File transfer and file sharing services compared
Size limit, link lifetime, account, hosting: I compared the free plans of ten file transfer and file sharing services, Smash included. I checked every figure on each service's website on October 29, 2026.
By Romaric Gouedard-Comte, co-founder and CEO of Smash · Updated October 29, 2026
Based on 56,000+ reviews, Smash is rated 4.9/5 on Trustpilot and Google.
10 file sharing and transfer services compared
I checked every figure on October 28, 2026, on each service's own website: pricing page, help center or terms (links are at the bottom of the page). Smash is in the first row because it's our service. For each service, we show what the free plan allows for a large file, and what it doesn't.
| Service | Free size limit | Free allowance | Link lasts | Account needed | Hosting and encryption | Trustpilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smash Our service | No limitPriority up to 2 GB, then a queue | Unlimited transfers | 1 to 7 days | No, for sender or recipient | Region closest to the sender (US East Coast, London, Frankfurt…), AES-256 on the servers | 4.9/543,000+ reviews |
| SwissTransfer | 50 GB | Unlimited transfers, up to 250 downloads | 1 to 30 days | NoEmail check on the first send from a new device | Switzerland (Infomaniak), AES-256 on the servers | 3.3/5133 reviews |
| TransferNow | 5 GB | No cap stated | 7 days | No | Nearest region, AES-256 on the servers, virus scan | 4.9/512,000+ reviews |
| Filemail | 5 GB | 2 transfers per 24 hours | 7 days | No | EU, Norway or US, TLS during transfer | 2.4/513 reviews |
| MASV | 15 GB a monthThen $0.25 per GB | Monthly allowance, card required | Stored free for 5 days | Yes, with a credit card | AWS, AES-256 on the servers, SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001 | Not listed |
| Tresorit Send | 5 GB100 files per send | 10 downloads per file | 7 days | An email address is enough | End-to-end encrypted on your device | 2.3/561 reviews, Tresorit brand |
| Google Drive | 15 GBStorage shared with Gmail and Photos | Limited by your storage | No expiry | Google account | Google infrastructure, encrypted on the servers and during transfer | Not relevantScore is for Google as a whole |
| OneDrive | 5 GBAccount storage, 250 GB max per file | Limited by your storage | No expiry by default | Microsoft account | Microsoft cloud, AES-256 per file on the servers, TLS | Not relevantScore is for Microsoft as a whole |
| Dropbox Transfer | 2 GBBasic plan | 2 GB of storage | 7 days | Dropbox account | Dropbox infrastructure, encrypted on the servers and during transfer | 1.3/51,500+ reviews, Dropbox brand |
| WeTransfer For reference | 3 GB | 10 transfers or 3 GB per rolling 30 days | 3 days | Yes, for the sender | EU-based company, AES-256 on the servers | 3.4/51,100+ reviews |
Free plans as published by each service, checked on October 28, 2026. Bars use a logarithmic scale so small limits stay visible. No limit Limit per transfer Account storage or monthly allowance. Trustpilot scores taken the same day.
Which file sharing service to choose for your need
Most of the time, the choice depends on the size of the file and the delivery deadline. For sensitive documents, security matters too. Here is how the file sharing sites in the table fit common needs.
A file under 50 GB, to send for free right away. SwissTransfer sends up to 50 GB with no wait. Smash accepts these sizes too, but on the free plan, files over 2 GB are put in a queue.
A very large file: a 120 GB ProRes master, a day of rushes, a full photo shoot. Above 50 GB, no other free plan in the table accepts the file. Smash accepts it for free, with no size limit, if you can wait for the queue. If you have a deadline, you need a paid plan: Smash Pro sends every size with priority, MASV bills by the gigabyte after the free 15 GB, and TransferNow Premium allows up to 250 GB per transfer.
Regular deliveries to clients. Also compare the features you will use every day: a download page with your branding, file requests from clients, an Outlook add-in, how long files are kept. Smash Pro and TransferNow Premium offer these features, and SwissTransfer Business now lets you add your logo and colors to the download page. WeTransfer's free plan is for non-commercial use only.
Sensitive documents: contracts, medical records, HR files. For this kind of secure file transfer, choose a service with end-to-end encryption, such as Tresorit Send: not even the service can read the file. MASV, made for film and TV studios, publishes SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 audits.
A team that already uses Google or Microsoft. Google Drive and OneDrive mean one less tool to add. They are storage platforms: you need an account to share, and a link stays active until you turn it off.
