Email attachments are the most preferred way to transfer files, but what happens when they exceed the limit imposed by email service providers?

Well, as frustrating as it may be, the silver lining is that there are other ways to transfer large files to your recipients, and in this article, let’s look at some of them.

Here is our list of the best large file transfer tools and methods:

1. Files.com – FREE TRIAL Makes it easy to upload your files to a central location on the cloud and share the link with your recipients. In turn, they can download the contents from the link.
2. ExaVault – FREE TRIAL A cloud file management service that will mediate file transfers, cutting down transfer volumes, which is an ideal solution for the movement of large files.
3. WeTransfer A freemium cloud storage service with many convenient features for the quick and effortless transfer of large files.
4. Jumpshare A single platform for screenshot capture, file sharing, and video recording, all of which can be shared quickly and securely.
5. Send Anywhere This is a freemium service that allows you to send and receive files of any size and type any number of times.
6. MyAirBridge A reliable, secure, and quick option to transfer files up to 20 GB for free.
7. VPN – Virtual Public Networks, or VPNs Bypass the bandwidth restrictions imposed by your Internet Service Providers, thus enabling you to transfer large files without any limits.
8. FTP and SFTP These technologies allow you to transfer files, and the latter (SFTP) even allows a secure transfer. However, it entails advanced technical knowledge and may not be for everyone.
9. Portable drives and devices You can also move large files to storage disks and USB flash drives and pass these devices to the recipients.

Let’s now explore each of these options, so you can decide which one you want to use to transfer your files.

The Best Large File Transfer Tools and Methods

1. Files.com – FREE TRIAL

Cloud storage is an easy and convenient way to transfer files to your intended recipients. Though there are many choices like Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and more, we recommend Files.com because of its superior features.

Features

Here’s a look at the extensive features of Files.com to get an idea of all that this tool can do for you.

• You can share a link on your website or any other place for anyone who wants to upload invoices, legal documents, log files, and more. This way, you have a close location for all the files and can access them at any time
• Generates a unique secure link that can be shared with the recipients through emails or even IMs
• Comes with built-in Microsoft Office for online editing and real-time collaboration
• Supports standard protocols and SDKs
• Its Rest API integrates with custom applications as well
• Has apps for both Windows and macOS
• Offers quick uploads and downloads that don’t clog the bandwidth
• Supports huge files, up to 5TB
• It comes with built-in integrations with Google Authenticator, Yubikey, and more
• Integrates well with other popular apps and cloud services
• Provides support for encryption-at-rest and customer-managed GPG keys
• Enables you to configure your settings
• Offers complete control over data retention and management, including access privileges
• Maintains a comprehensive audit log of trails
• Its detailed query API enables forensic activities
• Complies with all major standards
• Has no-code automation capabilities

With this choice, you can simply upload all your files to a central place on the cloud and share the link of this cloud storage with your recipients. Then, all that the recipient has to do is go to the URL and download the files.

At the same time, you have granular access to the files you upload, and your recipient can only see the files intended for them. You can also provide access rights for each of them, depending on whether you want to view them online or allow them to download.

Also, depending on the nature of the file you’re transferring, you can also allow them to comment or edit online, provided there’s an editor associated with the cloud storage.

Now, let’s take a deeper look at Files.com to understand better how it can help you.

Pricing: The base plan starts at $50 per month, where it supports five users. But, of course, you can add more users, enterprise connectivity, power plan, and even the top-tier premier plan at any time, and the pricing would change accordingly. https://www.files.com/pricing/

For example, the premier plan supports 50 users and comes with all features for $1,000 per month.

Download: Start a 7-day free trial.

2. ExaVault – FREE TRIAL

ExaVault is a cloud SaaS package that includes storage space as well as secure FTP servers using SFTP and FTPS. Rather than sending files end-to-end, this system accepts the files for distribution and enables links to be mailed out so that recipients can view the files on the server.

