Best File Transfer Services Compared: Find the Right One for Your Needs in 2025

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Most of us have faced the challenge of quickly sending large files to someone, only to get stuck figuring out the best way to do it. While that someone is desperately waiting for you to send those files through, you're left scrambling to find the right solution. If the files are small in size, you could get away with just sending them as an attachment to an email. That will probably work up to a file size of 25 MB. If you're interested in finding out more about what to pay attention to when transferring files via email, see our guide on how to compress and send files via email for tips and best practices. Sending the files as an email attachment has the advantage of not having to worry about storing the files. As long as you have access to the email, the files will be retrievable.

But what if the files you want to transfer are larger than 25 MB? Then it really depends on where the files are stored. If the files are already stored in the cloud, your best bet is to share the files via links. This is supported by most cloud storage providers and with some of them, you are able to specify the access granularity (view, comment, edit). If you're interested in finding out more about this approach, see our guide on how to share files using google drive that runs you through the process step by step. It's important to remember though, that every file that is stored in the cloud eats into your storage quota, so don't forget to delete files you no longer need, especially large files. But what if the files you want to transfer are stored locally on your computer or mobile? You could still move them to your cloud storage and share them via link if your storage quota allows it. If you don't have enough storage remaining or you aren't currently subscribed to a cloud storage provider, then you could consider either upping your existing subscription or newly subscribing in order to facilitate your transfer. However, this might not make sense if you're not planning on storing the files in the cloud indefinitely. If you aren't, then your best and cheapest option is to go with a file transfer service provider. As the name implies, file transfer service providers are geared towards file transfers as opposed to indefinite file storage. But navigating the myriad of transfer providers can prove challenging. To help in the process, we've put together a comprehensive list of considerations we believe should play a role in choosing the right provider for your needs.

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Considerations

Encryption

It goes without saying that any serious file transfer service provider will ensure that your files are encrypted at all times. Fundamentally, we need to distinguish between two scenarios. In the first scenario, your files are in transit from one physical location to another. This is the case when files are uploaded and downloaded. While in transit, it is imperative that a secure protocol such as https is used. A secure protocol like HTTPS ensures that the communication is encrypted via underlying cryptographic protocols such as SSL/TLS. Without encryption, your files could be read by anyone with access to your internet communication. In the second scenario, your files have successfully uploaded to some cloud storage from which they can be downloaded. While at rest in cloud storage, it is vital that all files are encrypted with a strong encryption algorithm such as AES-256. Assuming they are encrypted, in the event of any unauthorised access to the cloud storage, a malicious actor would not be able to read any of your files without simultaneously being in possession of the encryption key. For this reason, the encryption key must be kept secret and stored separately from any files. Almost all file transfer service providers only offer managed encryption. That means that they manage the encryption keys for you. A small number of providers support customer managed encryption keys whereby users are able to specify their own encryption keys.

Storage Duration

When it comes to storage duration, the goal should be about striking the right balance between a long enough storage duration for everyone to be able to download your files and a storage duration short enough to avoid maxing out your storage quota, enabling additional transfers. The ideal duration could vary from transfer to transfer, so a file transfer provider that offers customizable storage durations should be your preferred choice. Providers with a fixed storage duration for every transfer offer way less flexibility for you to tailor your transfer to your specific needs.

Storage Region

The ability to specify the storage region in which your files are stored could be a deciding factor in choosing one file transfer service provider over another. If you are transferring sensitive files, you will want to ensure that all jurisdictional data residency requirements and local regulations such as GDPR are adhered to. The requirements and regulations 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 the peace of mind that your files will be kept safe and secure. The geographical location of a storage region relative to users is also a factor worth considering. Generally speaking, the closer users are to a region, the faster the communication will be. How quickly your files can be up- and downloaded will therefore depend on the distance to your files' storage region. Unfortunately, only a handful of file transfer service providers support customizable storage regions.

Password Protection

We strongly recommend password protecting your transfers whenever you're transferring sensitive files. If you don't password protect your transfers, anyone who gets their hands on a transfer's link will be able to access and download your files. Enabling password protection adds an essential extra layer of protection to your transfers. Only the people you share the password with will be able to access your transfers and download your files. Any file transfer service provider that is serious about protecting your files will support password protection free of charge.

