How to Send Files Larger than 2GB?
Send 2GB files (or even bigger) with Smash – it’s secure, reliable, free, green, and super-fast!
IN THIS GUIDE, YOU’RE GOING TO READ THE 3 OPTIONS FOR SENDING A FILE THAT IS LARGER THAN 2GB:
1. Smash
2. WeTransfer
3. Google Drive
It’s a challenge that is ever more common in these days of increasing file sizes: how do you send a large file when it’s too big to attach to an email or drop in an instant message? If a file is just a little bigger than what an email can handle, you might be able to get away with compressing an image or splitting a document into different parts across multiple emails. But once a file is above 2GB, those options really fall off the table.
In this article we lay out the best ways to transfer files that are larger than 2GB, even those files that are a lot larger than 2GB. Options vary depending on how large the file is, but you’ll find them all here.
Comparing the Best Ways to share Files Larger than 2GB for Free
Before diving into the different ways you can send a file bigger than 2GB, we should outline the metrics by which we’ll compare them to determine the best. To start with, we’ll only consider those methods that are for sending files online – if you are sitting across the room from the person who needs to see the video or review the document, nothing beats handing them your laptop, right?
Here are the elements that are the most important to consider when sending a large file:
Security: Will your transfer be encrypted? Will you be able to password protect your transfer?
Cost: Can you transfer your file for free? If not, is the cost affordable and competitive?
Speed: Is your transfer fast? Do you have to wait in a queue to send your file on a free tier?
Ease: Is it easy to send your file? Is there a big learning curve to follow?
User Friendly: Can you customize your sharing link? Can your recipient preview the file you are sharing?
Green: Does the transfer minimize greenhouse emissions?
With these in mind, here’s a quick rundown of the different options for large files of varying sizes – hit the link in each for the full comparison and step-by-step guides to using each of the services listed. We’ll start with some admittedly large file sizes (100MB and 1GB) that fall under our 2GB barrier. However, in today’s world where it is common for files to be measured in the dozens of gigabytes, we’ve covered the whole spectrum right through to files 100GB or larger.
Transfer a File that is more than 10MB
Transferring a file is now part of our daily lives and they are more and more larger. If you only need to send one document or a few photos, your sending will not exceed 10MB. There are many ways to send files bigger than 10MB online, but your files deserve the best one: the safest, the easiest, the quickest and even the "greenest" with an environmental impact.
Sending a File over 25MB
When you want to send a 25MB file, you have many options. However, you can't email these files because of email providers restrictions, this is why sending a file that is above 25MB is not so easy. As a way to bypass these restrictions and send your files without worrying about the size, Smash comes out on top, between other options with pros and cons.
Sending a File that is Larger than 100MB
When you want to send a file that is bigger than 100MB you have a few different options. While you can choose a photo sharing service or video sharing service for specific media files, you will get the best bang for your buck with either a file sharing service or a file storage service with a sharing function.
Sharing a File that is bigger than 1GB
To transfer a file that is more than 1GB, you will be choosing between a file transfer service and a file storage service. The former is built for transferring large files, while the latter is made for stocking those files on a cloud server for sharing later. File transfer services are greener and offer more functionality than a file storage service, but as the free tiers for file storage tend to run into the double-digit gigabyte, they are worth comparing.
Sending a File that is Larger than 3GB
Transfer a file that is above 3GB usually means choosing between a file transfer service and a file storage service with a sharing option. There are a number of each, of course, and there are pros and cons to each, but if you are focused on value-for-money, speed, security, ease of use, and the green credentials of the service, then it’s a file transfer service that is going to be your best bet.
Sending a File that is above 5GB
Bigger files don’t always mean changing the means for sending that file. However, once you are trying to send a file that is larger than 5GB you might need to think about the different options a little more deeply. Smash is clearly a strong option, but alternative file transfer services could be attractive, too, if you are willing and able to pay a subscription. As well, cloud storage services could prove useful, too, if you stay under your storage tier, that is.
Sharing online a File over 10GB
WeTransfer is a well-known name in the file transfer service industry, and some are attracted to its capacity to send a file that is larger than 10GB. Smash, though, is more cost-effective, greener, and you don’t compromise on speed, security, or user-friendliness with password protection and link customization standard even on free plans. Google Drive, too, can be an option but a 10GB file is approaching the limits of that service’s free offer.
Sending a File that is Larger than 20GB
When you want to send a file that is bigger than 20GB your options are really going to be one of two types of online services: a file transfer service, and a file storage service. The key differences here are going to come down to security, user friendliness, and cost, as even the most generous file storage services with sharing options will charge a premium for stocking and sending a 20GB file.
Sending a File that is more than 50GB
Files that exceed 50GB in size are increasingly common, especially if those files include high-quality video footage or folders of high-definition images. To send a file over 50GB you really need to consider one of four strong options: Smash and WeTransfer (both file transfer services), and Google Drive and Apple iCloud+ (both file storage solutions). There are clear leaders in terms of cost and user friendliness, with Smash the only one that doesn’t demand a monthly or annual subscription while offering password protection and link customization as standard.
