Transferring large files: our selection of 4 free services

At some point you’ve probably been unable to send an email because the attachment was too big.Perhaps you’re now looking for an easy way to send large files over the Internet.
There are lots of specialist transfer services and contrary to what you may imagine, most of them are free. The advantages of each one vary. Here’s our selection.
 

1.    WeTransfer: the most well-known

When it comes to sending large files, the first name that generally comes to mind is WeTransfer. Created in Amsterdam in 2009, this platform has a free option that you can use to transfer files of up to 2GB.

Pros

• Easy to use: a regular email contains a download link.
• Also available as a mobile app (iOS only)
• Lets you see if your files have been downloaded: a notification is automatically sent to your email address whenever a recipient retrieves your file. Recipients don’t need to create an account on the platform to download the files you have shared. They can just click on the email link to start downloading documents almost immediately.
• Secure data: WeTransfer states that all data sent over its servers from a European country (with a European IP address) is automatically stored on its European servers. Your emails and attachments are stored securely with 256-bit AES and TLS encryption.

Cons

• The files are only kept for 7 days.

2.    SwissTransfer: up to 50 GB per transfer

Hosted by Infomaniak, SwissTransfer is clear about its origins.
This completely free service requires no registration. There are two options: email the files themselves, or create a link which you can then share.

Pros

• 50 GB of storage for each of your transfers
• Almost unlimited use of the service: SwissTransfer allows up to 500 transfers per day
• It will hold the transferred files for 30 days
• Secure data: SwissTransfer has an option to password-protect your shared files. All files sent over the platform are stored on servers based in Switzerland.

3.    Smash: unlimited transfers

Created in Lyon in 2017, Smash is all French. This file transfer service has various options, some of which require payment, to meet different needs. However, you don’t have to take out a paid subscription to use Smash, so in theory you can still transfer as much data as you like. This is a big plus for Smash compared with the better-known WeTransfer.

Pros

• Send files of any size by email, via a link, or over Slack, an instant messaging service
• Smash stands out from its competitors with its Drag & Drop interface: just drag the file you want to send onto the Smash homepage, enter the recipient’s email address, and you’re done!
• All files sent with Smash are secured with 256-bit AES and SSL/TLS encryption. You can also password-protect your transfers.

Cons

• Above 2 GB, files that you send through this service are considered low priority, meaning that the data transfer speed is slower. To overcome this, you at least need Smash’s Pro version, which costs €5/month
• Smash keeps the transferred files for only 7 days, although this can be extended to 14 days even with the free version.
• All files transferred over Smash are stored on AWS (Amazon Web Services) servers. Smash has servers in nine regions so can be used anywhere in the world.

4.    TransferNow: a limited French service

Despite its English name, TransferNow is French, founded in Paris in 2013. This file transfer platform has several options, one of which is completely free and requires no registration.
TransferNow lets you choose between creating a download link or sharing your files directly by email. Also, most shared files can be previewed. Your recipients can preview PDFs and images, and can stream any audio and video files included in a transfer.

Pros

• Data sent over TransferNow is encrypted, but you can also secure access to it by adding password protection.

Cons

• This free service is quite limited. It lets you transfer files of up to 5 GB (or 20 GB with paid versions)
• Files are kept for 7 days
• No specific information about locations: TransferNow just says on its website that files are stored on servers in Europe, the Americas and Asia.