A case we see often: an editor finishes exporting an 80 GB film at 5 p.m., and it has to reach the client that evening. On the free plan, the transfer goes into the queue and may only arrive the next morning. On a paid plan, the same file goes out right away. For 30 GB of wedding photos due within the week, the free plan is enough: start the transfer in the evening and the link is ready the next day.
Got a big file to send right now?
With Smash, send it with no account and no size limit.
Send a file with Smash See plansThe 10 services in detail
Smash, for large files with no size limit
Smash was founded in Lyon, France, in 2017, and I run it. The free plan has no file size limit and needs no account, for you or for your recipient. Links stay active for 1 to 7 days, as you choose. You can add a password, and your recipient can preview photos and videos before downloading them.
There is a trade-off, and I prefer to say it clearly. Up to 2 GB, your transfer is sent with priority. Above that, it goes into a queue behind paying customers, and the wait can last several hours, sometimes all night. If your file must be delivered by 6 p.m., you need the Pro plan: priority for every size, links for up to 30 days, 1 TB of storage, file requests, branded download pages and an Outlook add-in.
Files are stored in the region closest to the sender, out of 9 (US East Coast for New York, London for the UK). They are encrypted with AES-256 on our servers and with TLS during transfer, then deleted when the link expires. Smash does not offer end-to-end encryption. We use your files only to transfer them: we don't reuse them, not to train an AI and not for anything else.
Two things matter to us. During uploads and downloads, Smash shows work by artists. And on support, an assistant answers simple questions first, and a person from our team quickly takes over if you ask. Trustpilot: 4.9/5 from more than 43,000 reviews.
For urgent deliveries, Smash Pro sends every size with priority, with no queue, and links stay active for up to 30 days.
Go ProSwissTransfer, 50 GB free and hosted in Switzerland
SwissTransfer is the free service of Infomaniak, a Swiss hosting company. It accepts up to 50 GB per transfer, with no account for the sender or the recipient. The first time you send from a new device, you need to confirm your email address. You choose how long the link lasts (1 to 30 days) and how many downloads are allowed (up to 250).
Infomaniak's help center (updated October 22, 2026) adds two points. With the 30-day option, files are deleted after 15 days unless you accept the extension offered by email on day 12. And above 10 GB, the "Download all" button no longer creates a zip file: your recipient has to download the files one by one.
Files are stored in Switzerland, encrypted during transfer and on the servers, without end-to-end encryption. For a free transfer under 50 GB with no wait, SwissTransfer is a good choice.
New in October 2026: SwissTransfer now has paid plans, which also include Infomaniak's collaboration suite (checked on October 29, 2026). Standard, at €1.90 per user per month excluding VAT, removes the download limit and lets you choose a background image. Business adds your logo and colors for €7.90 per month (€3.95 the first year with an annual commitment). Enterprise, at €14.90 per month (€7.45 the first year), adds a custom web address and links valid for up to 60 days.
Read our Smash vs SwissTransfer comparison
TransferNow, 5 GB free and paid plans up to 250 GB
TransferNow is a French service. On the free plan, it sends 5 GB per transfer with no sign-up, a 7-day link and an optional password. Every file is checked by an antivirus before it becomes available.
Files are stored in the region closest to the sender. On Premium, you can choose the country: France, the Netherlands, Germany, Singapore or the United States. Files are encrypted with TLS during transfer and AES-256 on the servers, and business customers can sign a data processing agreement.
The paid plans offer more: Premium lets you send 250 GB per transfer and keeps files for 365 days. Trustpilot: 4.9/5 from more than 12,000 reviews.
Read our Smash vs TransferNow comparison
Filemail, 5 GB per transfer, twice a day
Filemail sends 5 GB per transfer without an account, with a maximum of two transfers per 24 hours. Files are kept for 7 days. According to its help center, the free service is not available in some regions.
Filemail uses its own servers, located in the EU, Norway and the US. Only the Business and Enterprise plans let you choose the data center. Transfers are encrypted with TLS. The Pro plan lets you send up to 250 GB per transfer. Its Trustpilot score (2.4/5) is based on only 13 reviews.
Read our Smash vs Filemail comparison
MASV, pay as you go for film and TV
MASV is made for post-production. You get 15 GB free every month, then pay $0.25 per GB, and files are stored for free for 5 days. You need a credit card to sign up: MASV places a $10 pre-authorization on it and releases it, usually within 7 days.
