Torn between Smash and TransferNow?

Smash advertises “no limit”, but its own screen says otherwise: beyond 2 GB per transfer, free uploads are “not prioritized” and go into a queue that can reach ~16 h — unless you upgrade to the paid plan (Smash Pro). Below 2 GB, processing is immediate. (Smash free plan, observed in June 2026.)

On the free plan, Smash also requires code verification by email before every upload. TransferNow lets you send up to 5 GB per transfer with priority, no sign-up, no queue, no code and no ads, with automatic security scanning that adds no extra step for you.

Password protection and download notifications are available on both sides from the free plan. The real difference on free plans: file reception (email request, upload link) is free with TransferNow and paid-only with Smash.

For sharing, the TransferNow link can be shared with unlimited recipients; direct email sending covers 10 contacts for free (50 with an account).

In short: Smash free works for occasionally sending very large files if waiting doesn’t bother you. For priority sending, no code, file reception and tracking from the free plan, TransferNow is more complete.

Paid plans remove the queue and unlock the pro features. At a comparable scope the prices are close — the difference lies in retention, file reception and enterprise options.

Individual plan

• TransferNow Premium: 250 GB per transfer, from 10 €/month (less on annual billing), retention up to 365 days.
• Smash Pro: 250 GB per transfer, 10 €/month, retention up to 30 days.

Team plan

• TransferNow Team: 10 accounts included for a flat fee (from 30 €/month, 24 €/month on annual billing), up to 500 GB per transfer.
• Smash Team: also a flat fee — 25 €/month for 10 users, up to 1 TB per transfer.

Let’s be transparent: Smash is cheaper on subscription price (especially with an annual commitment) and offers a 1 TB paid size limit. But price is only one factor: TransferNow stands out on value — much longer retention (365 days vs 30 days), file reception included in the free plan, sovereign hosting (Scaleway rather than AWS), an API with no hard cap, and Enterprise options (SSO, SCIM, regional storage).

On paid plans, both Smash and TransferNow let you polish your image: logo, background, colors and a dedicated subdomain for transfers under your own brand.

TransferNow goes further with email customization, a fully customizable download page (text, visuals, promo video) and customizable transfer links — enough to make a strong impression on your clients with every transfer.

This is one of TransferNow’s strong points, and a real difference in everyday use: receiving files, not just sending them. Generate an email file request or a secure upload link, and your contacts drop off their files without creating an account — you’re notified for every upload.

To collect files from your website, a no-code widget embeds with a single line of HTML, with a customizable form. With Smash, file reception is reserved for paid plans.

Both services protect transfers with a password from the free plan and offer two-factor authentication on accounts. TransferNow adds SSE-C encryption (your password can act as the file encryption key) and antivirus scanning of every file.

On hosting, the difference is real — a key factor for sovereignty and GDPR compliance.

Smash — hosted on AWS

Smash relies on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure. Even when choosing storage “in France”, files remain on the infrastructure of a US hyperscaler.

TransferNow — your choice of region AND hosting provider

TransferNow offers two levels: three continental regions (Europe, America, Asia) from the free plan, with automatic routing; and, on paid plans, a specific region — France, the Netherlands, Germany, the United States or Singapore.

Above all, the hosting provider is not an imposed hyperscaler: for storage in France, your files sit with Scaleway, a French provider. You keep real control over both the location and the provider of your data.

This independence is a design choice. Depending on the region, we spread hosting across several infrastructure providers — privacy by design: your files never depend on a single player, and the whole setup gains resilience.

Both offer a REST API to automate transfers. The difference lies in the billing model.

Smash API works on a tiered monthly subscription: you pick a data quota in advance (uploads + downloads combined) — e.g. 50 GB at 10 €/month, 1 TB at 110 €/month, 5 TB at 450 €/month. At 90% of the quota a warning appears; beyond it, the account is blocked until renewal or a tier upgrade.

TransferNow API is pay-as-you-go: you only pay for what you actually use, with no tier to pick in advance and no hard cap that blocks you. A few lines of code cover sending, finding a transfer, checking its status or deleting it — straight from your business tools.

TransferNow follows you everywhere: desktop apps (Windows, macOS, Linux), a V2 mobile app (iOS and Android), and extensions and add-ins for Chrome/Gmail, Firefox, Outlook and Thunderbird — so you can send without leaving your browser or your inbox.

Smash keeps it minimal: a macOS app, an Outlook add-in and an iOS/Android mobile app whose last update dates back to November 2020. (App Store listing, checked in June 2026.)