Alternatives to WeTransfer
WeTransfer alternatives, picked by use case.
The search for a WeTransfer alternative usually starts the moment a link dies: free transfers expire after three days, free senders are capped at ten transfers (or 3 GB) per rolling month, and every revision means a fresh link to re-send.
Which alternative is best depends on what the link is for. For shares that should stay alive — a client gallery, a portfolio, a CV, an event page — Nippy publishes the files as a web page at a permanent address, where photos become a browsable gallery and updates land on the same link. For genuinely huge one-off sends, SwissTransfer moves up to 50 GB free with expiry measured in weeks rather than days, and Smash will take files of any size on its free tier, queued. For files that already live in a cloud account, Google Drive and Dropbox Transfer share from storage that may already be paid for.
The decision tree is short: the link must last — use a host, not a transfer service; the file is enormous and temporary — use SwissTransfer or Smash; the files themselves are being worked on — use a cloud drive. The list below works through each option honestly, including where WeTransfer itself remains the right answer.
Last reviewed: 12 June 2026
Why people look for a WeTransfer alternative
- Free links expire after 3 days — galleries, CVs and client files go dark mid-conversation
- Free senders are capped at 10 transfers or 3 GB per rolling 30 days (as of June 2026)
- The recipient gets a download, not a page — no gallery, no presentation
- Every revision means a new transfer and a new link to re-send to everyone
The alternatives
The honest shortlist.
- 1
Nippy
that’s usShares that need to stay up — galleries, portfolios, CVs, event pages
Nippy hosts files as a web page rather than sending them as a parcel: drag a folder in, pick an address like yours.nippy.site, and photos become a gallery with a lightbox and zip download, documents become a tidy download page, and websites are hosted as-is. The link never expires, and updating the files updates the same link. Paid plans add password protection, custom domains and cookie-free analytics.
Pros
- No expiry — the link works until you take it down
- Real presentation: galleries, file pages, hosted sites
- Update the files without re-sending a new link
- Recipients need no account or app
Cons
- Free plan is one site and 25 MB — not for multi-gigabyte sends
- Free sites show a small Nippy banner
- 2
SwissTransfer
Huge one-off transfers with a longer fuse
A genuinely free transfer service run by Swiss host Infomaniak: up to 50 GB per transfer with no account required, link expiry configurable up to 30 days, and optional password protection. As of June 2026 it is the most generous mainstream option for simply moving very large files once.
Pros
- Up to 50 GB per transfer, free
- Expiry configurable up to 30 days — ten times WeTransfer’s free window
- No account needed; optional passwords and download limits
Cons
- Still a transfer, not a page — links always expire eventually
- No galleries, no hosting, no updating in place
- 3
Smash
Files too big for everything else
Smash’s free tier has no hard file-size cap — the catch is that transfers over 2 GB wait in a queue behind paying customers, and free links last up to 7 days. For the occasional enormous hand-off where waiting is acceptable, it does what almost nobody else does for free.
Pros
- No hard size limit on free transfers
- Familiar send-a-link workflow, no recipient account
Cons
- Transfers over 2 GB are queued on the free tier
- Free links expire after 7 days
- 4
Google Drive
Files that already live in your Google account
With 15 GB free (shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos) and links that never expire, Drive quietly fixes WeTransfer’s two biggest free-tier complaints. The trade-off is the receiving experience: a Drive folder link lands people in Google’s interface, and one wrong permission setting means “request access” emails instead of downloads.
Pros
- 15 GB free, links don’t expire
- Excellent when the files are also being collaborated on
Cons
- Recipients land in the Drive UI, not on a page
- Permission settings are a recurring source of friction
- 5
Dropbox Transfer
Dropbox users sending finished files
A send-and-done product inside Dropbox: pick files from your Dropbox, get a transfer link with expiry and download notifications. How much you can send is tied to your Dropbox plan, so it suits people already paying for Dropbox more than people choosing a standalone tool.
Pros
- Built into a tool many teams already use
- Download notifications and expiry controls
Cons
- Transfer size limits depend on your Dropbox plan
- Links expire — it’s still a parcel, not a page
How to choose
- The link should still work next month → host it (a page with no expiry), don’t transfer it
- One-off send measured in tens of gigabytes → SwissTransfer (50 GB) or Smash (uncapped, queued)
- The recipient should browse photos, not unzip them → a gallery host, not a transfer service
- The files are still being worked on → a cloud drive, not a transfer or a host
Want the direct head-to-head instead? Nippy vs WeTransfer
Putting Nippy to work for a specific job? For photographers
FAQ
Questions, answered.
What is the best free WeTransfer alternative?
It depends on the job. For permanence, a host like Nippy keeps the share online with no expiry and turns photos into a real gallery. For sheer size, SwissTransfer sends up to 50 GB free with expiry up to 30 days. For uncapped size with patience, Smash queues any file free.
Is there a WeTransfer alternative whose links never expire?
Transfer services all expire eventually — it’s how their costs stay sane. Permanent links come from hosting instead: Nippy publishes the files as a page that stays up until you take it down, and cloud drives like Google Drive keep links alive as long as the file stays in the account.
Why did WeTransfer’s free plan get more restrictive?
As of June 2026 the free tier expires links after 3 days and caps senders at 10 transfers or 3 GB per rolling month — limits introduced after the service changed ownership in 2024. It remains a polished tool for one-off sends inside those limits.
Can I send 100 GB for free?
Realistically: Smash accepts any size free but queues transfers over 2 GB, and SwissTransfer caps at 50 GB per transfer (you can split across two). At that scale, paid tiers or physical media start being the honest answer.
What about sending photos specifically?
A transfer service delivers a zip the recipient must download and unpack. A gallery host shows the photos: thumbnails, a lightbox, downloads only if wanted. If the photos are the point, share a gallery link rather than a parcel.
More alternatives
Other tools, same honesty.
Try the first pick now.
Free to start — no card, no setup, and nothing expires.