Alternatives to WeTransfer

Need to send a file that's too large for email? Most people turn to WeTransfer or similar services without thinking twice. The file gets uploaded to a third-party server, sits there for a few days, and whoever you're sending it to downloads it via a link. Simple, fast — but with one catch: that file travels in plaintext through servers you don't control.

The alternatives we suggest here prioritise encryption and ephemerality. You'll find them divided into two categories: services with zero-knowledge encryption, where the file is encrypted directly in your browser before being uploaded — so even the server can't see its contents — and services with standard encryption, where the transfer is still encrypted and data never travels in plaintext, but the provider holds the keys and could technically analyse files that pass through their servers. Other services use peer-to-peer transfer: the file goes directly from your computer to the recipient's without ever touching a central server.

For particularly sensitive files, the most secure option is OnionShare, which creates a temporary server accessible via the Tor network. The file never leaves your computer until the recipient downloads it. No intermediary, no server, no trace.