I've been running a file transfer service since 2013 so I've gotten a lot of questions about the best way to send large files.
After some extensive Googling and ChatGPT-ing, here's my exhaustive list of every possible way to securely send large files in 2025.
- 1. Mail a hard drive (aka "SneakerNet")
- 2. File transfer services
- 3. Cloud Storage
- 4. Peer-to-peer (P2P) Transfers
- 5. Messaging apps
- 6. AirDrop-like local tools
1. Mail a hard drive (aka SneakerNet
)
If you want to transfer a few hundred gigabytes of data, it's generally faster to FedEx a hard drive than to send the files over the internet. This isn't a new idea—it's often dubbed SneakerNet—and it's how Google transfers large amounts of data internally.
In the 1980s, people moved files between computers by writing the files to a disk and then walking them over to another computer. Before the internet there was the sneakernet 👟.
When huge companies like Google and Amazon need to send massive amounts of data they still go back to this old way of writing data to a physical hard drive and shipping it to where it needs to go.
For huge files (over a few hundred gigabytes) this is often the fastest and most reliable method.
If you're trying to send files to many people or make it easy for someone else to send you files, this probably isn't the best option.
You can buy a multi-terabyte hard drive on Amazon for under $100 and use it over and over again to ship data back and forth.
Hard Drive Encryption
Make sure you encrypt the hard drive before you put it in the mail, otherwise if someone intercepts your hard drive they'll be able to read your data.
If both computers you're sending from and to are Macs, use the built-in APFS or HFS+ disk encryption: plug in the external drive, right-click the drive in the Finder sidebar, click Encrypt [Disk Name], and set a password and a hint.
On Windows use the built-in BitLocker: plug in the external drive, open File Explorer, right click the drive, click Turn on BitLocker, and set a password and encryption method.
2. File transfer services
There are dozens of free transfer services that let you drag-and-drop large files and then email a link to download them. WeTransfer is the biggest and oldest.
There are about a million clones of WeTransfer. In no particular order: TransferNow (based in France), WeSendit (very creative on the naming there), FormSmash (cool gradient interface), FileMail, Send Anywhere, Dropbox Transfer, file.io (from LimeWire), FileTransfer.io (also from LimeWire?), Easyupload (also from LimeWire?!), pCloud Transfer, TransferXL, Tresorit Send, TransferBigFiles, MailBigFile, SwissTransfer, SendGB, SendSpace, UploadNow, UploadTo (but I think they've shut down?), DropSend, send.Internxt, workupload, Send.vis.ee, Wormhole.app, 1Fichier.com (looks super dated), Transfer.zip, GoFile.io (with some cloud storage features?), MediaFire (also with some cloud storage features), just beam it, Filebin.net, and HeftySend.
Honestly all of these sites are basically the same: you drag and drop a file into their website and then either 1) get a link for people to download the file or 2) enter an email address to email the download link.
Some of these sites let you change the file expiration date, add a password, customize the branding, put the download page on your own domain, or see a record of when people downloaded the files. Some of them have fancy compliance features like GDPR, HIPAA, or SOC-2.
File Receiving Pages
If the core thing you're trying to do is to get other people to send you files then I think my site Fileinbox is the best option. Asking someone to use one of the file sending sites isn't much better than asking them to mail you a hard drive: it'll work but it's complicated for both of you and not very professional.
Fileinbox helps you make a simple branded web page (you can see a demo at fileinbox.com/fileinbox-demo) you can send to all of your clients or customers, then they drag and drop their files into your page and the files get automatically organized in your existing cloud storage.
You can even embed Fileinbox on your website as if you had your own version of WeTransfer that only goes to you!
FileRequestPro, SendToMyCloud, TitanFile, DriveUploader, EZ File Drop, and ReceiveFiles.de are sites like mine that are geared towards setting up file receiving pages.
