# Who uses StrongFolder? Four large file transfer use cases

Source: https://help.strongfolder.com/en/blog/who-uses-strongfolder/
Updated: 2026-11-05

> Large file transfer use cases where StrongFolder fits best share one pattern: big, folder-shaped deliveries that the recipient needs now. A videographer delivering 120 GB, an architecture studio sending a Revit project, an indie developer sharing a 30 GB build and a family sending scanned photos abroad all skip the upload and keep folder structure.

People often ask me who StrongFolder is actually for. The honest answer: anyone whose files
are too big for e-mail and chat, who would rather not upload them somewhere first, and whose
recipient is ready to download now. That is still abstract, so here are four large file
transfer use cases, each with what people typically did before and what changes with a
direct transfer.


These are **illustrative scenarios**, not customer testimonials — no names, no quotes. The
numbers are worked examples (size in GB × 8,000 ÷ upload Mbit/s = seconds) that you can
redo with your own figures.

## How does a wedding videographer deliver 120 GB?

**The delivery:** a finished film in two resolutions, a highlights reel and a folder of
original camera footage the couple wants for their archive — about 120 GB in a folder tree
like `Film/`, `Highlights/`, `Raw/Camera A/`, `Raw/Camera B/`.

**Before:** the usual route is an overnight upload to a cloud drive, a link the next day,
then a second long wait while the couple downloads. Storage plans fill up after a few
weddings, so old projects have to be deleted or paid for. The other route is a USB drive by
post or in person — reliable, but days away.

**With a direct transfer:** the videographer shares the folder from the studio computer, and
the couple starts downloading as soon as they open the link — no upload to finish first. At
100 Mbit/s upload, 120 GB takes about 9,600 seconds, roughly 2 hours 40 minutes; at 50 Mbit/s,
about 5.3 hours. The studio computer stays plugged in, on a cable, with sleep turned off. The
folder tree arrives exactly as it was, at full quality.

**What to watch:** the couple needs well over 120 GB of free disk space and Chrome, Edge or
Opera on a computer to save the whole folder. A branded USB drive as a keepsake is still a
nice touch — a direct transfer replaces the waiting, not the gift. More in [How to share large
video files](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/share-large-video-files/).

## How does an architecture studio send a Revit project folder?

**The delivery:** a host Revit model with linked structural and MEP models, CAD links and
images — say 6 GB in a few thousand files — for an outside consultant.

**Before:** zip everything, upload the archive, send a link. The consultant unzips into a
different folder, a few links break because they pointed to absolute paths, and an afternoon
goes on relinking. Each revision adds another archive to someone's drive.

**With a direct transfer:** the studio packages the project with eTransmit for Revit into a
folder, which copies the host model and its linked files and rewrites the paths, then sends
that folder as it is. Folders are sent as folders: subfolders and file names are kept, nothing is zipped. At 50 Mbit/s upload, 6 GB takes about 16 minutes,
and nothing waits on a server afterwards.

**What to watch:** for a workshared model, send a detached copy, never the central file. For
daily collaboration on the same model, a shared project platform is the better tool; a direct
transfer is for handing over a package. The details are in [How to send CAD
files](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/send-cad-files/).

## How does an indie game developer share a 30 GB build with testers?

**The delivery:** a playtest build — executable, data folders and libraries — of about 30 GB,
for five testers who should all have it today.

**Before:** upload the build to a cloud drive (hours on a home connection), post the link,
and watch the drive quota disappear by the third build. Or set up a branch on a distribution
platform, which is the right move for public demos but heavy for a quick internal test.

**With a direct transfer:** one link in the testers' chat. One link can be opened by several recipients; each downloads directly from the sender. The catch is
upload bandwidth: if all five start at once on a 100 Mbit/s upload, each gets roughly
20 Mbit/s, and 30 GB at 20 Mbit/s takes about 12,000 seconds — 3.3 hours for everyone. One
tester at a time gets the build in about 40 minutes. Staggering the start, or sending
overnight from a desktop that stays on anyway, keeps the wait short.

**What to watch:** builds won't start if a folder is missing, which is exactly why keeping the
structure matters. For public demos and regular patches, platforms such as Steam playtests or
itch.io handle updates while you are offline. Share only builds you own. See [How to share
game files](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/share-game-files/).

## How does a family share scanned photos with relatives abroad?

**The delivery:** decades of family photos, scanned at high resolution and sorted into
folders by year — say 25 GB and several thousand files — for relatives in another country.

**Before:** chat apps compress photos and cap file sizes, shared albums ask everyone for an
account and storage space, and burning discs to post abroad takes weeks. Often the archive
simply never gets shared.

**With a direct transfer:** the family agrees on an evening that works in both time zones,
both computers stay awake, and the relatives open the link in Chrome. At a 20 Mbit/s home
upload, 25 GB takes about 10,000 seconds, a little under three hours — a long film's worth of
waiting, done once. Every scan arrives in its original quality, inside its year folder. The
same full-quality principle applies to photographers' RAW files: [How to send RAW
photos](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/send-raw-photos/).

**What to watch:** if the grandparents will download "sometime next week", a shared cloud
album is kinder — a StrongFolder link only works while you keep sharing.

## What do these large file transfer use cases have in common?

Four different people, one pattern:

| | Wedding film | Revit project | Game build | Family archive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | ~120 GB | ~6 GB | ~30 GB | ~25 GB |
| Shape | Folder tree | Linked files | Folder that must stay intact | Folders by year |
| Recipient ready now? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, at an agreed time |
| Time at 50 Mbit/s upload (one recipient) | ~5.3 h | ~16 min | ~80 min | ~67 min |

The files are big, they are folders rather than single files, and the recipient is ready.
That is where skipping the upload, keeping the structure and leaving no copy on a server pay
off. No size limit set by StrongFolder. The practical limits are free disk space on the recipient's device, connection speed, and how long both devices stay online.

It is not every case. When the sender can't stay online, when files must stay available for
weeks, or when people need to preview and comment, a cloud link wins — see [P2P vs cloud file
transfer](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/p2p-vs-cloud-file-transfer/). More scenarios, from teachers to developers,
are on the [use cases page](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/use-cases/).

[Send files now](https://strongfolder.com)
If your situation looks like none of these, I'd like to hear about it at
[info@strongfolder.com](mailto:info@strongfolder.com).

## FAQ

### Are these real customer stories?

No. They are illustrative scenarios built from typical situations, with worked-out numbers you can redo for your own sizes and speeds. We don't publish customer names or quotes.

### How long will a large transfer take?

Roughly size in GB × 8,000 ÷ the sender's upload speed in Mbit/s = seconds. 120 GB at 100 Mbit/s is about 9,600 seconds, or 2 hours 40 minutes. Real transfers run somewhat slower because of overhead.

### When should I use a cloud drive instead?

When you can't stay online until the recipient finishes, when files must stay available for days or weeks, or when people need to preview and comment online. The sender's browser tab must stay open and online until the recipient finishes downloading — files come from the sender's device, not from a server.