How does online file transfer work?
A transfer has three moments. You upload the files from your browser; the service stores them encrypted and creates a unique link; your recipient opens the link and downloads. After a set time, the files are deleted. Nothing stays in anyone’s storage, and nobody needs to install anything or share a folder.
Step 1
Upload
Drop files or folders on Transfr. Large files are split into parts that upload in parallel and are retried automatically if the network hiccups.
Step 2
Share
Copy the link, show it as a QR code, or send it by email to up to 10 recipients. Pick your own link name if you want something readable, like transfr.me/brief-v2.
Step 3
Download
Your recipient previews the files in the browser and downloads one file or everything at once. No account, no app.
Step 4
Expire
After 1 to 7 days on the free plan (up to 60 with Pro), or after the download limit you set, the link stops working and the files are removed.
Transfer files for free
Up to 100 GB per transfer, without signing up.
File transfer, cloud storage, FTP or P2P: which one do you need?
All four move files from A to B. They differ in who has to set something up, how long the files live and what the recipient has to do.
| Online file transfer | Cloud storage (Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive) | FTP / SFTP server | Peer-to-peer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set-up | None | An account with enough free space | A server and accounts to manage | Both people online at the same time |
| Recipient needs | A browser | Access rights, sometimes an account | An FTP client and credentials | The same app or page open |
| How long files stay | Until the transfer expires | Until you delete them | Until you delete them | Not stored |
| Free size | 100 GB per transfer on Transfr | 2 to 15 GB of total storage | Your server’s disk | No storage limit, but slow if either side drops |
| Best for | Delivering files to clients, friends, printers | Folders you keep editing together | Automated, recurring exchanges | One-off sends between two devices |
Free storage figures are as of October 2026: 15 GB for a Google account (shared with Gmail and Photos), 5 GB for OneDrive and 2 GB for Dropbox Basic. If your files are bigger than your free storage, or you just want the recipient to get a copy without touching your drive, a transfer is simpler. More in Google Drive versus a transfer service.
What makes a good file transfer service?
Size gets the attention, but day to day these details matter as much. Here is what Transfr includes on the free plan, and what each feature is for.
Generous size, no quota
100 GB per transfer and unlimited transfers. No weekly or monthly cap to watch.
Original quality
Files are delivered byte for byte. Photos and videos are never recompressed.
Previews
Videos, images, PDFs, audio and Office documents open in the browser before download.
Control
Expiry date, download limit, password, and the option to delete a transfer early with a free account.
Privacy
Optional end-to-end encryption, encrypted storage, and a choice of storage region, Western Europe by default.
Feedback
Recipients can comment on a precise point of an image, a page of a PDF or a moment of a video.
What happens to your files after the transfer?
A transfer is temporary by design. When it reaches its expiry date or its download limit, the link shows an expired page and the files, with their previews, are deleted from storage during the next daily clean-up. If you delete a transfer yourself from your account, it is removed within 24 hours. Your recipient keeps the copy they downloaded; Transfr does not.
This is the main difference with sharing a folder from a cloud drive: nothing lingers in your account, nobody keeps access by accident months later, and you never have to tidy up old shares to free space.
Transfer files securely
For contracts, medical records, unreleased work or anything personal, combine a password with end-to-end encryption and a short expiry. Each feature has its own guide:
- Secure file transfer: what each protection does and does not cover
- Password-protected file transfer
- End-to-end encrypted file transfer
- Track file downloads: know when and where your files were opened
- Branded file transfer: your logo, background and domain on the download page
Receive files, not just send them
File transfer works both ways. With a file request, you share a link (or a QR code) and anyone can upload up to 100 GB to you, without an account. You get an email when files arrive. See how to receive large files.
File transfer for your job
The same tool covers very different needs: a wedding photographer delivering 2,000 images, an architect sending plans to a contractor, a law firm exchanging signed documents. These guides go through each case.
- Photographers
- Videographers
- Agencies
- Architects
- Musicians
- Freelancers
- Law firms
- Schools and teachers
- Real estate
Working as a team? Transfr Teams is included in Pro: up to 10 people share the same branding, team domain and console.
Comparing file transfer services
Free plans differ a lot. As of October 2026, WeTransfer Free sends 3 GB per transfer and 10 transfers per 30 days, SwissTransfer 50 GB, TransferNow Free 5 GB, and Transfr 100 GB. Our side-by-side comparisons, with each provider’s official limits:
- WeTransfer alternative
- WeTransfer limits explained
- WeTransfer free without registration
- Smash alternative
- TransferNow alternative
- SwissTransfer alternative
- Google Drive alternative for sending files
- Dropbox Transfer alternative
- Filemail alternative
Looking for a specific size, format or app? The large file guide covers everything from 25 MB emails to 100 GB video projects.
Send your first transfer
Free, no account, up to 100 GB. Your recipient just clicks the link.
Send large files for free
- Up to 100 GB per transfer
- No account needed
- Encrypted and hosted in Europe