WeTransfer vs SwissTransfer vs Smash: which one for which file size
3 GB, 50 GB, 2 GB without queuing: the limits checked on 15 September 2026, the quotas you only discover too late, and what is left when a file outgrows all three.
The short answer. Under 2 GB, all three will do. From 2 to 50 GB, SwissTransfer is the only one of the three that stays free with no account and no queue. WeTransfer's free plan stops at 3 GB per transfer, requires an account and caps the month at 10 transfers or 3 GB in total.
Past 50 GB, all three only offer subscriptions. toobigtoshare goes up to 2 TB per transfer, with no account and no subscription.
The three services, checked on 15 September 2026
Every cell comes from the provider's own pages: WeTransfer's “Plan limits” help article and its file size page, Smash's pricing page, SwissTransfer's home page and the getting-started guide published by Infomaniak, which runs it.
| WeTransfer Free | SwissTransfer | Smash Free | toobigtoshare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size per transfer | 3 GB | 50 GB | 2 GB guaranteed, larger ones queue | 2 TB |
| Account to send | Yes | No, but email verified once per device | No | No, and no email asked |
| Link lifetime | 3 days at most | 15 days, extendable to 30 | Up to 7 days | 3 days, date and time shown |
| Quota | 10 transfers or 3 GB per rolling 30 days | None stated | None stated | None: $5.49 per transfer |
| Paid tier | Starter: 10 transfers or 300 GB per 30 days. Ultimate: up to 1 TB per transfer | — | Pro: unlimited size, up to 30 days | No subscription |
“up to 10 transfers (or 3 GB total)”
This is the line in WeTransfer's help centre people tend to find at the worst moment. It describes the free plan, over a rolling 30-day window:
up to 10 transfers (or 3 GB total)
Read the “or” carefully: the ceiling drops as soon as either threshold is hit. Three 1 GB transfers in a month already use up the volume; the fourth is refused, even though each file on its own sat under the 3 GB per-transfer limit. The Starter plan keeps the same 10-transfer counter, with 300 GB of volume.
And a free link expires after 3 days at most. A recipient who is travelling often finds it dead.
Which one for which file size
| File size | What works for free | Where it snags |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 GB | All three | WeTransfer: account and monthly quota |
| 2 to 3 GB | SwissTransfer; WeTransfer if your quota allows | Smash: queue behind Pro transfers |
| 3 to 50 GB | SwissTransfer | WeTransfer refuses; Smash queues |
| Over 50 GB | None of the three | Smash or WeTransfer subscription, or toobigtoshare |
What each one does well, and what it charges for it
WeTransfer is still the name everyone knows, and the recipient downloads without an account. But for a one-off send the bill has grown: an account to create, a monthly quota, and 3 days to collect the file. Our WeTransfer alternative page covers the change in detail.
SwissTransfer has the highest free ceiling of the three. The trade-off is small but real: an email address to verify, once per device, and 15 days by default before deletion.
Smash asks for nothing and has no hard cap. But past 2 GB, a free transfer waits its turn behind Pro subscribers, and the link lives for up to 7 days.
Why not just attach the file? Because Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook cap attachments far below any of these services, as our guide to attachments that are too large shows.
When the file outgrows all three
Past 50 GB — a camera card, a backup, a gallery of RAW photos — all three services point to a monthly subscription. For one transfer a quarter, that is a recurring charge to watch and a service to cancel.
toobigtoshare takes up to 2 TB per transfer. Upload the file, get a link, send it however you like. No account on either side, and no email address asked, neither yours nor the recipient's. One price whatever the size: $5.49 per transfer, no volume tiers, no monthly quota.
A multi-hour upload resumes after a dropped connection instead of starting from zero. And the file is deleted after 3 days, on a date and time shown in advance, rather than at the end of some vague period.
Send a file with toobigtoshare — up to 2 TB, no account, no subscription.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between WeTransfer and SwissTransfer?
On their free tiers, SwissTransfer accepts 50 GB per transfer with no account, verifying your email once per device, and keeps files for 15 days, extendable to 30. WeTransfer Free caps at 3 GB, requires an account, limits you to 10 transfers or 3 GB per 30 days, and expires links after 3 days at most.
Is Smash free with no size limit?
No hard cap, but not without strings: the free plan guarantees 2 GB per transfer, and larger transfers join a queue behind Pro transfers, according to its pricing page checked on 15 September 2026. Files stay available for up to 7 days.
Can I send more than 3 GB with WeTransfer for free?
No: 3 GB per transfer, and 3 GB in total over a rolling 30 days. Beyond that you need a subscription — Starter, or Ultimate for up to 1 TB per transfer.
Which service sends more than 50 GB without a subscription?
None of the three: past 50 GB, WeTransfer and Smash require a subscription and SwissTransfer refuses. toobigtoshare accepts up to 2 TB per transfer, with no account, for $5.49 per transfer.
A file too big for the free plans?
toobigtoshare carries up to 2 TB per transfer. No account, for you or for the person receiving, no subscription, no quota. $5.49 per transfer, file deleted after 3 days.