Files are encrypted with TLS 1.2+ during transfer and stored on AWS, encrypted with AES-256. MASV states that it is SOC 2 Type II compliant and ISO 27001:2022 certified, and it is listed as a vendor on the Motion Picture Association's Trusted Partner Network. For a studio that sends terabytes on tight deadlines, paying per gigabyte can make sense. For an occasional 3 GB file, it means a lot of setup.
Tresorit Send, end-to-end encryption without an account
Tresorit Send is the free sending tool from Tresorit, a company that specializes in encrypted storage. Files are encrypted end to end on your device before upload. Limits: 5 GB and 100 files per transfer, a link valid for 7 days, 10 downloads per file. No account needed: you just give an email address, which receives the link to manage the transfer.
It is a good option for secure file sharing of contracts or HR documents, when only your recipient should be able to read the file. The Tresorit Send page doesn't say where files are stored; Tresorit's help center says its data is hosted by default on Microsoft Azure in Ireland.
Google Drive, if you already work with Google
Google Drive is a storage service, not a transfer service. The free 15 GB is shared with Gmail and Google Photos. A shared link stays active until you remove it: useful for a working folder, less so for a one-off delivery.
According to Google, your data is encrypted on its servers and during transfer, and Drive content is not used for ads. You need a Google account to share.
OneDrive, the default for Microsoft 365 users
OneDrive gives you 5 GB free with a Microsoft account. A single file can be up to 250 GB, but on the free plan you are limited by your 5 GB of storage. Microsoft 365 Basic gives you 100 GB for $1.99 a month.
According to Microsoft, each file is encrypted on its servers with its own AES-256 key and protected by TLS during transfer. Like Drive, OneDrive is a storage platform: you need an account, and a sharing link stays active until you remove it.
Dropbox Transfer, for sending a copy without sharing the folder
Dropbox Transfer sends a copy of your files without giving access to the original folder. With the free Basic account, you can send 2 GB per transfer, and the link expires after 7 days. Plus and Family go up to 50 GB, business plans up to 100 GB, Business Plus and Enterprise up to 250 GB. On business plans, you can set how long the link lasts (30 days by default).
You need a Dropbox account to send. Dropbox's Trustpilot score (1.3/5 from more than 1,500 reviews) is for the whole brand, not just Transfer.
Read our Smash vs Dropbox Transfer comparison
WeTransfer, for comparison
WeTransfer appears in gray in the table. Its free plan has changed a lot: according to its help center (updated October 23, 2026), it allows 10 transfers or 3 GB in total over a rolling 30 days, with 3 GB max per transfer and links that last 3 days. A free account is required to send, and the free plan is for non-commercial use only.
The interface is very simple, and recipients don't need an account. You'll find the quotas in our article on WeTransfer limits, the full comparison in Smash vs WeTransfer, and if you want to replace WeTransfer, see our WeTransfer alternative page.
Secure file transfer and GDPR, service by service
For security, three points matter: where your files are stored, who can technically read them, and what the service commits to doing with them.
| Service | Where files are | Encryption | End to end | Published commitment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smash | Region closest to the sender, out of 9 | TLS, AES-256 on the servers | No | No reuse of files, no AI training, deletion when the link expires |
| SwissTransfer | Switzerland, Infomaniak data centers | TLS, AES-256 on the servers | No | Refers to its terms of use |
| TransferNow | Nearest region, country of your choice on Premium | TLS, AES-256 on the servers, virus scan | No | GDPR compliance and a data processing agreement for businesses |
| Filemail | EU, Norway or US, own hardware | TLS | Not stated | Not detailed on the pages checked |
| MASV | AWS, region not stated | TLS 1.2+, AES-256 on the servers | Not stated | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001:2022, TPN vendor, GDPR |
| Tresorit Send | Not stated for Send; Tresorit: Azure, Ireland by default | On your device | Yes | Not detailed on the pages checked |
| Google Drive | Google infrastructure | On the servers and during transfer | No | No use of content for ads |
| OneDrive | Microsoft cloud | AES-256 per file on the servers, TLS | No | Not detailed on the pages checked |
| Dropbox Transfer | Dropbox infrastructure | On the servers and during transfer | No | Not detailed on the pages checked |
| WeTransfer | EU-based company, partners including AWS, location not stated | TLS, AES-256 on the servers | No | States it does not use files for AI since updating its terms in July 2025 |
With end-to-end encryption, the file is encrypted on your device: even the service can't open it. The other services encrypt files during transfer and on their servers. This protects against interception or a stolen disk, but not against access by the service itself. This level is enough for most transfers, but not for a medical file.
