-U MFT Server cover the same everyday needs: every common protocol, unlimited users, directory sign-in, multi-factor authentication, database-backed accounts, event-driven automation, sharing links, a web client and mobile apps. For a typical business file exchange, either will do the job.

The differences are at the edges. Serv-U MFT Server adds the compliance and resilience features: FIPS 140-2 validated cryptography, high availability, the DMZ gateway, custom authentication through a DLL, and remote administration from an iPad. Wing FTP Server Corporate adds a built-in task scheduler next to its events manager, which matters given that a Serv-U reviewer above ends up scripting scheduled tasks outside Serv-U. And Wing FTP gives Secure-edition buyers SFTP for $569, where Serv-U only offers SFTP in its MFT edition.

Wing FTP Server's browser-based web client in thumbnail view, with upload, new folder, favorites, search and download buttons along the top. Serv-U's web client works the same way: users need only a browser.

Security Record

Both products have had serious flaws that attackers exploited, so whichever you pick, you need to install updates promptly. An internet-facing file server is a favorite target, and neither vendor is immune.

• Wing FTP Server: CVE-2025-47812 (CVSS 10) let attackers run code on the server through the web client's login, even with an anonymous account. Wing FTP fixed it in version 7.4.4 on May 14, 2025, and attacks on unpatched servers began on July 1, 2025.
• Serv-U: CVE-2024-28995, a directory traversal flaw that let attackers read files on the server without logging in, was fixed on June 5, 2024. SolarWinds knew of attacks by June 18, and the US cybersecurity agency CISA added it to its list of exploited vulnerabilities on July 17, 2024. An earlier Serv-U flaw was exploited in 2021. SolarWinds also fixed several critical (9.1) flaws in versions 15.5.3 and 15.5.4 that need an attacker to already have admin rights.

The practical difference is how updates are paid for. Serv-U's subscription always includes them. Wing FTP Server's free updates last two years, so budget for upgrade protection if you'll run it longer. Running an unpatched copy of either is the real risk.

Which Should You Choose?

Who should skip Wing FTP Server: organizations whose auditors require FIPS 140-2 validated encryption, high availability or a DMZ gateway, and anyone who would let the two years of free updates run out on an internet-facing server.

Who should skip Serv-U: small businesses that would pay more for one year of MFT Server than for Wing FTP Server Corporate outright, and anyone tempted by the cheaper FTP Server edition who actually needs SFTP.

FAQs

Is Wing FTP Server cheaper than Serv-U?

Yes. Wing FTP Server Corporate costs $1,299 once for one server, while Serv-U MFT Server, its closest match, costs $335 per server per month, billed annually, which SolarWinds lists from $4,019. Wing FTP's only recurring cost is optional upgrade protection after the first two years of updates.

Does Serv-U FTP Server support SFTP?

No. Serv-U FTP Server supports FTP, FTPS and HTTP. SFTP (over SSH2) and HTTPS are only in Serv-U MFT Server. Wing FTP Server includes SFTP from its $569 Secure edition up.

Is Serv-U a subscription or a one-time purchase?

Serv-U is sold as a subscription: both editions are priced per server per month and billed annually, with volume discounts. Wing FTP Server is a one-time purchase that never expires.

Can I try Wing FTP Server and Serv-U for free?

Yes. Wing FTP Server has a 30-day trial with every Corporate feature that you can download directly, and after it ends the program becomes a free edition for non-commercial use. Serv-U offers a fully functional 14-day trial of either edition after you fill in a registration form.

Does Wing FTP Server work with Active Directory?

Yes, in the Corporate edition. Wing FTP Server Corporate signs users in with their Windows or LDAP (Active Directory) accounts, and adds TOTP two-factor authentication for the web client. The Standard and Secure editions use their own user accounts.

Which runs on Linux, Wing FTP Server or Serv-U?

Both. Serv-U runs on Windows or Linux (Red Hat, Rocky, Ubuntu, Debian and openSUSE). Wing FTP Server also has Linux, macOS and Solaris versions, but they are separate products from the Windows edition compared here, so buy the one for your server's platform.

Is Wing FTP Server safe to use after the 2025 vulnerability?

Yes, if you keep it updated. Wing FTP Server's critical flaw (CVE-2025-47812) affects version 7.4.3 and earlier, and version 7.4.4 and later, including the current 8.2.7, contain the fix. Serv-U had its own exploited flaw in 2024, so the same rule applies to both: install updates as they come out.

Does Serv-U run on Windows Server 2025?

Not officially yet. Serv-U 15.5.4's system requirements list Windows Server 2022, 2019, 2016, 2012 and 2012 R2. Wing FTP Server supports Windows Server 2025 as well as desktop Windows 7 to 11.