File Workflow Sites
There are a few specialized services I found that focus on specific use cases of sending and receiving files:
- Hightail (previously YouSendIt): specialized for document workflows where files need approval and collaboration
- frame.io: specialized for managing media and assets for video production
- Sync.com: some project management-style features
- fileinvite: specialized workflows for loan officers
MyAirBridge looks like it's trying to do some sort of document collaboration and workflow stuff but I found its circle-and-icon-based interface very confusing. Not sure what's going on here.
3. Cloud Storage
Cloud storage services are primarily designed for storing your files in the cloud but they also work for sending files.
Just upload your file to cloud storage and then copy the link to share the file.
Popular cloud storage services for file sharing include Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, iCloud, Mega, and pCloud.
Note that you can effectively send large files via. email on Gmail, Outlook, and iCloud by using their cloud storage integration.
If you try to email a large file in Gmail, for example, it will automatically upload the file to your Google Drive and paste the link in the email instead of the full file.
Advanced: self-hosted cloud storage
If you feel distrustful of the big cloud storage providers having your files and you feel comfortable setting up something like a Raspberry Pi or small server, consider self hosting your own private cloud storage.
Practically this could look like a raspberry pi plugged into a big hard drive in your closet exposed to the public internet with a reverse proxy like ngrok.
The major self-hosted cloud storage options are Nextcloud and ownCloud but self-hosted cloud storage could be as simple as a private FTP server.
Advanced: object storage
Behind the scenes, those cloud storage services are using something called object storage to store your files. If you don't mind getting technical and you want full control over how and where your files are stored and how much you get billed, you can use object storage directly.
If you're trying to send files to dozens or hundreds of people then object storage is the way to go. You can upload the file once, enable public access, optionally enable a global content delivery network (CDN) to speed up downloads, then just send out the link.
The major object storage providers are Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service
), Google Cloud Storage (GCS), Azure Blob Storage, Backblaze B2 (10x cheaper than most of the other ones but fewer features and regions), Digital Ocean Spaces, and Cloudflare R2. Mega also apparently has their own object storage now: Mega S4. All of these advertise being S3-compatible,
meaning any tool that says it can work with Amazon S3 will work with any of them.
To send a file via. object storage:
- Sign up for an account with one of those object storage providers
- Create a bucket (a private container for your files)
- Connect to the bucket either through the online interface or with something like Cyberduck or Mountain Duck for a more native integration. I like using rclone but that's a more complicated command line application.
- Upload your files
- Copy the public link to share the file
4. Peer-to-peer (P2P) Transfers
Peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers are theoretically faster than going through a file transfer service or cloud storage because the file is sent directly from one computer to another without going through a third party.
They can be more complicated to use, though, because you need both computers open with an active internet connection the entire time the file is being sent. I think these are most useful for when you're sending a large file to yourself.
The reputable P2P transfer services I could find (in no particular order) are Instant.io, ToffeeShare, ShareDrop.io (by LimeWire), Snap-Drop.net, PairDrop.net, and Blaze.vercel.app.
Advanced: p2p file sending command line tools
If you're comfortable using the command line and the computer you're sending to is publicly addressable, you can use either scp (good for single files) or rsync (better for huge folders of tons of files or larger resumable transfers).
If I'm trying to send myself a large file from a laptop to a phone or something else in my house I also like setting up a local web server with python3 -m http.server 8000.
ffsend is another command line tool I found that was built for Firefox Send, a WeTransfer clone that Mozilla built and then shut down in 2020. ffsend still works though.
5. Messaging apps
Depending on your use case, if you're trying to get someone a file and it's too big for email you could probably just use a different form of messaging.
Telegram, for example, supports sending files up to 2GB. WhatsApp will go up to 100MB on mobile or 2GB on the web. Discord, Slack, and Microsoft Teams also support sending large files.
6. AirDrop-like local tools
If you're sending files between two Apple devices in the same room, AirDrop is usually the easiest way to do it (though it's often frustratingly flakey).
FlyingCarpet and LocalSend are two projects trying to be a cross-platform AirDrop.
Phew, that was a lot. If you stumble on any methods or services for sending files that I've missed I'd love to add them to this list! You can reach out to me on 𝕏.