WeTransfer's free tier keeps shrinking: 3GB per transfer, 10 transfers a month, links that die after 3 days. If you're here, you've probably hit one of those walls. Good news — in 2026 the alternatives are genuinely better, and several are free.
Here are the ten worth considering, compared honestly. Perkoon (#1) is our tool — as always, we'll tell you exactly where a competitor is the better pick.
The short version: if your file goes to one person, skip servers entirely.
Send a file freeNo size limit, no quota, no expiring link, no account.
All 10 Alternatives at a Glance
| Service | Free limit | Link expiry (free) | Account needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perkoon | No limit (P2P) | No links to expire | No |
| Smash | No size cap (throttled >2GB) | 7 days | No |
| SwissTransfer | 50GB | Up to 30 days | No |
| TransferNow | 5GB | 7 days | No |
| Wormhole | 10GB | Auto-expiring | No |
| Google Drive | 15GB storage | No expiry | Yes |
| Dropbox Transfer | 100MB free | Configurable | Yes |
| Send Anywhere | 10GB | 48 hours | Optional |
| Filemail | 5GB | 7 days | No |
| MASV | None — $0.25/GB | Configurable | Yes |
The 10 Best WeTransfer Alternatives, Reviewed
Ours, and the only one here that removes the limits instead of raising them. The file streams directly from your browser to the recipient's — end-to-end encrypted, nothing stored, so there's no size cap, no quota, and no link to expire. The receiver doesn't even need to be online when you hit send.
- ✓Free with no size limit, no monthly cap, no account, no ads
- ✓Faster than cloud — the file travels once, not upload-then-download
- ✕One-to-one only; the sender's tab stays open; best in Chrome, Edge, Brave
Bottom line: If your transfer is one person to one person — most WeTransfer use — this replaces it outright. For one-to-many links, keep reading.
Works exactly like WeTransfer — upload, get a link — but with no size cap and password protection on the free tier. France-based.
- ✓No file size limit, even free; passwords included
- ✓Cheap Pro (~$5/mo) lifts the speed throttle, 30-day links
- ✕Free uploads throttle above 2GB; 7-day expiry
Bottom line: The closest like-for-like swap if you want to keep the upload-and-link workflow.
Run by Swiss host Infomaniak: 50GB transfers, free, no account, links that last up to 30 days. The most generous server-based free tier in this list.
- ✓50GB free — more than 16× WeTransfer's cap
- ✓Up to 30-day links, password option, Swiss hosting
- ✕Upload speeds can crawl on big files — it's still upload-first architecture
Bottom line: The pick when the recipient is offline and the file is huge — if you can stomach the upload time.
Why upload at all?
If it's going to one person, send it directly — free, any size, no waiting for an upload bar.
Start a direct transfer5GB free with password protection and up to 10 recipients — better than WeTransfer on every free-tier number, paid for with ads.
- ✓5GB free, passwords, multiple recipients
- ✓Premium ($8/mo): 200GB transfers, 365-day availability
- ✕Ads on free; 10-recipient cap
Bottom line: Small teams who outgrew WeTransfer's quota but won't pay yet.
End-to-end encrypted links that auto-expire. Files under 5GB go peer-to-peer; up to 10GB rides temporary encrypted cloud.
- ✓End-to-end encrypted, clean interface, no account
- ✓Works even if the recipient isn't online yet
- ✕10GB hard ceiling; tab stays open for P2P sends
Bottom line: Great for quick private one-offs under 10GB.
Not a transfer tool, but 15GB of free storage with links that never expire makes it the default "alternative" for many — with privacy trade-offs.
- ✓15GB free, no expiry, collaboration built in
- ✕Requires a Google account; Google scans content; no end-to-end encryption
Bottom line: Right when the file should live somewhere, wrong when you just want to hand it over. Full breakdown in our cloud sharing comparison.
Dropbox's send-a-link feature. Free tier caps transfers at 100MB — effectively a paid feature (up to 100GB on Professional).
- ✓Polished, with download tracking and expiry controls
- ✕100MB free is below even email attachments territory; needs an account
Bottom line: Only sensible if you already pay for Dropbox.
Polished native apps with 6-digit code pairing. 10GB free, ads included, and files sit on their servers for 48 hours.
- ✓Great phone-first experience; Wi-Fi Direct offline mode
- ✕Ads; 10GB cap; 48-hour server retention means it's not serverless
Bottom line: The phone-centric alternative. Compared in depth in our P2P tools comparison.
5GB free; the real product is paid: UDP-accelerated desktop uploads and unlimited file sizes for people who ship video for a living.
- ✓Dramatically faster uploads via desktop app; download tracking
- ✕$12–48/mo per user once you're past the free tier
Bottom line: A professional tool wearing a free-tier costume.
Pay-per-GB ($0.25/GB), 15TB single files, 10 Gbps speeds, SOC 2 / ISO 27001 certified. The studio-grade option.
- ✓No subscription needed; enterprise compliance
- ✕A 100GB delivery costs $25 — this is not a consumer alternative
Bottom line: If you're asking which free tier is best, it's not this one. If you're a post-production house, it might be.
Which One Should You Pick?
One file, one person, any size
Perkoon →Same workflow as WeTransfer, fewer limits
Smash
Huge file, recipient offline
SwissTransfer (50GB)
Team sends with passwords, free
TransferNow
Private one-off under 10GB
Wormhole
Files should persist + collaboration
Google Drive
You send video professionally
Filemail / MASV
The Bottom Line
WeTransfer's limits exist because servers cost money, and free tiers ration them. Every alternative above either rations more generously (Smash, SwissTransfer, TransferNow) or charges properly for the server (Filemail, MASV). Only one option removes the server from the equation: for one-to-one sends, direct P2P transfer is free precisely because there's nothing to ration.
Pick by your actual workflow — and if you keep hitting walls, the wall is the architecture, not the tier.