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MyPDF Blog
March 25, 20264 min read

Best Ways to Share Large Files in 2026

Comparing WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox, compression tools, and other methods for sending large files without hitting email limits.

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Email attachments cap out at 25MB. Your file is 300MB. Now what?

This is a problem that shouldn't still exist in 2026, yet here we are — scrambling for solutions every time someone needs to send a large PDF, video, or design file. Let me walk you through the options, ranked by how much friction they create.

The simplest approach: upload the file to cloud storage and share a link.

Google Drive

  • Free tier: 15GB shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos
  • Max file upload: 5TB (with paid plan)
  • Link sharing: Easy, with granular permissions
  • Catches: The 15GB fills up fast if you use Gmail. Shared links sometimes trigger "request access" prompts that confuse recipients.

Dropbox

  • Free tier: 2GB (laughably small)
  • Max file upload: 2GB free, 50GB on Plus
  • Link sharing: Clean share links, password protection available
  • Catches: The free tier is basically unusable for large files. They really want you to pay.

OneDrive

  • Free tier: 5GB
  • Max file upload: 250GB
  • Link sharing: Works well, integrates with Outlook
  • Catches: Best experience on Windows. Mac and Linux users find the sync client flaky.
Verdict: If you already pay for Google One, M365, or Dropbox Plus, this is the move. Zero extra tools needed.

Dedicated File Transfer Services

WeTransfer

The classic. Upload a file, enter the recipient's email, send. They get a download link.
  • Free tier: 2GB per transfer, files expire after 7 days
  • Pro: 200GB per transfer, custom backgrounds, password protection
  • Why people love it: Zero friction. No account needed (for free tier). Works immediately.
  • Why people complain: 2GB free limit is tight for video files. The 7-day expiry means links go dead.

Swiss Transfer

A privacy-focused alternative from Infomaniak (Swiss company).
  • Free tier: Up to 50GB per transfer — wildly generous
  • Expiry: Configurable, up to 30 days
  • Encryption: End-to-end available
  • Catches: Less well-known, so recipients sometimes look at the link suspiciously

Send Anywhere

Uses 6-digit codes instead of email-based transfers. Good for quick device-to-device sharing.
  • Free tier: Up to 10GB
  • No account needed
  • Cross-platform: Web, iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux
  • Catches: The code-based system is great for same-room sharing but awkward for async transfers

Compression: Shrink Before You Send

Before reaching for a file transfer service, ask: can you make the file smaller?

PDF Compression

A 50MB PDF full of scanned images can often be compressed to 10-15MB without visible quality loss. MyPDF's PDF compressor handles this well — it reduces image resolution and optimizes the internal structure.

Image Compression

Sending a folder of 5MB photos? Compress them individually first. Image compression can typically cut photo sizes by 60-70% with minimal visual impact.

ZIP Archives

Good old ZIP compression. It won't do much for already-compressed formats (JPEG, MP4, MP3), but it can significantly shrink documents, spreadsheets, and uncompressed data.

Video Compression

This is where the biggest savings are. A raw screen recording at 1080p might be 500MB for 5 minutes. Proper compression can get that under 50MB.

Splitting Large PDFs

Sometimes the file is large because it doesn't need to be one file. A 200-page PDF report can be split into sections — send the relevant chapters instead of the whole thing.

Peer-to-Peer: The Niche Option

Tools like Wormhole, ShareDrop, and Snapdrop use WebRTC for direct device-to-device transfer. No cloud upload, no file size limits (theoretically).

The reality: Both devices need to be online simultaneously. Connection quality varies. Great for sending a file to someone sitting across the table. Impractical for async sharing.

My Recommendation

  1. Under 25MB — email attachment. Don't overthink it.
  2. 25MB - 2GB — WeTransfer free or Google Drive link
  3. 2GB - 50GB — Swiss Transfer (most generous free tier) or paid cloud storage
  4. Before any of this — try compressing the file first. You'd be surprised how often a 300MB file can become a 30MB file.
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