WeTransfer made "drop a file, get a link" feel simple, and for years its free tier let you send a few gigabytes without an account. But things change. Free limits get trimmed, ad walls appear, and some people just want a lighter tool for a quick 40 MB send. If you have landed here, you probably want options that are actually free, actually simple, and clear about what you get.
This roundup covers seven realistic choices, from big-capacity transfer services to cloud drives to a no-signup expiring link. We describe each one fairly: what the free tier gives you, whether you need to make an account, and how long your link lasts. Free plans shift often, so treat the numbers as recent ranges rather than promises, and check each site before a big send.
None of these is "the best at everything." The right pick depends on file size, whether the other person will download quickly, and how much you care about privacy and expiry. Let's compare.
Key takeaways
- Match the cap to your real files: some tools limit the whole transfer, others each file
- Biggest free ceilings: Send Anywhere (~10 GB), Filemail (~5 GB), Smash (often no hard cap)
- Cloud drives like Google Drive give 15 GB of storage but never auto-expire
- ShareIt.onl sends 100 files / 3 GB free with no account, expiry of 1h/12h/24h/3d/7d, and a free optional password
- Nothing counts how often you send; a free account adds 50 GB of live storage and 100 GB of downloads a month
What "Free" Really Means for File Transfers
Before the list, it helps to know the three trade-offs that separate these tools.
Size caps and how they are measured
Some services cap the total transfer (all files added together), and others cap each file. A 2 GB limit sounds generous until you realize a single 4K video clip can blow past it. Photographers, video editors, and designers hit ceilings fastest, so match the cap to your real files, not a best-case guess.
Sign-up and the account question
A no-account tool is faster for one-off sends and leaves less personal data behind. Account-based tools usually offer more storage, longer expiry, and download tracking, but they ask for an email and sometimes a phone number. Decide whether the convenience is worth the sign-up.
Expiry and control
An expiring link is a quiet safety feature. When the clock runs out, the file is gone and the link is dead, so a forwarded message from six months ago cannot leak your work. Some free tiers expire in a few days automatically; others keep files until you delete them.
The 7 Free Alternatives at a Glance
| Service | Free size (approx.) | Account needed? | Link expiry | Password on free tier? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smash | Large, often no hard cap (slower over ~2 GB) | Email for some sends | ~7-14 days | Sometimes |
| Send Anywhere | ~10 GB per transfer | No (6-digit key) | ~10 min key / longer link | Limited |
| Filemail | ~5 GB per transfer | No | ~7 days | Yes, often |
| Google Drive | 15 GB total storage | Yes (Google) | None (until deleted) | Via link settings |
| Dropbox Transfer | ~100 MB free tier | Yes (Dropbox) | ~7 days | Paid feature |
| ShareIt.onl | 100 files / 3 GB | No | 1h, 12h, 24h, 3d, or 7d (30d signed in) | Yes, free and optional |
| Internxt Send | ~5 GB per transfer | No | Short window | Encrypted by default |
Numbers move around, so confirm on each site. Now the details.
Tip: Free-tier limits change without notice. Before an important send, open the service and confirm the current size cap and expiry window rather than trusting last year's numbers.
Big-Capacity Senders: Smash, Send Anywhere, Filemail
Smash
Smash is the closest in spirit to old WeTransfer. It focuses on large transfers and often has no hard size ceiling on free sends, though very big files transfer more slowly and may need an email address. Links typically last one to two weeks. It is a solid pick when your file is genuinely huge and speed is not urgent.
Send Anywhere
Send Anywhere shines for direct device-to-device sends. It generates a six-digit key the receiver types in, which is great when two people are online at the same time. Free transfers reach around 10 GB. The key expires quickly for security, so it favors real-time sharing over "download whenever you get around to it."
Filemail
Filemail allows roughly 5 GB per transfer with no account, adds a real password option on the free tier, and expires links after about a week. It is a balanced middle ground for medium-to-large files when you also want basic protection.
Cloud Drives: Google Drive and Dropbox Transfer
Cloud drives work differently. Instead of a one-time transfer, they store the file and hand out a share link.
Google Drive gives 15 GB of free storage shared across Gmail and Photos. There is no automatic expiry, so you control access through link settings and manual deletion. It is ideal for files you revisit, collaborate on, or keep long term, but the receiver gets a better experience if they also have a Google account.
Dropbox Transfer is built for send-and-forget delivery, but the free tier is small (around 100 MB) and password protection sits behind a paid plan. It is clean and professional, yet the free cap makes it a light-duty option unless you upgrade.
If you are weighing storage versus one-time delivery, our cloud storage vs direct file sharing guide breaks down when each approach makes sense.
The No-Signup Expiring Link: ShareIt.onl
ShareIt.onl fills a specific gap: a browser tool that skips the account entirely. You can upload up to 100 files or 3 GB total, choose exactly how long the link lives (1 hour, 12 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, or 7 days), add a free optional password, and get a QR code for phone-to-phone handoffs. There are no ads, and when the timer ends, the link stops working.
The free 3 GB limit covers most everyday projects, and there is no counter on how often you send - The thing that pushes most people off WeTransfer's free tier, where the allowance is "up to 10 transfers or 3 GB in any 30-day period". A free Google sign-in adds a 30-day link option, a share dashboard, 50 GB of live storage and 100 GB of downloads a month - Enough for all but the biggest jobs. For a batch of photos, a PDF contract, a slide deck, or a full video shoot, it is one of the fastest ways to hand someone a link without the recipient ever creating a login. Only beyond 3 GB do you need one of the heavyweight senders above; see our tips on how to send large files online for those cases.
How to Pick by Scenario
| Your situation | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Huge video project far beyond 3 GB, no rush | Smash | No hard cap on free sends |
| Quick send, no account, up to 3 GB | ShareIt.onl | No sign-up, set expiry, free password |
| Files you will reuse or edit | Google Drive | Persistent storage, collaboration |
| Password-protected medium file | Filemail or ShareIt.onl | Free password option |
| Two people online at once | Send Anywhere | Real-time key transfer |
Match the tool to the job and you will rarely need more than two of these. For a broader look at the whole landscape, our roundup of the best free file sharing services compared sorts every option by category.
Safety Notes That Apply to Every Tool
For the current numbers behind all this, see WeTransfer's limits on size, expiry and the monthly cap.
No matter which service you choose, a few habits keep your files safer. Add a password to anything sensitive and share it through a separate channel, not the same message as the link. Prefer the shortest expiry that still gives the receiver time to download. Double-check the recipient before you send, since a link is only as private as the person who holds it. Our secure file sharing guide covers these steps in depth.