Compare Alternatives

When to use a file transfer service

Considerations

The factors below should weigh in your decision when choosing a file transfer service. Jump to any topic, or scroll through them all.

• Encryption
• Storage Duration
• Storage Region
• Password Protection
• Customer Encryption (SSE-C)
• Transfer Limit
• Storage Limit
• Unlimited Downloads
• Email Mode
• Number of Recipients
• Event Notifications
• Account Required
• Receive Files
• Custom Subdomain
• Custom Branding

Encryption

Any serious file transfer service ensures your files are encrypted at all times. There are two distinct scenarios to consider. While files are in transit (during upload and download), a secure protocol like HTTPS is essential. HTTPS encrypts the communication via underlying cryptographic protocols such as SSL/TLS, preventing anyone with access to your internet traffic from reading your files. While files are at rest in cloud storage, they should be encrypted with a strong algorithm such as AES-256. If a malicious actor gained access to the storage, they wouldn't be able to read encrypted files without also having the encryption key, which is why keys must be kept secret and stored separately from the files themselves. Most file transfer services manage encryption keys on your behalf. A small number also support customer-managed keys, where you specify your own encryption key.

Storage Duration

Storage duration is about striking the right balance: long enough for everyone to download the files, short enough to avoid maxing out your storage quota and blocking additional transfers. The ideal duration varies from transfer to transfer, so a service that offers customisable storage durations gives you the most flexibility. Services with a fixed duration for every transfer offer significantly less flexibility to tailor a transfer to your specific needs.

Storage Region

The ability to specify the storage region for your files can be a deciding factor when choosing a service. If you transfer sensitive files, you need to ensure jurisdictional data residency requirements and local regulations such as GDPR are adhered to. These requirements dictate where and how data must be stored and processed, often based on a country's or union's legal framework. Knowing your files are stored in a region with strong protections gives you peace of mind. Region choice also affects performance: the closer users are to a region, the faster up- and downloads will be. Unfortunately, only a handful of services support customisable storage regions.

Password Protection

We strongly recommend password-protecting transfers whenever you're sending sensitive files. Without password protection, anyone who gets the transfer link can access and download the files. Password protection adds an essential extra layer: only people you share the password with can access the transfer. Any service that takes file protection seriously will support password protection free of charge.

Customer Encryption (SSE-C)

Customer-managed encryption gives you complete control over how your files are protected at rest. By default, TransferRocket encrypts every file at rest with strong, industry-standard encryption keys managed securely on your behalf. If you prefer to retain full responsibility, you can supply your own key instead, meaning not even TransferRocket can access your files without it. Only you and those you share the key with can decrypt the data. This approach offers the highest level of security, but requires careful key management. Losing the key means permanently losing access to your files. Any service that takes privacy and security seriously should offer customer-provided encryption keys as an option.

Transfer Limit

If you regularly handle large files, the maximum transfer size a service supports is likely a critical factor. Even if you don't handle large files often, choosing a provider that supports large transfers when needed can pay off. Supporting very large file transfers is technically more challenging and requires specialised infrastructure, which is why many providers cap transfers at relatively small sizes.

Storage Limit

A service's overall storage limit determines how many transfers you can create and maintain simultaneously. This may not matter much for short-lived transfers, but if you require many long-lasting transfers, it becomes important. Higher storage limits typically come with higher prices. Some providers with smaller storage limits enforce a maximum storage duration after which files are automatically deleted, which periodically frees up space at the cost of flexibility.

Unlimited Downloads

Hard limits on how many times files can be downloaded catch users out with certain providers. The reasoning behind these limits isn't always clear, but we recommend choosing a provider that offers unlimited downloads. Some providers give you the option of artificially limiting download counts, which is fine as long as unlimited remains an option.

Email Mode

Whenever you create a transfer, a link is automatically generated which can be shared with anyone needing access to the files. Most services default to displaying this link, but some support an additional "Email Mode". This mode lets the transfer creator specify recipient email addresses, which are automatically emailed the link once the transfer is ready. Attaching email addresses this way is a productivity gain and enables further capabilities like download reminders.

Number of Recipients

The maximum number of recipients is closely tied to Email Mode support. If a provider only supports Link Mode, this criterion becomes irrelevant. The ability to specify a large number of recipients matters if your goal is to share with a wide audience. Most providers cap recipients, but that doesn't prevent you from sharing the transfer link manually beyond the cap.

Event Notifications

Tracking transfer-related activity can be a significant productivity gain. Knowing who has and hasn't downloaded your files, and being reminded about imminent expirations, helps you manage transfers effectively. Carefully crafted event notifications do exactly that. Not all services support them, and the kinds of notifications offered vary significantly between providers. Consult a provider's feature list to check whether they support the notifications you need.

Account Required

Creating an account and subscribing makes sense if your plan is to use the service frequently. If you only transfer files occasionally, choosing a provider like TransferRocket that doesn't require an account and provides the same features at a fraction of the cost is worth considering.

Receive Files

Conceptually, a file transfer is usually thought of as the creator sending the files. This concept can be reversed so that the recipient uploads files instead of the sender, a feature commonly called "Receive Files". Typically, you specify a maximum transfer size on creation and share an upload link with the parties you want to receive files from. Only a minority of providers support this feature.

Custom Subdomain

Any transfer you create is available via a link pointing to the provider's domain and chosen subdomain. If you want a more personalised, recognisable experience, custom subdomain support becomes important. When enabled, transfer links include your chosen subdomain before the provider's domain (for example my-subdomain.transferrocket.io). For a fully custom domain (where the provider's domain is no longer part of the link), CNAME records can be configured. A small number of providers support custom subdomains, and only a select few support fully custom domains.

Custom Branding

Personalising the experience to make a brand fully recognisable is an important consideration for many professional users. At minimum, custom branding includes a custom logo and custom colours and fonts. Some providers also support custom wallpapers and copy. Combined with custom domains and other features, it's possible to create a fully bespoke, professional file transfer experience. Very few providers support full custom branding.

Side-by-side comparison

With so many file transfer services available, it can be hard to determine which one is best for your specific needs. Whether you're looking for the largest transfer size, customer-managed encryption keys, GDPR compliance, or the ability to send files without creating an account, the table below gives you a side-by-side comparison of the most important features.