Why look beyond TransferNow?
TransferNow is one of the more honest services in this space: a usable free tier with password protection, EU hosting, no dark patterns. The limits are simply modest. Free transfers cap at 5 GB with 3 recipients and 7-day availability, and the Premium plan's 250 GB ceiling sits below what heavy senders eventually need. If your files or your audience outgrew it, here's where to look.
1. Transfer.zip - No caps on free, more for less on paid
A screenshot of Transfer.zip homepage.
The free Quick Transfer mode removes the number TransferNow's free tier is built around: there is no size limit, because files stream directly between browsers, end-to-end encrypted, instead of being stored. Send 500 MB or 500 GB, as many times a day as you like.
Paid plans (from $6/month billed yearly, with a 7-day free trial) add stored transfers: 200 GB on Starter, 1 TB on Pro with 365-day retention, download tracking, custom branding, and a custom domain.
- No size limit on free real-time transfers
- 1 TB stored transfers on Pro
- 365-day retention matches TransferNow's best
- End-to-end encrypted
- Open source
- Quick Transfer needs both parties online at once
- Stored transfers require a paid plan
2. SwissTransfer - Ten times the free allowance
A screenshot of the SwissTransfer landing page.
SwissTransfer does what TransferNow's free tier does, but at 50 GB per transfer instead of 5, with expiry up to 30 days, passwords, and download limits. Run by Swiss host Infomaniak, no account, no ads. It has no paid path at all, so business users pass through rather than settle in.
- 50 GB free per transfer
- Up to 30-day expiry
- Passwords and download limits included
- Swiss hosting and privacy law
- No paid tier, no upgrade path
- No branding or analytics
3. Smash - Unlimited free size, if you can wait
A screenshot of the Smash landing page.
Smash removes the free size cap entirely, with the known catch: transfers over 2 GB enter a non-priority queue at peak times. Retention is 7 days free. Pro at $10/month buys priority, 250 GB, 30-day retention, and customization. Good for occasional big sends where timing is flexible.
- No hard size limit on free
- Clean, ad-free interface
- Customization on Pro
- Queue over 2 GB on free
- Retention tops out at 30 days on Pro
- Closed source
4. Filemail - Same category, business trimmings
A screenshot of the FileMail landing page.
Filemail's free tier is stingier than TransferNow's (5 GB but only 2 transfers per day), yet the paid side reaches further: Pro (~$12/month) does 250 GB with UDP-accelerated speeds, and Business plans lift the size limit entirely. Consider it when raw upload speed across continents or compliance checkboxes are the actual requirement.
- UDP acceleration for long-distance speed
- Unlimited sizes on Business plans
- Resumable transfers
- Free tier limited to 2 transfers per day
- More expensive at every tier
5. WeTransfer - The household name, with new strings
WeTransfer remains the name clients recognize, but the free tier now requires an account, allows 10 transfers per rolling 30 days at up to 3 GB, and links expire after 3 days. The 2025 terms-of-service episode (an ML-training clause, later walked back) also dented its privacy reputation. Fine for the occasional small send; the details of the full comparison are here.
- Universally recognized by recipients
- Polished experience
- Account now required to send
- 3 GB, 10 transfers per 30 days, 3-day expiry on free
- Trust dented by the 2025 ToS episode
TransferNow Alternatives at a Glance
| Service | Free size limit | Free retention | Starting paid price | Max size (paid) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transfer.zip | Unlimited (real-time) | Until tab closes | $6/mo | 1 TB |
| SwissTransfer | 50 GB | Up to 30 days | Free only | 50 GB |
| Smash | Unlimited (queued over 2 GB) | 7 days | $10/mo | 250 GB / 1 TB Team |
| Filemail | 5 GB (2/day) | 7 days | ~$12/mo | Unlimited (Business) |
| WeTransfer | 3 GB (10 per 30 days) | 3 days | $6.99/mo | 1 TB (Ultimate) |
| (TransferNow) | 5 GB | 7 days | ~$8-10/mo | 250-500 GB |
Choosing the Right TransferNow Alternative
If you need:
- To stop thinking about size limits → Transfer.zip Quick Transfer, unlimited and free
- Bigger free stored transfers → SwissTransfer's 50 GB
- Occasional huge files, patience included → Smash free
- Cross-continent speed or compliance features → Filemail
- Maximum recipient familiarity → WeTransfer
Why Transfer.zip stands out:
- The only free tier here with genuinely no size limit and no queue
- Paid plans undercut TransferNow Premium while matching its 365-day retention and quadrupling its max transfer size
- End-to-end encryption and open source, which nothing else on this list combines
Want more options? See our main file transfer alternatives guide.