StrongFolder vs MASV

MASV is a professional transfer service for media teams: footage goes up to its accelerated cloud network and lands with editors, clients or cloud storage, with audit trails and security certifications around it. StrongFolder is a free browser tool that sends files and folders directly from one device to another. This StrongFolder vs MASV comparison uses MASV's own pricing, security and help pages — and says plainly where MASV is the better tool.

How do StrongFolder and MASV compare?

MASV facts as of 5 November 2026, from MASV's pricing and security pages and help centre (sources at the end). We don't quote prices — check MASV's pricing page.

What is the main difference between StrongFolder and MASV?

Who holds the files during delivery, and who pays for it.

MASV is a managed cloud service. You upload, MASV stages the files on its network — its security page calls this a secure buffer, so delivery completes even if the recipient's systems are offline — and charges when data leaves the platform, either as a download or as delivery to connected storage.

StrongFolder has no cloud in the middle. The recipient's browser connects to yours and the data flows directly. 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. Nothing is billed because nothing is stored. Read P2P vs cloud file transfer.

Which is better for sending large video files?

It depends on how often and how much.

One project, one client, now. StrongFolder removes the upload step: the client starts downloading as soon as they open the link. A 500 GB shoot over a 1 Gbit/s upload takes a little over an hour; over 100 Mbit/s, roughly 11 hours. Keep the machine awake. See how to send large video files.

Footage every day, many recipients, many destinations. MASV is built for this: watch folders that upload automatically, delivery straight into cloud or on-prem storage, MASV Studio for Mac, Windows and Linux, and automatic checkpoint restart when a connection drops.

Which handles folders better?

Both keep structure — differently.

MASV's help centre says transfers are recursive and keep subfolders, hierarchy and names (empty folders are not sent). Recipients download the package as a ZIP, use a zipless download where supported, or use MASV Studio.

StrongFolder sends a folder as a folder. Saving a whole folder with its structure uses the File System Access API: Chrome, Edge, Opera and other Chromium browsers on a computer. Other browsers can download the files one by one or as a ZIP. No archive and no app on the recipient's side. More in how to send a folder without zipping.

Which is more secure?

MASV offers a full enterprise security programme on its security page: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001:2022, TPN membership, HIPAA BAAs, TLS 1.2+ in transit, AES-256 at rest on AWS, malware scanning, MD5 checksums, SSO, mandatory MFA, role-based access and an immutable audit trail. If your contract requires certified vendors, that settles it.

StrongFolder takes a different approach: it doesn't hold your files. Files are never uploaded to or stored on a StrongFolder server. To create the link, the service keeps transfer metadata: file and folder names, sizes and the number of files. WebRTC encrypts every data channel with DTLS, so the file stream is encrypted in transit on every connection. If a direct connection is impossible (strict corporate firewall, some mobile networks), the encrypted stream passes through a StrongFolder relay (TURN) server. The relay forwards the data and does not store it. We don't claim certifications or end-to-end encryption with your own key. See security and secure file sharing.

When is MASV the better choice?

Choose MASV when:

• you move terabytes regularly and need predictable, managed delivery;
• you can't keep a computer online — upload once and let MASV deliver;
• files must land in storage or tools — S3, Dropbox, Box, Google, Microsoft, LucidLink, Frame.io, iconik and others on MASV's integrations list;
• clients upload to you through branded portals;
• security reviews require SOC 2, ISO 27001, TPN or HIPAA paperwork, SSO and audit logs;
• a dropped connection must resume automatically from the point of failure.

For post-production houses, broadcasters and agencies that move footage every day, these are real advantages that a free browser tool doesn't try to match.

When is StrongFolder the better choice?

Choose StrongFolder when:

• you send big files occasionally and a usage bill or a card on file isn't worth it;
• nobody wants an account — No account needed to send or receive. Signing in with Google is optional and keeps a list of your transfers.
• you'd rather not leave a copy on a third-party server, even for 5 days;
• the recipient is waiting now and an upload-then-download round trip would double the wait;
• several people need the same files — One link can be opened by several recipients; each downloads directly from the sender.

Many freelancers use both: StrongFolder for ad-hoc sends, MASV when a client's pipeline requires it. For cloud services with free tiers, see WeTransfer alternatives.

Sources

Checked on 5 November 2026: MASV pricing · MASV security · MASV integrations · MASV: package size limits · MASV: folders with subfolders · MASV: account to download · MASV: sending files