5 Best Egnyte Alternatives for Teams Who Need Simpler, Cheaper File Sharing

Why Teams Look for Egnyte Alternatives

Egnyte built its reputation on hybrid cloud storage, letting enterprises keep some files on-premises while syncing others to the cloud. That architecture made sense in 2015 when companies were nervous about putting everything in the cloud.

Today, most teams don't need hybrid complexity. They need fast file sharing, good collaboration tools, and pricing that doesn't punish them for adding users.

The most common reasons teams leave Egnyte:

• Pricing scales poorly. At $20/user/month for Business plans, a 50-person team pays $12,000 annually before storage costs. Adding contractors or clients gets expensive fast.
• Hybrid architecture adds friction. Managing on-prem connectors, sync agents, and storage gateway appliances requires dedicated IT time most teams don't have.
• IT-focused design. Egnyte excels at enterprise governance but the end-user experience feels secondary. Creative teams and external collaborators often struggle.
• Overkill for cloud-native teams. If you're not running on-premises file servers, you're paying for infrastructure you don't use.

Egnyte Alternatives Comparison Table

A quick comparison of Egnyte alternatives by pricing model, target user, and key differentiators:

Per-seat pricing works if your team size is fixed. Usage-based pricing works better for teams that collaborate with lots of external people or scale up and down.

Fast.io: Best for Creative Teams and External Collaboration

Fast.io takes a different approach than Egnyte. Instead of hybrid storage complexity, it focuses on cloud-native collaboration with usage-based pricing.

What makes Fast.io different:

• No per-seat pricing. Pro plans include 25 seats, Business includes 100. Extra seats cost $1/month each. For a 50-person team, that's roughly $60/month compared to Egnyte's $1,000+.
• Organization-owned files. Files belong to the company, not individual users. When someone leaves, their files stay accessible without migration headaches.
• HLS video streaming. Watch video files instantly with adaptive bitrate streaming instead of waiting for downloads. Egnyte requires full downloads for video playback.
• Unlimited guest access. Share with clients and contractors without burning seat licenses.

Fast.io works particularly well for video production teams, marketing agencies, and any organization that shares large files with external collaborators.

Limitations: Fast.io doesn't offer on-premises storage options. If you need hybrid deployment for compliance reasons, it's not the right fit.

Dropbox Business: Best for Teams Who Want Familiar Tools

Dropbox needs no introduction. Most people have used the personal version, and Dropbox Business builds on that familiar foundation with team features.

Strengths:

• Sync that just works. Dropbox's sync engine is mature and reliable.
• Integrations with nearly every business tool.
• Paper for lightweight document collaboration.
• Smart Sync keeps files accessible without filling local drives.

Drawbacks:

• $18/user/month adds up quickly for larger teams.
• File ownership gets messy when team members leave.
• Video handling is basic. You download files, you don't stream them.
• The personal-folder mental model creates organization headaches at scale.

Dropbox Business makes sense for teams already comfortable with Dropbox who want to add admin controls and shared team folders without retraining everyone.

Box Enterprise: Best for Governance-Heavy Organizations

Box positions itself as the enterprise content cloud, and it works well for organizations with strict governance requirements.

Strengths:

• Mature compliance controls and retention policies.
• Deep integrations with enterprise apps like Salesforce and Slack.
• Box Shield for threat detection.
• Strong API for custom workflows.

Drawbacks:

• $20/user/month (Business Plus) or higher for enterprise features.
• Complex setup for advanced features.
• Media handling is weak. Like Dropbox, you download rather than stream.
• The interface feels dated compared to newer tools.

Box works well for large enterprises with compliance teams who can configure and maintain it properly. For smaller teams, it's often more tool than needed.

ShareFile: Best for Document-Centric Workflows

ShareFile, part of the Citrix ecosystem, targets professionals who need secure document sharing with electronic signature capabilities built in.

Strengths:

• Native e-signature integration.
• Client portal features for professional services.
• Good for document workflows in legal, financial, and healthcare.
• Reasonable pricing at $16/user/month.

Drawbacks:

• The interface shows its age.
• Citrix ecosystem can feel heavy if you're not already invested.
• Media capabilities are minimal.
• Mobile apps lag behind competitors.

ShareFile makes sense for law firms, accounting practices, and other document-centric businesses that need e-signatures and client portals in one package.

FileCloud: Best for Self-Hosted Control

FileCloud offers both self-hosted and cloud deployment options, giving IT teams full control over their file sharing infrastructure.

Strengths:

• Self-hosted option for complete data control.
• No user seat limits on self-hosted plans.
• Unlimited file sizes.
• Good for organizations with specific data residency requirements.

Drawbacks:

• Self-hosted means you manage the infrastructure.
• Requires technical expertise to deploy and maintain.
• Collaboration features are less polished than cloud-native alternatives.
• Updates and security patches are your responsibility.

FileCloud fits organizations that need (or want) to manage their own infrastructure. It's not a good choice if you'd rather outsource IT operations.

How to Choose the Right Egnyte Alternative

Pick based on what's bothering you about Egnyte.

If cost is the main issue: Fast.io's usage-based pricing eliminates per-seat math. You pay for storage and bandwidth, not headcount.

If you need simpler deployment: Any pure-cloud option (Fast.io, Dropbox, Box) removes Egnyte's hybrid complexity.

If you work with video or large files: Fast.io's streaming engine handles media better than download-first alternatives.

If governance is non-negotiable: Box maintains Egnyte-level controls with cloud-native simplicity.

If you need self-hosted: FileCloud or a dedicated on-prem solution gives you full control.

If you just want familiar tools: Dropbox Business adds team features to an interface your team already knows.

Questions to Ask Before Switching

1. How many external collaborators do you work with? Per-seat pricing penalizes external sharing.
2. What file types do you share most? Video and media need streaming, not downloads.
3. Who manages your IT? Self-hosted requires dedicated staff.
4. What integrations matter? Check compatibility with your existing tools.
5. What's your actual hybrid storage need? If you're fully cloud, don't pay for hybrid.

Migrating from Egnyte

Switching file storage platforms takes planning. Here's a realistic migration path:

1. Audit your current usage. Before moving, understand what you actually use. Most teams discover significant dead weight: old project folders nobody touches, duplicate files, departed employees' data.

2. Clean before you migrate. Delete or archive what you don't need. Migration costs (time and money) scale with data volume.

3. Map your folder structure. Egnyte's hybrid model often creates folder structures that don't translate directly. Plan your new organization before moving files.

4. Migrate in phases. Start with one team or department. Work out issues before rolling out broadly.

5. Train your team. New tools need new habits. Budget time for getting people comfortable with the new workflows.

6. Run parallel for critical workflows. Keep Egnyte active for business-critical processes until you've verified the new system handles them correctly.

Most teams complete migrations in 2-8 weeks depending on data volume and organizational complexity.