Transfer a File that is Larger than 100GB
In a world of high-quality images and high-definition video, to send a massive file larger than 100GB is more common than ever. Such files demand top-notch security and user-friendly functionality like link customization and file previews come in very handy for recipients who might be preparing to download a file that fills their machine’s hard drive. Smash delivers here, but Google Drive is an option if you are willing to pay for the annual fee for sufficient space (and it’ll cost a pretty penny, too!).
Three Options for transferring a File that is Larger than 2GB
Back to the more than 2GB files now, and there are three options that you might consider using to send these large files to another of your devices, or another person and their machine:
Smash, a leading file transfer service
WeTransfer, a well-known file transfer service
Google Drive, a leading file storage service with sharing functionality
1. Sending a bigger than 2GB File with Smash
Smash is purpose-built to transfer large files from one device to another. Designed to handle files of any size, Smash transfers 2GB files or folders with ease. Free to all users, it comes with password protection and link customization as standard options, and its green credentials are well-established. Here’s how you send your file with Smash:
Go to the Smash website
Click on the icon in the center of the page and select the +100GB file on your device
Enter your email address and click Get a Link
Copy the link and send it on to your recipient
Smash can be compared to WeTransfer.
2. Sending a more than 2GB File with WeTransfer
We Transfer is an alternative to Smash. While it has long maintained a free tier for users, there is a strict 2GB limit on those free transfers. Hence, if you want to send a file that is bigger than 2GB with WeTransfer, you’re going to have to pay up. Here’s how it works when you do:
Register for either a Pro (€12/month) or a Premium (€23/month) plan
Login to the WeTransfer website
Click the + icon to upload your +100GB file
Add your email details and the details of your recipient
Click Transfer
3. Sharing a larger than 2GB File with Google Drive
Google Drive is not the only file storage solution out there but it is maybe one of the best known. With hundreds of millions of users either using the free tier of storage that comes with their (also free) Gmail account, or a professional Google Workspace on a paid tier, Google Drive makes it easy to store and share files. Here’s how to do it for a file that is bigger than 2GB:
Login to Google Drive
Select Upload and then select the file on your desktop or mobile device, and click OK
When the file has completed uploading, select the file, right click, and select Share
Choose between sending a link by email from Google Drive, or click the Link icon to copy it to an email or instant message
Conclusion: The Best Option for Sending a file over 2GB
Compare these three methods on the metrics established above and there is a clear winner: Smash.
| Smash | WeTransfer | Google Drive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security | ✅ ✅ ✅ | ✅ ✅ ❌ | ✅ ✅ ❌ |
| Cost | ✅ ✅ ✅ | ✅ ✅ ❌ | ✅ ✅ ❌ |
| Speed | ✅ ✅ ✅ | ✅ ✅ ✅ | ✅ ✅ ✅ |
| Ease | ✅ ✅ ✅ | ✅ ✅ ✅ | ✅ ✅ ✅ |
| User Friendliness | ✅ ✅ ✅ | ✅ ✅ ❌ | ✅ ✅ ❌ |
| Green | ✅ ✅ ✅ | ✅ ✅ ✅ | ✅ ❌ ❌ |
While the race to the top is tight, Smash comes out in front where it matters:
Smash includes password protected transfers as standard, while WeTransfer only offers such transfers on premium plans and Google Drive not at all
Smash is free for transfers of any size, while WeTransfer and Google Drive can demand premium subscriptions paid monthly or annually to share files larger than 2GB
Smash offers link customization and file previews as standard options even on the free tier plans, while you pay extra on WeTransfer for that functionality and, with Google Drive, it isn’t offered at all.
Smash and WeTransfer both delete the transferred file from their servers shortly after it is sent, while Google Drive will stock your files – and generate emissions doing so – until you eventually choose to delete it or stop paying Google their monthly fee.
Smash is available on mobile devices (iOS and Android), via a desktop app for Mac, via an API for developers, and through any web browser at fromsmash.com. Try it for free today and see just how good it is at sending your 2GB files across the city or around the world!
Need To Share Files Larger than 2GB?
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Frequently Asked Questions
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A file transfer service is your purpose-built option for sending files of any size, including those that are a little bigger than 2GB. While a file storage service is your best bet for long-term stockage, its primary function is keeping a file where it is, not sharing it with others.
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A bundle of reasons! You could start with the cost (Smash is always cheaper than WeTransfer), the password protection and link customization options that are standard (WeTransfer charges you for both!), or even the ease of use (Smash makes it easy to send a file from anywhere). Are we biased? Maybe – but try Smash for yourself and see just how easy and cost effective it can be.
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When a file is sent via a file transfer service like Smash, it is stored on an emissions-producing server for only a short time. A file storage service like Google Drive or Apple iCloud+, on the other hand, stocks those files indefinitely, meaning that every file you store comes with a long-term carbon emissions cost added to the bill. If you want to keep your green credentials intact and minimize the environmental cost of your file transfers, a file transfer service like Smash is the way to go.
