Torn between Dropbox and TransferNow?

For free use, the difference is clear from the start: Dropbox Transfer requires a Dropbox account and caps at 2 GB per send, while password protection and download notifications belong to the paid plans.

TransferNow lets you send up to 5 GB per transfer with no sign-up, with password and download notifications for free, plus an automatic security scan that’s invisible to the user.

Two features widen the gap on the free tier:

• file reception without uploads eating into your storage space;
• download tracking, sent even without an account.

This is where the models truly diverge, and let’s be honest: Dropbox includes generous cloud storage (2 TB and more) in its subscriptions — its real value. The Transfer feature is bolted onto it.

On the transfer side

• TransferNow Premium: 250 GB per transfer, from ~10 €/month, retention up to 365 days.
• Dropbox Transfer: 50 to 250 GB per transfer depending on the subscription (250 GB included with Business Plus/Enterprise), 30-day expiration by default — customizable up to 1 year on eligible plans, fixed 7 days on Basic/Plus/Family.

On the team side

• TransferNow Team: 10 accounts included for a flat rate, up to 500 GB per transfer.
• Dropbox: per-user billing, with team storage at the heart of the offer.

In short: if you’re after storage, Dropbox has the edge. If you’re after sending and receiving large files, without paying for cloud space, TransferNow is more direct — with much longer retention.

Dropbox excels at keeping and syncing files day to day; its Transfer feature adds onto that use. TransferNow is built for one thing: moving files from point A to point B, by link or email.

The practical result: with TransferNow, no storage account to manage and no quota to watch. You send, the recipient downloads, the link expires. With Dropbox, transfers stay tied to your subscription and your space.

Both can receive, but not the same way. Dropbox’s File Requests drop files into your Dropbox — handy, but it uses up your storage quota.

With TransferNow, you generate an email file request or an upload link, and can even embed a widget on your website — no upload ever eats into a storage space, and you’re notified with every drop.

Both services encrypt files at rest (AES-256) and offer two-factor authentication. TransferNow protects transfers with a password from the free plan and adds SSE-C encryption: your password can act as the server-side encryption key.

The decisive difference is sovereignty: TransferNow is a European, GDPR-compliant solution that lets you choose the storage region (France, Europe…) and scans every file (antivirus). Dropbox is a US player, with European options reserved for its Business plans.

The Dropbox API is above all a storage API (managing files inside a Dropbox space). TransferNow offers a dedicated transfer REST API, pay-as-you-go — you only pay for the transfers you actually make — and independent of any storage.

In a few lines of code, automate sending, search for a transfer, check its status or delete it, right from your business tools.