WeTransfer

Overview

WeTransfer is a file-transfer service from Amsterdam-based WeTransfer, founded in 2009, for sending files by email or shareable link. It suits people who need to deliver files or collect them without requiring recipients to create accounts. Its main trade-off is a tight free allowance and short expiry; plans with greater capacity and control have custom pricing.

Key features

Sending and collecting files

Senders can deliver transfers by email or link, and recipients can download without signing up. That makes WeTransfer a practical choice for client handoffs and other one-off exchanges with people outside your organization. File requests work in the other direction: invite someone to send files through an email or link. The free account includes this feature, making it useful beyond simple outbound delivery.

Mac users can start transfers from the menu bar or Finder, where a Finder Extension adds a “Create a transfer” action. iOS and Android apps support sending and receiving from a phone. These options extend the service beyond its web interface, though the free account's allowance remains the limiting factor for regular use.

Paid transfers

WeTransfer Paid Transfers lets users set a price for a transfer and accept payment through Stripe, its only supported payment provider. That suits creators who want to charge for a file delivery, but the single-provider restriction may not fit those who need another payment option.

Security and support

WeTransfer says it encrypts files in transit with TLS 1.2 or 1.3 and at rest with AES-256, maintains ISO/IEC 27001 certification, and conducts regular penetration testing. It also says uploaded content is not used to train AI models. Support starts in the account help drawer with AI assistant Jim, who passes issues needing a person to the support team. There is no phone support, so users who need to speak with support by phone should look elsewhere.

Pricing

WeTransfer uses a freemium model. The free account is useful for occasional exchanges, but its rolling quota and three-day expiry can make delivery inconvenient when recipients need more time or transfers are frequent. Paid-plan prices are custom pricing.

Starter raises the free account's capacity substantially but retains the three-day expiry and 10-transfer ceiling, so it is not a solution for frequent small transfers or longer-lived links. Ultimate removes that expiry constraint and supports transfers up to 1 TB each, making it a better fit when delivery needs custom retention or access controls. Teams adds shared workspaces and administration for organizations; Enterprise is aimed at buyers who need identity provisioning and tailored storage or compliance. No plan prices are stated beyond Free, so compare quotes before deciding whether the added controls justify moving up.

The pricing note also mentions a 7-day trial. The default account storage allowance is up to 2 TB; Teams storage is up to 5 TB and can be extended to 30 TB on request.

Platforms

WeTransfer is available on the web, Android, iOS, and macOS, with an extension and desktop app. The mobile apps handle sending and receiving, while the Mac app adds menu-bar and Finder workflows. Although API appears among its platform options, WeTransfer's Help Center lists its Public API as retired; do not choose it if you need a live Public API.

Who it's for

Choose WeTransfer for straightforward file delivery to recipients who should not need accounts, or for collecting files with simple email or link requests. The free plan can cover occasional transfers within 3 GB or 10 transfers per rolling 30 days, but its three-day availability is a poor fit for files that must remain downloadable longer. Teams needing shared workspaces and controls, or businesses requiring SSO and custom compliance features, should consider the higher tiers and request pricing.

Pros and cons

• Account-free downloads: recipients can retrieve transfers without signing up, reducing friction for external handoffs.
• Useful free account extras: file requests, paid transfers, password-protected transfers, and mobile access are included alongside the transfer allowance.
• Short free and Starter expiry: transfers stay online for up to 3 days, which can leave recipients too little time.
• Limited free capacity: the account allows up to 10 transfers or 3 GB in a rolling 30-day window.
• No live Public API or phone support: these omissions rule it out for workflows that depend on an API or phone-based help.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see File transfer services and File Sharing Software.

• AWS Transfer Family is a paid service with a free plan and a protocol-enabled SFTP, FTPS, or FTP endpoint; choose it when that endpoint model is a better fit than WeTransfer's email and link delivery.
• SendSafely has a free plan, trial, and a 50 MB-per-month Personal plan; consider it if that allowance and its broader platform support suit your needs.
• rclone is a free, open-source project with no trial; choose it if a free project is preferable to WeTransfer's freemium service.
• ExaVault offers a self-hosted appliance, including a free plan for up to 50 users; consider it if self-hosting and user-based plans better match your setup.
• pCloud has a free plan with 10 GB of storage and a trial; choose it if you want storage rather than WeTransfer's transfer-focused service.
• Wing FTP Server has a free edition with one domain, 10 user accounts per domain, and FTP/HTTP file transfer; consider it if those server-oriented limits fit your needs.
• Transloadit offers a Community plan with 5 GB per month, 200 priority slots per region, two collaborators, and a 0.5 GB file-size limit; choose it if those limits and collaborator allowance suit your workflow.
• Send Anywhere has a free plan with share-link transfers up to 10 GB, six-digit key transfers up to 50 GB, and 48-hour share-link expiry; consider it if those transfer limits and expiry better match your needs.

Verdict

WeTransfer is a strong fit for individuals and teams that need simple email or link delivery, account-free downloads, and basic file requests. Its free extras and desktop and mobile access help with occasional exchanges, but the small rolling allowance and three-day expiry limit the free tier. Look elsewhere if you need a live Public API or phone support; consider Ultimate or above when longer or custom expiry, larger transfers, or team controls matter.