WeTransfer
Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent.
Sends large files without an account: upload, enter an address or take a link, and the recipient downloads until the transfer expires.
Build me a large-file transfer service on object storage, with links that expire. STACK - Node with Fastify, SQLite for metadata - S3-compatible object storage; the app server never handles the file bytes UPLOAD - Presigned multipart upload straight to storage, initiated by the server - Resume a partial upload after a dropped connection by listing completed parts - Record checksum, size and content type; verify the size on completion THE LINK - A signed id with 128 bits of entropy — never sequential, never guessable - Optional password: store a hash, and require it before issuing the download URL - Expiry in days, enforced by a lifecycle rule on the bucket as well as in the database, so an expired file is really gone DOWNLOAD - Issue a short-lived presigned URL per download; never proxy the file through your server - Count downloads, and enforce a maximum if one is set ABUSE, WHICH YOU ARE NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR - Rate limit uploads per IP hash - A takedown endpoint and a documented process - Scan uploads with ClamAV before the link becomes active, and hold the file if it fails NOTIFICATIONS - Email the sender on first download, and the recipient when the link is about to expire Include a README on the bucket lifecycle rules, the egress cost per hundred gigabytes, and the abuse process.
What you lose
- A recipient experience with no account, no app and no explanation needed
- Bandwidth for very large transfers to many recipients at once
- Virus scanning and abuse handling on files you did not create
- Transfer expiry, download tracking and receipts handled for you
- Being a name the other side already trusts enough to click
If you would rather not build
- Nextcloud — self-hosted sharing with expiring links
- Smash — paid, no size limit, similar recipient experience
The escape hatch
open source · no votes, no paid placement
Send
$0Encrypted file transfer with expiring links, the maintained fork of Firefox Send.
timvisee/sendfree · open source
PicoShare
$0Tiny self-hosted file sharing with direct links and expiry.
mtlynch/picosharefree · open source
Why this verdict
our own opinion · changed only by a person
80/100
Verdict yes at 80: presigned uploads and expiring links are genuinely one session, and object storage makes the economics fine at small scale. The two things you take on are the egress bill and being responsible for what strangers upload.
History
tracked since 9 Aug 2026 · nothing is ever overwritten
Nothing recorded yet. This chart fills in once the page has visitors, votes or prompt copies — it will not draw a flat line to look busy.
Questions about WeTransfer
answered from the record above
Is WeTransfer free?
No — the plan we track is $12 a month. Pro at about $12/month billed monthly, cheaper annually, for 1TB transfers and storage; a free tier sends up to 2GB.
Can you replace WeTransfer by building your own?
YES. Replaceable in one session with an AI coding agent. Replacement score 80 out of 100, build time one session. Read what you lose before you decide.
How much does WeTransfer cost?
$12 a month on Pro — $144 a year. Recorded 9 Aug 2026.
What do you lose by replacing WeTransfer?
A recipient experience with no account, no app and no explanation needed; Bandwidth for very large transfers to many recipients at once; Virus scanning and abuse handling on files you did not create; Transfer expiry, download tracking and receipts handled for you; Being a name the other side already trusts enough to click. If any of those carry weight for you, keep paying.
Is there an open-source alternative to WeTransfer?
Yes: Send, PicoShare. The prompt on this page is for when you want it your way instead.
Related entries
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