What are the best We­Trans­fer al­ter­na­tives? 6 solutions compared

We­Trans­fer is a classic among user-friendly cloud-sharing services. Today, there is a wide range of al­ter­na­tives available. We introduce some of them and highlight their pros and cons.

Overview of We­Trans­fer and its al­ter­na­tives

The table below provides an overview of the strengths, weak­ness­es and special features of We­Trans­fer and its al­ter­na­tives:

In­for­ma­tion correct as of: November 2024

Why is We­Trans­fer so popular?

We­Trans­fer had a key advantage over other existing solutions when it was first in­tro­duced: its sim­plic­i­ty. Using We­Trans­fer does not require reg­is­tra­tion. The service is entirely browser-based and works without in­stalling local client software. To send a file, users simply select one or more files for upload and enter both their own email address and that of the recipient. A generated share link then allows for easy down­load­ing.

For users without an account, the file size per upload is limited to 2 GB. With a paid Pro sub­scrip­tion, this limit increases to 200 GB, while the Premium plan removes size re­stric­tions al­to­geth­er. We­Trans­fer is par­tic­u­lar­ly popular among pho­tog­ra­phers, as it provides a straight­for­ward way to transfer photo archives.

We­Trans­fer al­ter­na­tives compared

The We­Trans­fer al­ter­na­tives presented below all enable file sharing with others. Most sharing services impose a maximum file size limit for transfers, though a higher limit may be available for reg­is­tered or paying users. Some services also allow syn­chro­niza­tion of personal files across multiple devices.

Wikisend

Wikisend is a com­plete­ly free al­ter­na­tive to We­Trans­fer. Using the service requires neither an in­stal­la­tion of the cloud software nor reg­is­tra­tion. Wikisend is easy to use, much like We­Trans­fer.

• Upload up to 100 MB
• Downloads are password-protected
• No in­stal­la­tion or reg­is­tra­tion required to upload/download

Un­for­tu­nate­ly, the service has a couple of dis­ad­van­tages. For example, in­di­vid­ual file size limits for uploads are 100 MB which is sig­nif­i­cant­ly less than other al­ter­na­tives or We­Trans­fer.

Send Anywhere

Send Anywhere is an in­ter­est­ing al­ter­na­tive to We­Trans­fer. In addition to download links, in­no­v­a­tive direct transfers are available. The ap­pli­ca­tion generates a six-digit numerical code that uniquely iden­ti­fies an uploaded file. If the recipient enters the numerical code, the download begins.

• Direct transfer via numerical code
• No reg­is­tra­tion required (direct transfer)
• Software available

Send Anywhere can be used from the browser, and no login is required (except for with direct transfers). Fur­ther­more, cloud apps for Android, iOS, and desktop operating systems are available. These are handy if you want to send files from several devices. When using the free service, note that share links become invalid after 48 hours.

Ze­taU­ploader

The We­Trans­fer al­ter­na­tive Ze­taU­ploader is developed and dis­trib­uted by a German company. The software serves as a file-sharing solution in­te­grat­ed into a company’s own in­fra­struc­ture, runs on a Windows server, and is managed via a web interface. As usual, the sender uploads a file and enters the email addresses of the re­cip­i­ents. Each recipient receives an email with a link to download the file.

• Suitable for companies
• Server software self-hosted
• Cloud option available

The advantage of Ze­taU­ploader is that the software can be operated from a company’s own in­fra­struc­ture. This elim­i­nates security and privacy concerns for busi­ness­es. And large files can be shared more ef­fi­cient­ly across the company. The biggest drawback of Ze­taU­ploader is its price. The provider charges 7,100€ (around $7,400) for a server license. The similar We­Trans­fer al­ter­na­tive costs 450€ (around $470) per month.

Terashare

Terashare is a free file sharing service that combines tra­di­tion­al cloud storage with peer-to-peer (P2P) func­tion­al­i­ty. It is based on the Bit­Tor­rent protocol. When a user selects a file larger than 10 GB for upload, the file remains on the sender’s device. The Terashare client starts sharing the file via the Bit­Tor­rent protocol. On the recipient’s device, the download takes place via the same path.

• Com­bi­na­tion of cloud and P2P
• Requires software in­stal­la­tion
• No upload limit

Terashare is an in­ter­est­ing tech­nol­o­gy with future potential. That’s because when data is shared via P2P func­tion­al­i­ty, a network effect comes into play: the more people have a file on their system, the faster its downloads will be in the future. Unlike We­Trans­fer and its al­ter­na­tives, Terashare requires client software to be installed on the sender and recipient’s computers. In return, the service supports unlimited files, in principle.

Google Drive

Google Drive is more of a tra­di­tion­al cloud storage service rather than a true al­ter­na­tive to We­Trans­fer. Orig­i­nal­ly launched as a document storage solution for the Google ecosystem, it later in­tro­duced a syn­chro­niza­tion client. Uploaded files can be shared with others via a download link.

• In­te­grat­ed into various Google services
• Syn­chro­niza­tion software available
• 15 GB of storage

A Google account is required to upload files. Users receive 15 GB of free storage, though it is shared with Gmail and other Google services.

Dropbox

Dropbox is the classic among file syn­chro­niza­tion tools. Google Drive and Dropbox are pioneers in widely used cloud storage. Initially focused on file syn­chro­niza­tion, Dropbox can now also serve as an al­ter­na­tive to We­Trans­fer. The sender needs an account and shares uploaded files via download links.

• Primarily cloud storage with syn­chro­niza­tion func­tion­al­i­ty
• Reg­is­tra­tion required
• More storage can be earned by inviting new users

Dropbox share links au­to­mat­i­cal­ly expire after a seven-day storage period. The free plan includes only 2 GB of storage. However, users can expand their storage up to 16 GB by referring new users. Paid plans are available for in­di­vid­u­als and teams.