Have you ever needed to send a very large file to someone and realized how inconvenient it is? Most email service providers have very small file size limits for attachments. The 25MB limit is fairly small, so whether you want to send high-resolution video or other large files, you’ll have to rely on web-based services. Here are some of the best solutions with large file size limits on the free tier.
1. Send files quickly – no login required
Sometimes you might just want to send a large file and don’t want to go through the hassle of registering and setting up an account to share the file. In this case, you can use a service that uploads the file to a server, or you can use a service that lets the recipient download the file directly from your computer.
These services are great for one-time use, but since the file is uploaded from the browser, the upload can fail, meaning you have to start from scratch, which can be a frustrating experience with a slow or unreliable connection. These are our favorites:
We transfer money
There are several services that let you upload files to a server and send downloadable links, but WeTransfer stands out for two reasons: a 2GB size limit for individual files, and no registration required. Here’s how to use it.
1. Open the WeTransfer website and click “Skip/I agree” if some prompts appear.
2. Now you will see the option to add files (up to 2GB each). Each file is only stored for 7 days, after which you must re-upload it.
3. Click Add files > Select files (you can select multiple files) > Click Add more files (if needed) > Transfer > Copy link.
4. Send this link to anyone you want to share these files with.
5. WeTransfer also has an iOS app that allows you to send files up to 10GB for free. This might be useful if you want to send photos or videos, but since iOS doesn’t have a file manager, you can’t send any other type of data.
Jasbem
If you’re worried about privacy, you can send files through peer-to-peer services like JustBeamIt. The service does not store files on its servers and allows others to download files directly from your computer. To do this, you must keep the browser window open until the recipient downloads the file.
JustBeamIt simply creates a download link that the recipient can use to download the file. The link is valid only once and only while the download is running. To share a file with others, you must create a new link. This is how it works.
1. Visit the JustBeamIt website and drag and drop any file (or click on the parachute icon and select the file). You will see a link.
2. Send this link to the person you want to share the file with. The recipient will see a web page prompting you to start the download. Click the file icon to start the download.
JustBeamIt has no file size limit, and unlike alternatives, it doesn’t require you to install any applications on your computer.
2. Cloud storage services
Sharing files via email is very easy if you use any cloud storage service such as Dropbox or Google Drive. These services have large file size limits, making it easy for recipients to download files as well. While registration and setup are relatively simple, it may be too much effort if you’re not yet a user and want to send content quickly. In this case, use the alternatives mentioned here.
Our favorite is Dropbox because it’s available as an app on almost every platform (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android) and also has a good web interface. Dropbox provides users with 2GB of free storage space. You can get more free space by recommending others to use Dropbox, sometimes by buying a new smartphone, or by purchasing more storage space as needed.
Dropbox allows you to upload files up to 10GB each when using the web interface, and there is no limit on individual file sizes when uploading using any application. Once Dropbox is up and running on your computer, simply copy/move the files you want to share to the Dropbox folder (or any of its subfolders).
You can do this by clicking the Dropbox icon on the system tray in Windows, or in the menu bar on Mac, and then clicking on the small folder in the upper left corner. This will open the Dropbox folder in Explorer/Finder. Just copy the files you want to share to this folder.
Then right-click the link and select Share Dropbox Link. This will copy the link to the file, which you can send to anyone you want to share the file with. This can be used to share any file of any type or size that the system is capable of storing.
If you’re away from your computer and want to send someone a file from a Dropbox folder, here’s how you can do it.
Here’s how to use it.
1. Open Dropbox and log in.
2. After that, select the file or folder you want to share > Click on the “Share Link” button > Click on “Get Link” and send this link to the person you want to share the file with.
Other services such as Google Drive, Box, and OneDrive work similarly and can be used instead. Google Drive is noteworthy because it allows you to upload up to 1TB of each file, but free storage is capped at 15GB. If you need to send a file larger than Dropbox’s limit, you may want to use Google Drive.
Send large files via email
As mentioned before, email attachments are too restrictive if you plan to send large files. However, popular email services also have cloud integration so you can send large files as attachments.
Mail
Gmail, the world’s most popular email service, has a fairly strict 25MB limit on attachments. It does provide an easy way to attach larger files. If you wish, follow these steps:
1. This method does not work if you are using Gmail’s basic HTML view. Before trying this, make sure you’re using Gmail’s default view.
2. Click the Compose button in the upper left corner > Hover over the + icon in the compose window > Click Insert from Drive > Upload the file to Google Drive. This allows you to upload files larger than 25MB.
3. If you are already using other cloud services, you may not want to store certain files on Google Drive. To quickly attach these files while using Gmail, try a Chrome extension called Cloudy.
4. Compose the email > click the Cloudy button in the upper right corner > select the cloud service you are using. Supports photos from Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, OneDrive, Github, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr and Picasa. Add files and send.
Yahoo Mail
Yahoo Mail’s default attachment limit is 25MB. However, Yahoo does support sending larger files via Flickr (for images) or Dropbox (for everything else).
1. Log in > click Compose to start composing a new email.
2. Click the down arrow next to the attachment’s paperclip icon and select Share via Flickr or Share via Dropbox.
3. You will be prompted to authorize Yahoo Mail to access Flickr/Dropbox. This is a one-time event that occurs the first time you use any service through Yahoo Mail.
4. After authorization is complete, you can select the files to share. Anyone can open these files, even if they are not Flickr/Dropbox users. If you use Yahoo Mail to upload files to Dropbox, the maximum attachment size is capped at 150MB. For larger files, try using Dropbox directly, as described in the previous section.
Outlook.com
Outlook.com users can also easily send large files, but by default only 20MB attachments can be attached to each email. Here’s how to attach larger files:
1. Log in > click Compose.
2. Click the down arrow next to the Insert button at the top and select Share via OneDrive.
This allows you to attach files from your OneDrive account. All you need to do is upload files to OneDrive via your computer, mobile device, or the OneDrive web interface, and select them when Outlook.com prompts you.
If you use any other method for sharing large files, please let us know in the comments. Sometimes though, the fastest way to send large files may be to copy them to your hard drive and send them via courier. For more tutorials, visit our How-To section.
