In case you have never hit the email file attachment size limit yet, then you should know that most email providers only allow maximum 10MB file while Yahoo and Gmail offer 20MB and 25MB respectively. For sending documents and sharing some photos, the available size is enough, but what if you need to send something bigger online?
There are many services that will just let you upload bigger files and share it with another person via email, or share a download link with anyone you want. Some services will also let you password protect sent files, so only the person who knows the password will be able to open and download the file.
The process is not that hard, but choosing the right service is very important and we will help you find the right service that fits your needs perfectly. Although, there are many paid services, but we are going to focus on getting the job done in free. However, if your needs are bigger, then you can always opt for their paid service.
Tip: Before uploading and sending a file, it is better to compress the file or folder. This will reduce the size of the file, making it easier to upload and download while also meeting maximum allowed size of the service you are using. This will also be important if you would like to send a folder containing different files, as you can’t send a folder via these services (it must be compressed).
We Transfer
We Transfer Definitely deserves to be mentioned first, it is an ad supported service that provides all services required by an average user. The ads are also placed in the background, without any irritating content.The services will let you, upload files up to 2GB at a time and each upload can be shared with 20 people at a time. Furthermore, there is no limit on how many files you can send every day or in a month (an issue with many such services). You also don’t need to sign up to send files, just upload, enter your and receipt’s email address and just send.
Click on “Add files” and select the files which you would like to send. You can select more than one file as long as the total size stays under 2GB.
They also have a Drag and drop feature, you can just click on the file and drag and “Drop it like it’s hot” Literally!
Enter your email and the receipt’s email below. Write a message if you like or just click on transfer to start uploading your file.
The total time it takes to send a file depends on the upload speed of your internet connection and how busy the servers of We Transfer are. So if you have a slow connection, then expect some waiting.
You can also click on “side ways V” icon located on the left side of the Transfer button to change the transfer process from email to link. If it is switched to “Link”, then after uploading your file, you will receive a link that you can give to anyone and they can click on it to download.
The main drawback of We Transfer is that the uploaded file only stays in their server for 7 days. So the receipt must download and save the file in 7 days, otherwise it will be deleted and the download link will become useless.
SendThisFile
This is another great file sending service that also provides proper security. The files that will be uploaded to send will be encrypted and then sent, to ensure your receipt gets file securely.
You can upload a file up to the size of 2GB, but you can only send one file at a time and only to a single recipient. You will have to register a free account first, then you can send files, you can also use your Facebook account to register.
Once registered and inside, the process of sending file is simple. Just enter the email address of the receipt and upload your file by clicking on “Choose File” Once you are done, click on send and the file will be sent.
The files will stay on SendThisFile server for 3 days, so the receipt must download and save the file before it.
Files To Friends
Files To Friends will let you both drag and drop files or upload files manually. They have a clean and quick interface and you can upload a file up to a size of 1GB. You can send total 10 files at a time, as long as they are under 1GB total. Furthermore, you can also send files to 5 receipts at a time.
Just Enter the recipient’s email address and your email address and click on “Transfer” to start uploading and send your file. You can also add a message if you like by click on “Add a Message”.
MailBigFile
MailBigFile is similar to We Transfer, with easy to follow interface and a limit of 2GB per file transfer. You can add more than one file and also have to option to drag and drop files.
Just like other services, you just need to give the receipt’s email address and your email address and hit “Send File” to upload and send file.
All Services mentioned above also offer paid services. If you require more features then you can also check out paid versions of each service. Below are the paid versions of each service.
If there are any questions or you would like to add any other good (free) file transfer service, let us know in the comments below.
Filed in . Read more about File Sharing and Services.