CentreStack alternative for white-label file sharing

CentreStack is MSP infrastructure for running enterprise file servers under your brand. It is not a self-serve tool for agencies sending files to clients.

CentreStack, made by Gladinet, is a multi-tenant white-label cloud file server platform trusted by over 1,000 IT solution providers and enterprises including Red Bull, NASA, and Ericsson. Its core purpose is enabling Managed Service Providers to build their own branded cloud file sharing product for business clients, replacing on-premises file servers with a cloud solution that carries the MSP's name rather than Dropbox's or Microsoft's. The white-label capability is deep: custom domain, branded web interface, branded mobile apps for iOS and Android, custom company name, and a single-pane-of-glass management console for handling multiple tenants.

The platform integrates natively with existing file servers via NTFS permissions and Active Directory, maps cloud storage as a drive letter on Windows and Mac desktops, provides global file locking for collaboration, supports AWS S3 and Azure Blob as backend storage, and includes ransomware protection and version control. For an MSP migrating a healthcare firm or engineering company from a local file server to a branded cloud product, CentreStack solves that problem in a way few competitors can match.

What it is not built for is the agency creative director who wants to send finished brand assets to a client at their own domain, in a clean branded portal, with no IT project required. CentreStack's minimum purchase on the self-hosted version is 20 licenses. Pricing is not published and requires a sales conversation. Deployment needs technical expertise. These are appropriate trade-offs for an MSP managing enterprise clients. They are the wrong trade-offs for a studio needing to be operational by end of day.

What CentreStack does well

CentreStack's genuine strength is in the MSP market. It lets IT solution providers build a fully branded, multi-tenant cloud file server product on top of any storage backend — AWS S3, Azure Blob, local file servers, or Wasabi — and deliver it to business clients under the MSP's own name. The white-label capability extends to the iOS and Android mobile apps, which means a client opens an app branded as the MSP's product on their phone.

The native integration with Windows file server infrastructure is a specific differentiator. NTFS permissions and Active Directory sync carry over to the cloud, so users keep the same folder access they had on the local server. Global file locking prevents conflicting edits on shared documents. Drive mapping shows cloud storage as a local drive letter in Explorer and Finder. For engineering firms, healthcare organisations, and legal offices with existing file server infrastructure, this combination is genuinely valuable and unusual in the market.

CentreStack has been deployed in 49+ countries and has a partner programme with dedicated support, weekly product updates, and tier 2 support available within one hour. For an MSP whose business model depends on reliable infrastructure they can resell, that support level matters.

Where CentreStack falls short for client-facing businesses

CentreStack was designed for MSPs building managed cloud infrastructure for enterprise clients. Every product decision reflects that purpose. The gaps below are not weaknesses — they are consequences of building for a different buyer.

No public pricing and no self-serve path

CentreStack does not publish pricing on its website. The pricing page directs you to "talk to us." Known reference points from third-party sources put CentreStack Server at approximately $12/user/month with a 20-user minimum, making the self-hosted entry point around $240/month. CentreStack Online is approximately $15/user/year through the hosted model. An MSP model with tiered channel pricing also exists. None of this is self-serve. Before deploying, you need a sales conversation and a partner portal account.

Sharebrand's pricing is published, flat, and self-serve. Starter is $29/month. Pro is $59/month. You sign up and have a live branded workspace the same day.

20-user minimum on the self-hosted product

CentreStack Server requires a minimum of 20 licenses. A five-person design agency or a solo studio cannot buy the product at its self-hosted entry point. CentreStack Online does not carry the same user minimum, but at approximately $15/user/year it is a different product tier and still not designed for small teams wanting quick self-serve branded sharing. Sharebrand has no minimum user count. One person pays $29/month. Five people pay the same $29/month.

Significant setup and technical overhead

CentreStack requires an IT deployment. Setting up a self-hosted CentreStack server involves installing software on a server, connecting to storage backends, configuring Active Directory, and provisioning tenants. Even CentreStack Online, which is hosted by Gladinet, requires technical configuration before it reflects your branding and serves clients correctly. This is entirely appropriate for MSP infrastructure. For an agency that wants to brand a client portal and start sharing files, this complexity is overhead that does not serve the goal.

No file payment gate

CentreStack has no feature for charging clients before they access or download shared files. For studios and agencies that sell digital assets or want to monetise file sharing directly, this capability is absent on any CentreStack tier.

Who actually needs a CentreStack alternative

CentreStack is the right tool for IT solution providers and MSPs that manage file server infrastructure for multiple business clients and want to offer a branded cloud product under their own name. Agencies, studios, and freelancers who end up evaluating CentreStack typically find it when searching for "white-label file sharing" — and then discover that the white-label story, while real, is designed for a very different operational context.

Design agencies, photography studios, video production companies, and marketing firms that want to deliver finished work to clients at their own domain do not need a multi-tenant NTFS-integrated file server platform. They need a clean branded sharing experience that requires no IT involvement to run. Freelancers who want clients to receive files under their own brand. Any small team that wants to start in minutes rather than weeks.

CentreStack pricing vs Sharebrand pricing

CentreStack does not publish its pricing. The pricing page directs potential customers to contact sales. From third-party references and community discussions, CentreStack Server costs approximately $12 per user per month with a 20-user minimum, putting the entry point at roughly $240 per month for the self-hosted product. CentreStack Online (hosted by Gladinet on AWS) is approximately $15 per user per year at entry level. An MSP-focused tier starts at around $115 for the first tenant and then from $10 per user per month, with volume discounts available through the partner portal.

Sharebrand Starter costs $29 per month for up to five team members with 3 TB of pooled storage, a custom domain, a branded client portal, and a file payment gate. Pro is $59 per month for up to ten team members and 6 TB. Annual billing saves two months. No sales call, no minimum users, no IT project required before a client link goes live.

The pricing gap is not the main reason to choose one over the other. CentreStack's price reflects what it delivers: enterprise MSP infrastructure with full white-label depth, Active Directory, NTFS permissions, and multi-tenant management. Sharebrand's price reflects its purpose: fast, clean, branded sharing for client-facing teams. The right tool is determined by the use case, not by a line item comparison.