Features

Here are some of the important features of the ExaVault service:

• Can manage the transfers of files more than 10 GB in size
• There is no limit to the size of each file transferred with ExaVault
• Stores files for future transfers
• Distributes multiple copies of a file through link mailing
• All file recipients view the file on the server without it being moved
• All file actions are logged for compliance auditing
• Team collaboration features through file sharing

Pricing: When paid annually, the rates for the four plans of ExaVault are as follows

• Essential 1 TB of space for 10 users: $120 per month
• Standard 3 TB of space for 25 users: $250 per month
• Advanced 5 TB of space for 50 users: $400 per month
• Enterprise 10 TB and no limit on the number of users: priced by negotiation

Download: Click here to get a 30-day free trial of ExaVault.

3. WeTransfer

WeTransfer is a freemium product that helps you to upload and share large files with your recipients through the Internet safely and securely.

Features

Below are some of the features of WeTransfer.

• You can upload files up to 200GB in size and send them securely through a quick link or email
• Tracks and manages downloads through a simple interface
• Allows you to customize the look and share of your landing page
• Supports up to 1TB of storage and file sharing
• Allows you to delete and forward file transfers through the dashboard
• Provides the option to limit the time duration for transfers. For example, you can set a specific date or a period, and beyond this date/period, the files will not be available for download
• Offers customizable email templates and web pages
• Protects your contents with two-factor authentication and possibly an optional password if needed

Pricing: The PRO version costs $12 per person per month or $120 per person per year. This version comes with the Paste and Collect tools as well.

Download: Click here to sign up for the PRO version. Then, head to WeTransfer to use the free version.

4. Jumpshare

Jumpshare is a visual communication and sharing platform that makes it easy to take screenshots, create videos, and share them with your co-workers, friends, and family members in a secure way.

Features

The features of Jumpshare about file sharing are:

• Provides the option to drag and drop files to the Jumpshare client app, regardless of the size of the file
• As soon as your drag and drop, Jumpshare automatically creates a shareable link that’s copied to your clipboard
• Creates an email with the link for easy sharing.
• Allows you to share instantly even if the file has not been uploaded fully to enable real-time access
• Previews more than 200 file formats online
• Always available as an icon in the system tray
• Facilitates quick collaboration
• Integrates well with many custom and third-party apps
• Works well on Windows and Mac

Pricing: Jumpshare offers three plans, namely, Free, Plus, and Business. The Plus plan is priced at $8.25 per month and offers 1 TB storage space and a 20GB file upload limit, while the Business plan is priced at $12.50 per user per month and comes with 2 TB storage and no upper limit uploads.

Download: Click here to start using Jumpshare. The Business plan comes with a free 14-day trial that you can access here.

5. Send Anywhere

Send Anywhere is another freemium file-sharing application that allows you to send any file of any size to any recipient, with no upper limits whatsoever.

Features

The salient features of Send Anywhere are:

• Facilitates real-time file transfer. However, you need a six-digit key to share.
• Creates a link when you don’t want to share files in real-time
• Allows you to set time limits, and they will be automatically deleted after the time expires
• It makes it easy to transfer files between devices
• Enables you to attach large files by email using the Chrome extension or Send Anywhere’s website
• Works seamlessly from any device or location
• Facilitates collaboration across geographies

Pricing: The paid version is called Sendy PRO (formerly known as Send Anywhere Plus).  Reach out to the sales team for a quote.

Download: Click here to start using Sendy PRO.

6. MyAirBridge

MyAirBridge is a quick, reliable, and secure way to share your files with anyone around the world. In this freemium tool, you can transfer up to 20GB for free, and anything beyond this, including advanced security and protection features, come at a cost.

Features

The crucial features of MyAirBridge are:

• Uses end-to-end encryption to secure your contents during transit. This prevents the server administrators from eavesdropping into your contents.
• Provides the option to use this tool as a company FTP service
• Your file transfers can be p[assword protected in the paid plans
• Enhances team sharing and collaboration
• Provides extended expiration periods to fulfill your needs
• It comes with an intuitive and clutter-free user interface
• It makes it easy to share files with anyone in any part of the world
• Its Teamwork function connects multiple profiles to the same account
• Provides the option to store your data in the cloud
• The files shared with the recipients can be “Read-only” or both “Read-write”
• Enables the recipients to download entire folders and maintain their structure
• Supports image previews
• Works well across multiple platforms
• Supports keyboard shortcuts for ease of working
• It comes with context menus and clever drag and drop features
• Facilitates the transfer of more than 100GB of data either as a link or through email
• Enables you to send multiple files simultaneously
• Supports the saving and forwarding of transfers
• Works well with various email addresses as well.

