WeTransfer vs Dropbox Transfer: which one should send your files?

A client asks for the final cut by Friday. The file is 4 GB, your email bounces anything over 25 MB, and you have two tabs open: WeTransfer and Dropbox.

Both will get the file there. They are built on different ideas, though. WeTransfer is a sending service first. Dropbox is a storage service that added a sending tool, called Dropbox Transfer, on top.

That difference shows up in the limits, and the limits are what decide which one works for you. We checked both companies' own pages on 9 October 2026, and here is what they say.

WeTransfer vs Dropbox Transfer on the free plans

On WeTransfer's free plan you can send up to 10 transfers or 3 GB in total in any rolling 30 days, whichever comes first. Free links last a maximum of three days. We cover how that rolling window catches people out in WeTransfer's free limit in 2026.

Dropbox Basic, the free plan, lets you send a transfer of up to 2 GB. Dropbox's help centre doesn't describe a monthly transfer count. A free transfer expires after 7 days, and you can't change that.

So WeTransfer Free has a published monthly ceiling, and Dropbox Basic keeps a link alive for longer. A 4 GB file is over Dropbox Basic's 2 GB cap and over WeTransfer Free's 3 GB allowance, so it fits neither free plan.

On both services, the person receiving the files doesn't need an account. You need one to send.

Where the paid plans pull apart

Dropbox ties the transfer size to your storage plan. Plus allows transfers up to 50 GB. Standard and Advanced allow 100 GB, as does the standalone Dropbox Transfer plan. Business Plus and Enterprise go to 250 GB, according to Dropbox's help centre.

WeTransfer's Starter plan keeps the 10-transfer count but raises the monthly total to 300 GB. Ultimate removes the count and allows up to 1 TB per transfer. If you regularly send raw footage or whole projects, that is the biggest number in this comparison by some distance.

Prices for both vary by region and billing period, so check each pricing page for yours. Dropbox lists Plus at $9.99 a month and Standard at $15 per user per month on its US plans page.

How long links last, and who can change it

Dropbox's rule is simple. On Basic, Family and Plus, a transfer expires after 7 days. On Standard, Professional, Advanced, Business and the Transfer plan, the default is 30 days and you can set a custom date up to a year away.

WeTransfer free links last up to three days. Custom expiry, and recovering a link after it has expired, sit on Ultimate.

On Dropbox, expiry is a link setting, not a deletion. WeTransfer lets Ultimate users recover expired links.

Passwords, where the two companies' own pages disagree

Dropbox is consistent. Password-protected transfers are listed on Standard and Advanced, and are not available on Basic or Plus. The help centre says the same.

WeTransfer is less clear. Its free plan page says a password and a restricted list of email addresses are available on every plan, including free, before or after sending. Its plan limits article lists password protection under Ultimate.

We can't tell you which page is right. If a password is the reason you are choosing WeTransfer Free, try it on a test transfer first.

Knowing whether the file arrived

WeTransfer sends you a download confirmation email. For a link transfer, it arrives once, the first time the transfer is fully downloaded. For more detail, its Access Control feature asks downloaders to verify their email and notifies you of each download. WeTransfer's plan limits article lists Access Control under Ultimate.

Dropbox shows views and downloads next to each sent transfer, and you can switch on download notifications, which are off by default. Its Transfer plan page says that moving back to Basic means you will no longer be notified of downloads or see transfer stats, so on the free plan, don't count on them.

Which one should you use?

If you send big files often and size is the thing that matters, WeTransfer Ultimate wins outright at 1 TB per transfer.

If you already pay for Dropbox Standard or Advanced, you have 100 GB transfers, passwords and expiry up to a year included. Using it costs you nothing extra.

If you only send the odd file on a free plan, WeTransfer suits small, occasional sends, and Dropbox suits a bigger single transfer that needs a 7-day link.

Where TinyX fits, and where it doesn't

We should be straight about size first. TinyX Free caps each file at 500 MB, with 10 GB of storage. Pro raises that to 1 GB per file for $9 a month, and Max to 5 GB for $29 a month, as listed on our pricing page. For a 50 GB shoot, either service above is the better tool.

What we do differently is control over when a link stops working. On every plan, including Free, you can set a link to expire on a date or after a number of downloads, and add a password. When it expires, the link shuts off and shows a "Link Unavailable" page with no redirect, and the file stays in your library until you delete it. We explain the mechanics in how to make a one-time download link.

End-to-end encryption, where the file is encrypted in your browser before upload, is on Pro and Max. If that matters more than size, see how TinyX encrypts your files and the features page.

So contracts, invoices, photo selections and documents under 500 MB suit TinyX Free. Video and full projects suit WeTransfer or Dropbox, unless you move to Max and your files are under 5 GB.

Frequently asked questions

Is WeTransfer or Dropbox better for large files?

For the largest files, WeTransfer Ultimate, at up to 1 TB per transfer. Dropbox's highest transfer limit is 250 GB, on Business Plus and Enterprise.

What is the Dropbox Transfer limit on the free plan?

2 GB per transfer on Dropbox Basic, and the link expires after 7 days.

Do recipients need an account?

No, on either service. Only the sender does.

Can I password-protect a transfer for free?

On Dropbox, no. Passwords start on Standard. On WeTransfer, its free plan page says yes, but its plan limits article lists passwords under Ultimate.

Do I get notified when someone downloads my file?

WeTransfer emails you the first time a link transfer is fully downloaded. Dropbox offers download notifications you turn on per transfer, and its Transfer plan page suggests they aren't part of Basic.

Where to start

If most of what you send is documents and photo selections under 500 MB, send the next one from TinyX Free with an expiry date and a password set, and see whether you miss the bigger caps. If you send video, compare Pro and Max on the pricing page first.