Transfer Limit

If you're somebody who regularly deals with large files, then a file transfer service provider's transfer limit will probably be an important factor in choosing your preferred provider. Even if you don't handle large files often, it can pay off to choose a provider that supports large file transfers when required. From a technological standpoint, supporting large file transfers is a greater challenge and requires specialised infrastructure and handling, which is why many providers limit their transfers to a relatively small maximum size.

Storage Limit

A file transfer provider's storage limit ultimately determines how many transfers you are able to create and maintain simultaneously. How high this limit is may not matter much if your transfers are predominantly short-lived, but if you require many long-lasting transfers, this limit will be important to you. The higher the storage limit, the more the providers generally charge you. Some providers whose storage limits are comparatively small enforce a maximum storage duration after which your files are automatically deleted. This periodically frees up space to the detriment of flexibility.

Unlimited Downloads

Having a hard limit on the number of times files can be downloaded is something that catches people out every now and then with certain file transfer service providers. It isn't always clear why these limits are put in place but suffice it to say that we strongly recommend choosing a provider that offers unlimited downloads. A small number of providers give you the option of artificially limiting the number of times your files can be downloaded which is fine as long as you always have the option of selecting unlimited.

Email Mode

Whenever you create a transfer, a link to that transfer is automatically generated, which can be shared with anyone who requires access to that transfer's files. Most file transfer service providers' default mode is to generate and display this link but some providers support an additional mode we call "Email Mode". This mode allows the creator of a transfer to specify a list of recipient email addresses that should automatically be emailed a transfer's link once it becomes available. Attaching a recipient's email address to a transfer in this way can be considered a productivity gain and can be used for further gains such as download reminders etc..

Number of Recipients

The maximum number of recipients is closely tied to a file transfer service provider supporting Email Mode. If the only mode a provider supports is Link Mode, then this criterion becomes irrelevant. The ability to specify a large number of recipients will be an important factor if your goal is to share a transfer with a wide audience. Most providers limit the number of recipients you can specify, but that doesn't stop you from sharing a transfer's link yourself.

Event Notifications

Keeping track of all transfer related activity can be a huge productivity gain. Knowing who did or didn't download the files you included in your transfer and being reminded about your transfer's imminent expiration help you manage your transfers effectively. Carefully crafted event notifications do just that. Not all file transfer service providers support them and if they do, the kind of notifications you receive varies from provider to provider. Consult a provider's feature list to see whether they support the kind of notifications you are interested in.

Account Required

Creating an account and subscribing to a file transfer service provider makes a lot of sense if your plan is to use the service frequently. However, if you only plan on transferring files occasionally, then choosing a provider such as TransferRocket, which doesn't require you to create an account and provides the same set of features at a fraction of the cost, might be worth considering.

Receive Files

Conceptually, a file transfer is generally considered to be a task whereby the creator of a transfer is the one transferring the files. This concept can be modified to the extent that the recipient uploads the files instead of the sender. This feature is commonly referred to as "Receive files" by file transfer service providers. Most of the time, the way it works is by specifying a maximum transfer size upon transfer creation and sharing an upload link with all parties you wish to receive files from. The minority of providers support this feature.

Custom Subdomain

Any transfer you create will be available via a link that points to a file transfer service provider's domain and chosen subdomain. If what you are looking for is a more personalised and easily recognisable experience, then the custom subdomain feature could play an important role in your decision making. When enabled, all transfer links will include your chosen subdomain before the provider's domain e.g. my-subdomain.transferrocket.io. If what you are after is a custom domain such that a provider's domain is no longer part of every link, then this can be achieved by creating the appropriate CNAME records. A small number of providers support custom subdomains and of those, only a select few support custom domains.

Custom Branding

Having the ability to personalise the experience to the extent that a brand is fully recognisable is an important consideration for many professional users. At the very minimum, custom branding includes things such as a custom logo as well as custom colors and fonts. Some file transfer service providers additionally support things such as custom wallpapers and texts. Combined in the right way with other features such as custom domains, it is possible to create a completely bespoke and professional file transfer experience. A very small number of providers support full custom branding.

