SFTPGo

intermediate

Full-featured SFTP server with web admin.

Overview

SFTPGo is a modern, full-featured SFTP server implementation written in Go that provides secure file transfer capabilities with extensive administrative controls. Originally developed as a lightweight alternative to traditional FTP servers, SFTPGo offers multiple protocol support including SFTP, SCP, FTP/S, and WebDAV, making it a versatile solution for organizations requiring secure file exchange. The server includes a comprehensive web-based administration interface, REST API, and support for various storage backends including local filesystem, cloud storage providers, and encrypted storage. This Docker deployment combines SFTPGo's core server functionality with its built-in web administration panel, creating a complete file transfer solution that can be managed entirely through a browser interface. The configuration exposes three distinct services: the SFTP protocol on port 2022 for secure file transfers, the web admin interface on port 8080 for user management and server configuration, and WebDAV on port 8090 for HTTP-based file access. This multi-protocol approach allows clients to connect using their preferred method while administrators maintain centralized control over user permissions, quotas, and access policies. This stack is ideal for organizations transitioning from legacy FTP servers, development teams requiring secure file sharing, and system administrators who need granular control over file transfer operations. The combination of SFTPGo's enterprise-grade features with Docker's deployment simplicity makes it particularly valuable for companies wanting to implement secure file transfer without the complexity of traditional enterprise solutions, while still maintaining the scalability and security required for production environments.

Key Features

Multi-protocol file access supporting SFTP, SCP, FTP/S, and WebDAV from a single server instance
Web-based administration interface with real-time user management, quota monitoring, and connection tracking
Flexible storage backend support including local filesystem, AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, Azure Blob, and SFTP
Per-user bandwidth throttling and connection limits with customizable rate limiting policies
Advanced authentication options including public key, password, keyboard-interactive, and external authentication providers
Built-in file encryption at rest with configurable encryption backends for sensitive data protection
Comprehensive audit logging with detailed file operation tracking and user activity monitoring
REST API for programmatic user management and server configuration automation

Common Use Cases

1Replacing legacy FTP servers in enterprise environments with secure, auditable file transfer capabilities
2Development team collaboration requiring secure file sharing with granular access controls and quota management
3Automated backup solutions where applications need reliable SFTP endpoints with guaranteed uptime and monitoring
4Client file exchange portals for businesses requiring secure document sharing with external partners
5Media production workflows where large files need secure transfer with bandwidth controls and progress tracking
6Compliance-driven organizations requiring detailed audit trails and encrypted file storage for regulatory requirements
7Multi-tenant environments where different users need isolated file access with separate storage backends

Prerequisites

Minimum 512MB RAM for basic operations, 2GB+ recommended for multiple concurrent users and large file transfers
Available ports 2022 (SFTP), 8080 (web admin), and 8090 (WebDAV) not conflicting with existing services
Basic understanding of SFTP client configuration and public key authentication concepts
Network access planning for client connections and firewall configuration for exposed ports
Storage planning for user data volumes and consideration of backup strategies for persistent data

For development & testing. Review security settings, change default credentials, and test thoroughly before production use. See Terms

docker-compose.yml

1services: 
2  sftpgo: 
3    image: drakkan/sftpgo:latest
4    container_name: sftpgo
5    restart: unless-stopped
6    environment: 
7      SFTPGO_HTTPD__BINDINGS__0__PORT: 8080
8      SFTPGO_HTTPD__BINDINGS__0__ADDRESS: ""
9    volumes: 
10      - sftpgo_data:/srv/sftpgo
11      - sftpgo_home:/var/lib/sftpgo
12    ports: 
13      - "8080:8080"
14      - "2022:2022"
15      - "8090:8090"
16
17volumes: 
18  sftpgo_data: 
19  sftpgo_home:

.env Template

.env

1# Create users in web admin

Usage Notes

1Docs: https://sftpgo.com/docs/
2Web admin at http://localhost:8080 - create users here
3SFTP on port 2022, WebDAV on 8090
4Storage backends: local, S3, GCS, Azure Blob, encrypted local
5Per-user quotas, bandwidth limits, IP filtering
6OIDC/OAuth2 authentication supported

Quick Start

terminal

1# 1. Create the compose file
2cat > docker-compose.yml << 'EOF'
3services:
4  sftpgo:
5    image: drakkan/sftpgo:latest
6    container_name: sftpgo
7    restart: unless-stopped
8    environment:
9      SFTPGO_HTTPD__BINDINGS__0__PORT: 8080
10      SFTPGO_HTTPD__BINDINGS__0__ADDRESS: ""
11    volumes:
12      - sftpgo_data:/srv/sftpgo
13      - sftpgo_home:/var/lib/sftpgo
14    ports:
15      - "8080:8080"
16      - "2022:2022"
17      - "8090:8090"
18
19volumes:
20  sftpgo_data:
21  sftpgo_home:
22EOF
23
24# 2. Create the .env file
25cat > .env << 'EOF'
26# Create users in web admin
27EOF
28
29# 3. Start the services
30docker compose up -d
31
32# 4. View logs
33docker compose logs -f

One-Liner

Run this command to download and set up the recipe in one step:

terminal

1curl -fsSL https://docker.recipes/api/recipes/sftpgo/run | bash

Troubleshooting

Connection refused on port 2022: Verify the SFTP service is running and check firewall rules allowing inbound connections on port 2022
Web admin interface shows 'Internal Server Error': Check container logs for database initialization issues and ensure sftpgo_home volume has proper write permissions
SFTP authentication fails with valid credentials: Verify user exists in SFTPGo web admin and check if public key authentication is properly configured in user settings
File uploads fail with permission denied: Check that the sftpgo_data volume mount has correct ownership and the user's home directory permissions allow write access
WebDAV clients cannot connect on port 8090: Ensure WebDAV is enabled in SFTPGo configuration and the user account has WebDAV protocol permissions enabled

Community Notes

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