Transfer a 5GB File, or Bigger, for Free
You can transfer a 5GB file for free with Smash, and a bigger one too. Drop it on the page, get a link, send it. No sign-up, no size cap. Other sizes are covered in our guide on how to send files over 2GB.
One thing to know before you start: on the free plan, transfers above 2 GB wait in a queue behind Pro transfers, sometimes for many hours. The link then stays live for 7 days.
How to transfer a 5GB file with Smash
It works the same in your browser and in the Smash apps for Mac, iOS and Android.
- Open Smash and drop your file on the page. A whole folder works too.
- Add a password or customize the link if you want. Both come with the free plan.
- Choose how the link travels: Smash emails it to your recipient, or you copy it and paste it wherever you like.
- Hit send. On the free plan, a file this size first waits in a queue behind Pro transfers, then goes through.
Your recipient lands on a download page that previews images, video and audio. You get an email when they download. And since Smash was built to send large files with no size cap, the same steps work for 6 GB, 60 GB or more.
What to expect on the free plan
No size limit, no sign-up, and a link that stays live for 7 days. The catch is the queue. Above 2 GB, free transfers wait behind Pro ones, and that wait can run for many hours, sometimes overnight.
Then there's your own connection. Sending 5 GB takes about 7 minutes at 100 Mbps of upload speed, 13 minutes at 50 Mbps, and 33 minutes at 20 Mbps. The queue comes on top of that.
Picture a Friday, 5 pm. The colorist exports a 5.3 GB master, the agency's usual free tool refuses anything over 5 GB, and the client screens it at 9 the next morning. On Smash Free, the file joins the queue, and the wait can run through the night. Fine if the screening can slip to the afternoon, risky if it can't.
So when the deadline is tight, start the day before.
Files this size every week? Pro skips the queue and keeps your links live for 30 days instead of 7.
See Smash ProWhy so many free tools stop at 5 GB
If you landed here, there's a good chance something refused your file. 5 GB is a common ceiling for free transfers, and email gives up long before. Here is where each free option stops, according to its provider.
Logarithmic scale from 10 MB to 100 GB. The dashed line marks 5 GB. Free plans only, figures published by each provider, checked on October 15, 2026.
A few details behind the bars. Gmail swaps anything over 25 MB for a Google Drive link. WeTransfer's free plan allows up to 10 transfers or 3 GB in total over any rolling 30-day window, per its help center (page updated May 30, 2026); the figures plan by plan are on our page about WeTransfer limits. Google's 15 GB is shared between Drive, Gmail and Google Photos. On Smash Free, files above 2 GB wait in the queue described above.
Need a 5GB file transfer for free right now?
Smash takes your file as it is: no size limit, no sign-up, and a link that stays live for 7 days.
Transfer your file now See plansWhat people who sent big files say
A selection of Trustpilot reviews from people who sent files of several gigabytes with Smash, waits included. They are quoted as written, and each name links to the original review.
“I had to share some huge gb files and discovered smash. As they were so large I had to wait 15 hours to transfer them for free, but if you aren't in a rush the process was very simple after the wait and the transferring time. You get a link and then just share it with the person. Will definitely use this service again.”
“Amazing app by smash. It took 16hrs to transfer 15 GB but was amazed that it really happened and it's not a hoax. Thank you team smash to ease transferring files online that also for free.”
“Sending files up to 2 Gb for free is just what I need most of the time. So thumbs up for Smash!! If I need bigger transfers in the future, I will definitely go for pro.”
Based on 59,000+ reviews, Smash is rated 4.9/5 on Trustpilot and Google.
Windows and Mac don't count 5 GB the same way
macOS counts in thousands: 5 GB means 5,000 MB, or 5,000,000,000 bytes. Windows counts in multiples of 1,024 and still writes "GB". So the very same file shows up as 4.66 GB in Windows File Explorer.
The trap works the other way too. A file that Windows lists as 5.00 GB actually weighs 5.37 GB in decimal units. If a service counts its 5 GB limit the decimal way, it will turn that file down, even though your PC swears it fits. With no size limit on Smash, the question never comes up.
What fits in 5 GB
Sizes are easier to picture in hours of footage or number of shots. These figures are calculated from the settings in the last column, so your own exports will vary.
| Content | In 5 GB | Settings used |
|---|---|---|
| 4K video export | About 6 min 40 s | H.264 or H.265 at 100 Mbps |
| 4K video export | About 13 min | H.264 or H.265 at 50 Mbps |
| Stereo WAV master | About 4 h 50 min | 24-bit, 48 kHz |
| Multitrack session | About 18 min | 32 mono tracks, 24-bit, 48 kHz |
| JPEG photos | About 1,000 | 5 MB per photo |
| RAW photos | About 100 | 50 MB per file, typical of a high-resolution camera |
Which option for which situation
- A one-off delivery to a client, rushes or a master: Smash, with a link that lasts 7 days on the free plan.
- You're on a Mac or an iPhone and the file is under 5 GB: Apple's Mail Drop does the job from the Mail app, and Apple keeps the attachment available for 30 days. One byte over 5 GB and it won't attach.
- The file has to stay online for months: Google Drive, if you can spare a third of your free 15 GB.
- You send files this size every week. That's what Pro is for, with no queue and 30-day links.
One tip before you start: don't bother zipping a video or a batch of JPEGs to make it smaller. Those formats are already compressed, so a ZIP saves next to nothing. Zip only to bundle a folder, and with Smash you can drop the folder as it is.
Questions about 5GB transfers
Can I transfer a 5GB file for free without an account?
Yes. Smash Free asks for no sign-up and sets no size limit. Above 2 GB, it waits in a queue behind Pro transfers before it goes through.
My file is just over 5 GB. Which free services still take it?
Smash Free takes it, since it has no size limit. Google Drive does too if you have the space. Apple's Mail Drop, TransferNow's free plan and SendGB without an account all stop at 5 GB, according to their own pages.
How long does a 5GB transfer take?
Mostly, it depends on your connection: about 7 minutes at 100 Mbps, 33 minutes at 20 Mbps. On the free plan, add the queue, which can last many hours.
How long can my recipient download the file?
7 days on the free plan, 30 days on Pro. After that, the link expires.
Can I protect the file with a password?
Yes, and it's part of the free plan, along with custom links and download notifications.
How do I share a 5GB video from my phone?
The Smash apps for iOS and Android handle a video like any other file. For phone-specific tips, compression included, read how to send large video files.
Sources
- Smash, Plans and pricing, checked October 15, 2026.
- Google, Gmail attachment help page, checked October 15, 2026.
- Dropbox Help, What is Dropbox Basic?, checked October 15, 2026.
- WeTransfer Help Center, Plan limits, updated May 30, 2026, checked October 15, 2026.
- Apple Support, Mail Drop limits, checked October 15, 2026.
- TransferNow, Send a file larger than 5 GB, checked October 15, 2026.
- SendGB, FAQ, checked October 15, 2026.
- Google Drive Help, storage page, checked October 15, 2026.
Need a 5gb file transfer for Free Now ?
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