WeTransfer's acquisition by Bending Spoons in 2023 fundamentally changed the service — free users are now limited to 10 transfers per month, 3 GB maximum file size, and 3-day availability. If you're looking for an alternative, here's a detailed comparison of the best options in 2026.
What to look for in a WeTransfer alternative
Before comparing services, it's worth defining what made WeTransfer good in the first place: no account requirement, generous file size, clean recipient experience, and reliable delivery. The best alternatives preserve these qualities.
- File size limit — How large can a single transfer be?
- Transfer limit — How many times can you send per month?
- Account requirement — Can you send without registering?
- Availability window — How long is the download link valid?
- Recipient experience — Does the downloader need an account?
- Security — Is sender email verified?
1. freesend.io — Best overall free alternative
freesend.io was built as a direct replacement for the old WeTransfer. It offers 100 GB per transfer, unlimited transfers, 7-day availability, and requires no account for either sender or recipient.
- ✓ 100 GB per transfer (33× more than WeTransfer Free)
- ✓ Unlimited transfers — no monthly cap
- ✓ 7-day availability
- ✓ No account required
- ✓ Sender email verified (prevents spoofing)
- ✓ Available in 20 languages
- ✓ Files hosted on Cloudflare R2 with global CDN
- – Funded by non-intrusive video ads during upload and download
The ad-funded model is the key trade-off: non-intrusive video ads play during upload and download. For senders who send to clients or external parties, this is usually acceptable. For internal team transfers where the recipient objects to ads, it's worth noting.
2. TransferNow — Simple, 5 GB free
TransferNow is a French file transfer service with a clean interface. The free tier allows up to 5 GB per transfer and 5 transfers per day, with no account required.
- ✓ No account required
- ✓ 5 GB free (up from WeTransfer's 3 GB)
- ✓ 7-day availability
- – 5 transfers per day limit
- – EU-only CDN (slower for non-European recipients)
- ✗ No sender email verification (spoofing risk — anyone can enter any sender email)
The lack of sender email verification is a significant concern: TransferNow allows anyone to claim any sender email address, which can be used for phishing. Recipients see the unverified sender email as a clickable link.
3. Smash — Clean interface, 2 GB free
Smash is a French file transfer service with a modern, clean interface. The free tier allows 2 GB per transfer and 10 transfers per month.
- ✓ Clean, modern interface
- ✓ No account required
- ✓ Transfer tracking (see when recipient downloaded)
- – 2 GB free limit
- – 10 transfers per month
- – Ads in free tier
4. Send Anywhere — Up to 10 GB free
Send Anywhere offers up to 10 GB per transfer for free, with link-based sharing and direct device-to-device transfer via P2P. However, it requires account creation for email delivery.
- ✓ Up to 10 GB free
- ✓ P2P transfer option for real-time sharing
- ✓ Mobile apps available
- – Account required for full functionality
- – More complex UI than WeTransfer-style services
Comparison table: WeTransfer alternatives 2026
- freesend.io: 100 GB | Unlimited | No account | 7 days | Free
- TransferNow: 5 GB | 5/day | No account | 7 days | Free
- Smash: 2 GB | 10/month | No account | 7 days | Free
- Send Anywhere: 10 GB | Unlimited | Account needed | 48 hours | Free
- WeTransfer Free: 3 GB | 10/month | No account | 3 days | Free
Our recommendation
For most users looking to replace WeTransfer, freesend.io is the closest equivalent to what WeTransfer was before the Bending Spoons acquisition — with a more generous file size limit (100 GB vs. the old 2 GB). The ad-funded model is transparent and less disruptive than subscription pressure.
If you only occasionally send small files (under 5 GB) and EU CDN speed isn't a concern, TransferNow is a reasonable option — though the lack of sender verification is worth considering if you send to clients.