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With so many file transfer service providers available, it can be hard to determine which one is best for your specific needs. Whether you're looking for maximum file size, customer managed encryption keys, 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. Use it to find the provider that checks all the right boxes for your next transfer.

Feature comparison

TransferRocket

Features

Customizable storage duration
Yes
Customizable storage region
Yes
Password protection
Yes
Transfer limit
200 GB
Storage limit
200 GB
Unlimited downloads
Yes
Email mode
Yes
Number of recipients
20
Event notifications
Yes
Account required
No
Receive files
No
Custom subdomain
No
Custom branding
No

Lowest possible price to transfer

up to 2 GB
free
up to 5 GB
free
50 GB
1.99 €*
100 GB
1.99 €*
200 GB
1.99 €*

Filemail

Features

Customizable storage duration
No
Customizable storage region
No
Password protection
No
Transfer limit
5 GB
Storage limit
250 GB
Unlimited downloads
No
Email mode
Yes
Number of recipients
10
Event notifications
Yes
Account required
Yes
Receive files
No
Custom subdomain
No
Custom branding
No

Lowest possible price to transfer

up to 2 GB
free
up to 5 GB
free
50 GB
10 €
100 GB
10 €
200 GB
10 €

FileTransfer

Features

Customizable storage duration
No
Customizable storage region
No
Password protection
No
Transfer limit
25 GB
Storage limit
1000 GB
Unlimited downloads
Yes
Email mode
Yes
Number of recipients
1
Event notifications
No
Account required
Yes
Receive files
No
Custom subdomain
No
Custom branding
No

Lowest possible price to transfer

up to 2 GB
free
up to 5 GB
free
50 GB
$ 49*
100 GB
$ 49*
200 GB
$ 49*

Send Anywhere

Features

Customizable storage duration
Yes
Customizable storage region
No
Password protection
Yes
Transfer limit
20 GB
Storage limit
200 GB
Unlimited downloads
No
Email mode
Yes
Number of recipients
1
Event notifications
No
Account required
Yes
Receive files
No
Custom subdomain
No
Custom branding
No

Lowest possible price to transfer

up to 2 GB
free
up to 5 GB
free
50 GB
not supported
100 GB
not supported
200 GB
not supported

Smash

Features

Customizable storage duration
Yes
Customizable storage region
No
Password protection
Yes
Transfer limit
250 GB
Storage limit
1000 GB
Unlimited downloads
No
Email mode
Yes
Number of recipients
1
Event notifications
No
Account required
Yes
Receive files
Yes
Custom subdomain
Yes
Custom branding
Yes

Lowest possible price to transfer

up to 2 GB
free
up to 5 GB
4.80 €
50 GB
10 €
100 GB
10 €
200 GB
10 €

TransferNow

Features

Customizable storage duration
Yes
Customizable storage region
Yes
Password protection
Yes
Transfer limit
250 GB
Storage limit
500 GB
Unlimited downloads
Yes
Email mode
Yes
Number of recipients
50
Event notifications
Yes
Account required
Yes
Receive files
Yes
Custom subdomain
Yes
Custom branding
Yes

Lowest possible price to transfer

up to 2 GB
free
up to 5 GB
free
50 GB
10 €
100 GB
10 €
200 GB
10 €

TransferXL

Features

Customizable storage duration
No
Customizable storage region
Yes
Password protection
No
Transfer limit
100 GB
Storage limit
unknown
Unlimited downloads
Yes
Email mode
Yes
Number of recipients
unlimited
Event notifications
Yes
Account required
Yes
Receive files
No
Custom subdomain
Yes
Custom branding
No

Lowest possible price to transfer

up to 2 GB
free
up to 5 GB
free
50 GB
9.99 €
100 GB
9.99 €
200 GB
19.99 €

WeTransfer

Features

Customizable storage duration
Yes
Customizable storage region
No
Password protection
Yes
Transfer limit
300 GB
Storage limit
300 GB
Unlimited downloads
Yes
Email mode
Yes
Number of recipients
unknown
Event notifications
Yes
Account required
Yes
Receive files
Yes
Custom subdomain
No
Custom branding
No

Lowest possible price to transfer

up to 2 GB
free
up to 5 GB
8 €
50 GB
8 €
100 GB
8 €
200 GB
8 €

*Prices exclude VAT