Pricing

Besides the free plan, MyAirBridge offers three plans, and they are:

• Basic – EUR 2.59. Comes with a storage capacity of 200 GB, a single upload limit of 50 GB, and a transfer expiration period of 10 days.
• Pro – EUR 9.99. Comes with a storage capacity of 2 TB, a single upload limit of 70 GB, and a transfer expiration period of 20 days.
• Enterprise – EUR 59.99. Comes with a storage capacity of 15 TB, a single upload limit of 100 GB, and a transfer expiration period of 30 days.

Download: Click here to get started.

7. Using VPNs

Virtual Public Networks, or VPNs in short, create a dedicated connection between two devices, thereby bypassing the Internet Service provider and the restrictions placed by these companies on your Internet usage. As a result, you can transfer large files directly.

How to Send and Receive Files Through VPN?

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to send and receive files through a VPN.

• First off, subscribe to a VPN service if you don’t already have one, and log into it using your credentials. Alternatively, you can also use Windows 10 built-in settings to create a secure VPN connection with a remote computer.
• Navigate to Start -> Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center.
• Next, go to the Sharing and Discovery section, and select File Sharing. Specifically, look for a “Down” arrow and click it.
• Choose “Turn on File Sharing” and Apply
• Next, create a folder and move the contents you want to share into it.
• To make this folder shareable, right-click and choose a tab called Sharing. Next, click the Advanced Sharing Button (you may have to enter the Windows password) and check the “Share the Folder” option.
• Next, navigate to Permissions and give appropriate access to your folder. By default, Everyone will have read access. Simply replace EVeryone with the specific user and also grant the necessary permissions. With this, close the dialog box.
• Again, right-click on this folder, and this will open a dialog box that asks you to choose the people you want to share it with. Make your choice and click Share. This could take a few minutes depending on the size of your file, but at the end of the process, the file is shared with your intended recipients.

While this is not the most intuitive way to share files, it is nevertheless a reliable and secure option that you can consider.

8. FTP and SFTP

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) facilitate the easy transfer of files over the Internet. They work on a client-server model and are often seen as fast and reliable ways to transfer large files from one device to another.

However, you need to download an FTP or SFTP client like Filezilla to send and receive files. These tools also give you reasonable control over access and management. SFTP transfers data using a secure channel for additional security, while FTP doesn’t have built-in security for transmissions.

Features of SFTP

Let’s look at some key features of SFTP to give you an idea of what both these protocols can do. First, of course, FTP would deliver all the other features except security.

• Provides data encryption through a secure SFTP server
• Executes your command reliably
• Provides compressed data transmission so the transfer doesn’t clog up your bandwidth.
• Supports IPv6 and TMUX
• It makes it easy to set up authentication with a username and password for greater control over who accesses your files
• Reduces the chances for malicious intruders to intercept your data as it uses only one channel. It merits to note that FTP uses multiple channels to transfer various files, but they don’t offer the same levels of security as SFTP.
• Firewall-friendly and works well on both Windows and Mac.

9. Portable Drives and Devices

Another option would be to copy large files to a portable storage disk or a USB flash drive and send the device to the recipient.

However, it is not the most convenient or secure way of transferring files as the devices can always get corrupted, intercepted, or lost. Also, the financial implications of such theft or loss can be significant, depending on the file’s contents.

While we have overcome compatibility issues, still these devices can be expensive. Therefore, for all these reasons, keep this as your last option or, even better, avoid it at all costs!

Conclusion

To conclude, transferring large files should not be challenging, thanks to the presence of many cloud transfer services. However, out of the ones we have reviewed, Files.com is the Editor’s choice as it comes with many convenient and advanced features that ensure that your transfers are swift and secure.

That said, you can also transfer large files in other ways, such as through a VPN or an SFTP service, but they would require technical expertise. Sharing files through portable devices is also an option, but it may not be the most secure option.

Thus, cloud storage cum file-sharing services are your best bet for transferring large files.