How direct transfer compares with WeTransfer, Smash and Google Drive, including when you should use them instead
WeTransfer, Smash and Google Drive all work the same way: you upload your file to their servers, then the recipient downloads it from there. File Transfer stores nothing: it opens a direct, encrypted connection between your browser and the recipient’s, and streams the file while you both have the page open.
Neither approach wins in every situation. The figures below describe the free plans in 2026; these services change their terms regularly, so check their own pages before relying on a specific number.
The free plan accepts up to 3 GB per transfer, is capped at 10 transfers per month, and download links expire after 3 days. Larger transfers and longer availability require a paid plan.
Smash does not cap the file size on its free plan, but transfers above 2 GB are placed in a slower queue, and files stay available for 7 days by default.
A free Google account includes 15 GB of storage, shared between Gmail, Drive and Google Photos. A shared link stays valid until you delete the file, which is handy for long-term sharing but eats into your quota. The recipient needs a Google account unless you share with “anyone with the link”.
No size limit is imposed and there is no quota: the file is never stored, so there is nothing to fill up. The practical limits are elsewhere. Both browsers must stay open for the whole transfer, the link only works while the sender’s page is open, and on iPhone, iPad and Safari (or in other browsers that cannot stream to disk) the received file is assembled in memory, which can be a problem for very large files.
With an upload service, a copy of your file sits on a third-party server for days, weeks, or until you delete it. These services protect their infrastructure and use encrypted connections, but you are trusting them with the content, which also falls under their terms of service and the laws of the country where it is stored.
With File Transfer, the file goes directly from one browser to the other inside a WebRTC channel encrypted with DTLS. Our site and the signaling server only help the two browsers find each other; they never receive the file. On some restrictive networks a relay server may be needed, and it only sees encrypted data. When you close the page, there is nothing left to delete. The details are on the how it works page.
In short: File Transfer needs the recipient to be online at the same time as you, WeTransfer does not. When that condition is met, a direct transfer starts sooner and leaves no copy on a server. Read our guide on how to send large files for free for practical tips.
No account, no upload, no size limit imposed: select a file, share the link, and keep the page open until the transfer is done.