Send large files without an account
Yes, you can, but there are two separate questions here that most pages blur together. For the recipient, the answer is yes everywhere: no serious transfer service makes the recipient register, they open the link in a browser and download. For the sender, the answer differs from one service to the next, and that is the only real decision you have to make.
What each service asks of the sender
| Service | What it asks of you | What you can send for free |
|---|---|---|
| SwissTransfer | No registration; an email address confirmed with a code, once per device | Up to 50 GB per transfer |
| Filemail | No registration for the free plan | Up to 5 GB per transfer |
| WeTransfer | An account, created from your email address and a verification code | Up to 10 transfers or 3 GB in total per rolling 30 days |
| Transferify | An email address confirmed with a one-time code, or a Google, Microsoft, Yahoo or Facebook sign-in | Hosted links sized per transfer, with no cap on the number of transfers; Instant free up to 5 GB; no limit on a paid plan |
We checked the figures above on each provider's own pages on 29 September 2026: swisstransfer.com and Infomaniak's getting started guide, filemail.com, and WeTransfer's help center on plan limits and on why an account is needed to send. These limits change often, so check again before a delivery that matters.
If you want to leave as few details as possible
Then SwissTransfer is the right choice, not us. It takes 50 GB without a registration form, and its only check is a code sent to your email address, once per device. If that is your main requirement, sending a file once and leaving as little behind as possible, use it without hesitation. A guide that keeps you on the page to sell you something else is wasting your time.
What we ask for, and why
With Transferify you confirm an email address with a one-time code, or sign in with Google, Microsoft, Yahoo or Facebook. You do not choose a password, fill in a form or install anything, but the address is real and it is yours. Without one of the two, you cannot send.
The reason is practical. A confirmed address means we can tell you when a download of your transfer starts (from the Basic plan), you can delete a transfer you sent by mistake, on any plan, and you can see and manage what you have sent. Without it, a transfer that has gone out is a transfer you can no longer touch. We chose to ask for the address and not for a password, because the password is the part that gets in the way, and the part that gets lost.
What we never ask of the recipient
Nothing. No account, no app, no browser extension, no email address. The recipient gets a link, opens it in the browser they already have, on a phone or a computer, and the download starts. That holds for both sending modes.
The two modes, and when to pick each
Instant transfer runs straight between the two browsers, peer-to-peer, end-to-end encrypted. The files are never stored on our servers. Instant is free up to 5 GB on the free plan; above that, any paid plan unlocks any size. Your tab does have to stay open until the recipient has finished downloading.
A hosted link is encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM before upload and stays encrypted in storage, so you can close the tab as soon as the upload has finished. The free plan includes 50 downloads a month and a link that lasts 1–3 days. The figures for every plan are on the pricing page, which reads them from the same catalogue the product enforces.
How to send, in practice
- Open Transferify and add your files to the page.
- Choose how to send: Direct for an instant transfer, or Hosted for a link that stays online.
- If you are not signed in yet, confirm your email address with the code you receive. It takes about as long as opening the email.
- Share the link over any channel: email, WhatsApp, your team chat.
If the question behind this page was really about confidentiality rather than sign-up, carry on with the guide on how to send files securely: it explains who can open a link, what encryption means in each mode, and what happens to the files after expiry.
If you would rather know how long the link lasts once it has gone out, the expiry for each plan, and what the recipient sees once it has lapsed, are in the guide on how long a transfer link lasts. Every other way to send is on the overview of how to send large files.
Send your files now. Your recipient will not be asked to sign up for anything.
Frequently asked questions
Does the recipient need an account to download?
No, not with any serious transfer service. They open the link in a browser and download. If a service makes the recipient register to collect a file you sent once, it is the wrong tool for the job.
What does Transferify ask of the sender?
Confirming an email address with a one-time code, or signing in with Google, Microsoft, Yahoo or Facebook if you prefer. You choose no password and fill in no sign-up form, but you are not fully anonymous either. The address is what lets you manage your transfers afterwards and, from the Basic plan, lets us email you when a download starts.
Are there services that ask for nothing at all?
SwissTransfer comes closest. It takes up to 50 GB with no registration, although its sender confirms an email address with a code once per device, according to Infomaniak's guide checked on 29 September 2026. If keeping your details to a minimum is your main requirement, it is the right choice, and we will not try to talk you out of it.
Why do some services want an email address?
Usually for three reasons, to tell you when a download starts, to let you delete or manage a transfer later, and to limit abuse. A service that asks for nothing gives up the first two and has to handle the third some other way.
Does no account also mean no encryption?
No, the two are unrelated. With Transferify, hosted files are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM before upload, and instant transfers are end-to-end encrypted, whether your account is years old or you confirmed your address a minute ago.