On GDPR, no service is "GDPR certified": that label doesn't exist. Check instead where files are stored and whether a data processing agreement is offered for business use. Also read what the service says about how it uses your files. For everyday secure file sharing, two habits are often enough: send the password another way (text message or call), and choose a short link lifetime.
Reviews from Smash users
"So helpful to have a free transfer service for large files! Thank you!"
"Smash is so quick and easy to use. A great way to transfer large files."
"Smash was a pleasure to work with! The process was incredibly easy, straightforward, and convenient. […]"
Rated 4.9/5 from more than 59,000 reviews on Trustpilot and Google (October 2026).
How we compared
Every figure comes from each platform's official page (pricing, help center or terms), checked on October 28, 2026. When a detail is not available, we say so in the table. File sharing websites that don't publish their free limits were left out. Prices are in US dollars where the service shows them.
Trustpilot scores were taken the same day. For Dropbox and Tresorit, they are for the whole brand, not just the sending tool. We left out the scores of Google and Microsoft, which are not about Drive or OneDrive. We update this comparison every three months, and whenever a service changes its limits. To report a mistake or an outdated number, contact us through the Smash help center.
Frequently asked questions
Which file transfer service works for very large files?
Up to 50 GB, SwissTransfer sends for free with no wait. For larger files, Smash accepts any size on the free plan, but files over 2 GB are put in a queue, sometimes for several hours. For an urgent delivery you need a paid plan: Smash Pro (priority for every size), MASV (billed per GB after 15 GB free each month) or TransferNow Premium (250 GB per transfer).
Which file sharing sites work without an account?
Smash, SwissTransfer, TransferNow and Filemail work without an account, for sender and recipient. SwissTransfer asks for an email check the first time you send from a new device, and Tresorit Send only needs an email address. WeTransfer, MASV, Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive require an account to send.
SwissTransfer or WeTransfer, what's the difference?
On the free plan, SwissTransfer accepts 50 GB per transfer, with no account and a link that lasts 1 to 30 days. WeTransfer limits its free plan to 3 GB per transfer and 10 transfers or 3 GB per rolling 30 days, with 3-day links and a required account. SwissTransfer stores files in Switzerland.
Which file transfer services are GDPR compliant?
There is no GDPR certification. First check where files are stored and whether a data processing agreement is offered for business use. Then read what the service says about how it uses your files. TransferNow offers a data processing agreement to businesses, MASV states GDPR compliance, and Smash, SwissTransfer and TransferNow keep a European sender's files in Europe.
How long do download links stay active?
On free plans: 3 days at WeTransfer, 5 days of free storage at MASV, 1 to 7 days at Smash, 7 days at TransferNow, Filemail, Tresorit Send and Dropbox Transfer, 1 to 30 days at SwissTransfer. Google Drive and OneDrive links stay active until you remove them. On paid plans, links last up to 30 days at Smash, 60 days at SwissTransfer Enterprise and 365 days at TransferNow.
Is MASV free?
Partly. MASV gives 15 GB free every month, then charges $0.25 per GB, and files are stored for free for 5 days. You need to sign up with a credit card, which gets a $10 pre-authorization that MASV releases.
Does Smash use my files to train AI?
No. We use your files only to transfer them: they are not used for anything else, only your recipients can access them, and they are deleted from our servers when the link expires.
Why trust a comparison published by Smash?
I run Smash, and I say so at the start of the page. Every figure is dated and linked to its source. Smash's limits are stated clearly, and when a competitor does better on a point, we say so: for example SwissTransfer, which sends 50 GB for free with no wait.
Sources
- Smash: plans and pricing, file size limit, security, file storage
- WeTransfer: plan limits, transfer availability, free plan and account, security, The Register, July 18, 2025
- SwissTransfer: data limits, Infomaniak overview, pricing
- TransferNow: pricing, security, storage
- Filemail: free service, data storage
- MASV: pricing, security
- Tresorit: Tresorit Send, data storage locations
- Google: storage, Drive privacy
- Microsoft: OneDrive plans, file size limits, how OneDrive safeguards your data
- Dropbox: Dropbox Transfer, encryption
- Scores: Trustpilot pages for Smash, SwissTransfer, TransferNow, Filemail, Tresorit, Dropbox, WeTransfer, checked on October 28, 2026
