# How to send large files: every method compared Source: https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/send-large-files/ Updated: 2026-11-05 > To send large files, match the method to the size: email handles about 20–25 MB, free transfer services a few gigabytes, cloud drives whatever fits your storage quota. For tens or hundreds of gigabytes, a direct peer-to-peer transfer such as StrongFolder sends the file browser to browser with no upload, no storage and no size cap from the service. 1. **Open StrongFolder** — Go to [strongfolder.com](https://strongfolder.com) or click the StrongFolder Chrome extension. No account is needed. 2. **Add the files or a folder** — Pick one large file, many files, or a whole folder. Nothing is uploaded — the browser only reads the list so it can share it. 3. **Send the link** — Copy the link (or show the QR code) and send it by chat or e-mail. The recipient starts downloading as soon as they open it. 4. **Keep the tab open** — Files stream directly from your device, so keep the StrongFolder tab open and your computer awake until the recipient finishes. There is no single best way to send large files — there is a best way for each size and each situation. A 40 MB contract, a 6 GB video and a 300 GB photo archive need different tools. This guide compares every practical method of large file transfer — email, cloud drives, transfer services, messengers, direct peer-to-peer and physical drives — with real limits and real transfer times, so you can pick in a minute. **Key facts** - **Email** stops at roughly **20–25 MB** per message (Gmail 25 MB, iCloud Mail 20 MB). - **Free transfer services** cap a transfer at a few GB (WeTransfer free: **3 GB**, expires after **3 days**). - **Cloud drives** fit whatever your quota allows (Google: **15 GB** free, shared with Gmail and Photos). - **Direct P2P** (StrongFolder): no upload, nothing stored, 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. - The trade-off of P2P: **the sender's tab must stay open** until the recipient finishes. - Transfer time ≈ size ÷ upload speed: **100 GB at 50 Mbit/s ≈ 4.5 hours**. ## What counts as a "large file"? "Large" is whatever is too big for the channel you would normally use. In practice there are four thresholds: - **Over ~20–25 MB** — too big for an email attachment. A scanned PDF, a few RAW photos or a one-minute 4K clip already cross it. - **Over ~2–3 GB** — too big for most free transfer services and for messenger apps. A feature length video or a design project with assets lands here. - **Over ~15 GB** — more than a free cloud drive can hold. Full video shoots, game builds, disk images, CAD archives. - **Over ~100 GB** — upload time becomes the real problem, not the limit. Here you either send directly or ship a drive. See [how to send a 100 GB file for free](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/send-100gb-file-free/). ## What are the ways to send large files? All figures are for free plans, as of 2026-11-05, from each vendor's own help pages. Plans change — check the vendor's current page before relying on a number. | Method | Free size limit | Upload first? | Copy stored on a server? | Sender online during download? | Best for | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Email (Gmail / iCloud Mail) | 25 MB / 20 MB per message | Yes | Yes, in mailboxes | No | Small documents | | iCloud Mail Drop | 5 GB, link lasts 30 days | Yes | Yes | No | Apple users, a few GB | | WeTransfer (free) | 3 GB per transfer, 10 transfers or 3 GB per 30 days | Yes | Yes, 3 days | No | Quick one-off sends | | Dropbox Transfer (Basic) | 2 GB, expires after 7 days | Yes | Yes | No | Dropbox users | | SwissTransfer | 50 GB, up to 30 days | Yes | Yes | No | Large sends without staying online | | Google Drive | 15 GB account storage | Yes | Yes, until deleted | No | Shared folders, long-term access | | WhatsApp / Telegram | 2 GB per document (Telegram Premium 4 GB) | Yes | Yes | No | Phone-to-phone | | **StrongFolder (P2P)** | **None set by the service** | **No** | **No** | **Yes** | **Huge files and folders, privacy** | | USB drive / external disk | Size of the drive | No | No | — | Terabytes, very slow internet | ### Email: fine for documents, not for large files Email is still the easiest way to send a large file *if* it is not that large. Gmail allows 25 MB per message and replaces anything bigger with a Google Drive link; iCloud Mail allows 20 MB, or up to 5 GB with Mail Drop. Details and workarounds for every provider are in [email attachment size limits](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/email-attachment-size-limits/). ### Cloud drives: best when people need access for weeks Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox and iCloud Drive store the file and give you a link. The recipient can preview it, come back next week and download it any time — you don't need to stay online. The costs: you wait for the full upload first, the file uses your quota (Google gives 15 GB free shared with Gmail and Photos, Microsoft and Apple 5 GB, Dropbox Basic 2 GB), and a copy stays on the provider's servers until you delete it. Folders downloaded from the web are usually handed over as ZIP files. More in [StrongFolder vs Google Drive](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/compare/strongfolder-vs-google-drive/). ### Transfer services: easy, but capped and temporary WeTransfer, Dropbox Transfer, SwissTransfer and similar services upload your file and e-mail a download link. Some free tiers work without an account; Dropbox Transfer needs a Dropbox account. Free limits range from 2 GB (Dropbox Transfer Basic) and 3 GB (WeTransfer) to 50 GB (SwissTransfer), and the files are deleted after a few days. A full comparison is in [WeTransfer alternatives](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/compare/wetransfer-alternatives/). ### Messengers: convenient, but capped at about 2 GB WhatsApp accepts documents up to 2 GB; Telegram accepts files up to 2 GB, or 4 GB with Premium. Photos and videos sent as regular media are usually compressed — send them as documents/files when quality matters. ### Direct peer-to-peer transfer: no upload, no cap A P2P tool connects the two browsers and streams the file straight from your disk to the recipient's. Nothing waits in a cloud, so the download starts immediately and there is nothing to delete afterwards. The catch is honest and simple: the file comes from *your* device, so your tab must stay open until the recipient finishes. How this works is explained in [P2P file transfer](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/p2p-file-transfer/). ### Physical drive: still unbeatable for terabytes If you have several terabytes or a very slow upload, copying to an external SSD and handing it over (or couriering it) is faster than any network. It is not an option for a client abroad who needs the file today. ## How do I send a large file with StrongFolder? The steps above take under a minute. Choose a file, several files or a whole folder, copy the link and send it. When the recipient opens the link, the transfer starts at once over an encrypted WebRTC connection — WebRTC encrypts every data channel with DTLS, so the file stream is encrypted in transit on every connection. 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. Folders arrive as folders — see [send a folder without zipping](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/send-folder-without-zipping/). [Send files now](https://strongfolder.com) ## How long does it take to transfer large files? Every method is limited by the sender's **upload** speed, which is usually much lower than the download speed your provider advertises. The math: size in GB × 8,000 ÷ speed in Mbit/s = seconds. | Upload speed | 1 GB | 10 GB | 100 GB | |---|---|---|---| | 10 Mbit/s | ~13 min | ~2.2 h | ~22 h | | 50 Mbit/s | ~2.7 min | ~27 min | ~4.4 h | | 100 Mbit/s | ~1.3 min | ~13 min | ~2.2 h | | 500 Mbit/s | ~16 s | ~2.7 min | ~27 min | Add 5–15 % for protocol overhead. With a cloud service you pay this time twice in sequence — your upload, then the recipient's download. With P2P the upload and the download happen at the same time, limited by the slower of the two connections. ## Which method should I choose? - **Under 25 MB:** just attach it. - **Up to 2–3 GB, and you want to send and walk away:** a free transfer service or Mail Drop. - **Up to tens of GB, and recipients need access for weeks:** a cloud drive with enough quota. - **Any size, a whole folder, or you don't want a stored copy:** a direct P2P link. - **Several terabytes, or upload under 10 Mbit/s:** an external drive. ## When is StrongFolder not the best choice? - **You can't stay online.** If you need to send the link and shut the laptop, use a cloud drive or a transfer service — files must be stored somewhere for that. - **The recipient will download days later.** The link works while the sender keeps sharing. When the sender clicks Stop Sharing or closes the tab, the files are no longer available. - **People need to browse, preview or comment on files** over weeks — a shared cloud folder does that better. - **Your upload is very slow and the files are huge.** No network method beats a drive in the post. ## Is it safe to share large files online? Every method on this page encrypts the connection in transit. The difference is what happens afterwards: with email, cloud drives and transfer services a copy sits on a provider's servers until it is deleted or expires. With a direct transfer the file is never stored on a server. 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. More in [secure file sharing](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/secure-file-sharing/). ## Summary To send large files, use email for anything under 25 MB, a transfer service or cloud drive when you can't stay online, and a direct peer-to-peer link for very large files, whole folders, or when you don't want a copy left on someone else's server. Next: [how to send large video files](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/send-large-video-files/), [transfer files without uploading](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/send-files-without-uploading/) and [P2P vs cloud file transfer](https://help.strongfolder.com/en/guides/p2p-vs-cloud-file-transfer/). ## FAQ ### What is the best free way to send large files? It depends on size and timing. Up to about 3 GB, a free transfer service is easy and works while you are offline. For larger files, or when you don't want a copy on someone else's server, a direct P2P transfer such as StrongFolder has no size cap from the service, as long as you keep your tab open. ### How can I send a file that is too big for email? Send a link instead of an attachment. Gmail swaps oversized attachments for a Google Drive link, Outlook.com can attach OneDrive files, and iCloud Mail offers Mail Drop up to 5 GB. A transfer service or a P2P link works with any email provider. ### Is there a size limit on StrongFolder? 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. ### Why does the sender have to stay 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. That is the price of not uploading anything: no waiting for an upload and no stored copy, but no downloading after you close the tab. ### How long does it take to transfer large files? Divide the size by your upload speed. 10 GB over a 50 Mbit/s upload takes about 27 minutes; 100 GB takes about 4.5 hours. Real transfers are a little slower because of network overhead. ### Can I send one large file to several people at once? One link can be opened by several recipients; each downloads directly from the sender. Each extra recipient uses more of the sender's upload bandwidth, so simultaneous downloads share the speed.