Not sure whether to choose WeTransfer or TransferNow?

WeTransfer vs TransferNow : Free Plan Comparison

If you need to send large files occasionally, services like WeTransfer free or TransferNow offer useful features accessible without registration. These two secure transfer services are the main available options for free online file sharing.

In July 2024, WeTransfer, originally a Dutch service, was acquired by Italian company Bending Spoons. Following this, their free plan changed: now allowing up to 3 GB per transfer (up from 2 GB), with a limit of 10 transfers or 3 GB total over 30 days.

Since 2013, TransferNow — a French file transfer service — has offered a free plan allowing file transfers up to 5 GB per transfer, with no volume or frequency limits.

With TransferNow, files are stored in France or nearby based on your location. WeTransfer stores files on servers located in Europe or the USA.

The password protection feature is available on both services:

• On TransferNow, password protection is free and available without creating an account.
• On WeTransfer, it’s also available but requires creating a free user account.

TransferNow also allows file previews (images, videos, PDF documents), custom download links, and email notifications when a file is downloaded, even without an account.

In conclusion, both services offer a free plan with their own specifics. WeTransfer free is based on a monthly quota (transfers or volume), while TransferNow focuses on ease of access (no account) and the maximum file size per transfer (5 GB). For unrestricted usage, TransferNow is a particularly suitable alternative to WeTransfer.

WeTransfer vs TransferNow : comparison of paid plans and pricing

TransferNow and WeTransfer offer several paid plans designed for individuals, teams, and enterprises seeking advanced features, extended transfer capacities, longer storage, customization options, multi-user management, and services like SSO, SCIM, or priority support.

Individual Plans

• TransferNow Premium (1 user) is offered at US $ 10 excl. tax per month, or US $ 8 excl. tax per month billed annually, and US $ 6 excl. tax per month for a 2-year plan.
• WeTransfer Ultimate (1 user) is priced at 19 € excl. tax per month.

Team Plans (Small and Medium Businesses)

• TransferNow Team includes 10 user accounts for a flat rate of:
  • US $ 30 excl. tax per month,
  • US $ 24 excl. tax per month billed annually,
  • US $ 18 excl. tax per month for a 2-year commitment.
• WeTransfer Teams charges 25 € excl. tax per user per month, up to 25 users.

For example, a 10-person team costs 250 € excl. tax per month with WeTransfer versus 30 € excl. tax per month with TransferNow. Annually, that’s about 2 990 € excl. tax per year with WeTransfer versus 288 € excl. tax with TransferNow.

Enterprise Plans (SMEs, Mid-market, Large Enterprises)

Both services now offer customized Enterprise plans. TransferNow has provided such offers for several years, while WeTransfer introduced its Enterprise offering more recently after the Bending Spoons acquisition.

• TransferNow Enterprise enables advanced features like:
  • Single sign-on (SSO) with Microsoft Entra ID and Google Workspace,
  • Account management and provisioning (SCIM),
  • User group creation and other custom options.
• WeTransfer Enterprise (added after their service overhaul) also offers a tailored plan including SSO.

In summary, both services meet similar enterprise needs with advanced features such as SSO and user management. However, their pricing models differ: TransferNow uses a team package, while WeTransfer charges per user, which may be more costly for larger teams.

WeTransfer vs TransferNow : customization features

TransferNow and WeTransfer offer advanced customization options depending on the subscribed plan to help users tailor their experience to their brand identity.

WeTransfer (starting with Ultimate, Teams, and Enterprise plans)

Paid plans include branding options available in the platform’s Branding section:

• Create a custom subdomain,
• Add a logo displayed on transfer pages and emails,
• Use background images or videos on transfer pages,
• Apply a custom graphic theme on emails and shared spaces.

These features are available from the Ultimate plan and also on Teams and Enterprise offers.

TransferNow (Premium, Team, and Enterprise)

• Create a custom subdomain (e.g., yourname.transfernow.net),
• Add a logo, background image or video, and custom colors,
• Advanced customization of the download page: text, visuals, links, promo videos,
• Customize download links,
• Set up custom email notifications with download tracking.

Custom domains via CNAME records (e.g., transfer.mycompany.com) are reserved for TransferNow Enterprise.

WeTransfer vs TransferNow : file reception

Both TransferNow and WeTransfer offer ways to receive files from your contacts, with some key differences depending on the/your use case.

TransferNow – a free, intuitive “Receive” mode

TransferNow provides free file reception:

• The “Receive” mode, accessible from the homepage, lets you:
  • Request files via email,
  • Generate a secure drop link to share freely.

Everything is secure, configurable, and requires no account to deposit files.

• TransferNow also offers a customizable widget generating HTML code to embed on your website or CMS to receive files directly via form.
• Besides ephemeral file requests, a permanent customizable link is also available—handy for email signatures, for example.

You receive email notifications as soon as files are received and ready to download.

WeTransfer – “File Request” feature requiring an account

WeTransfer now offers a “File Request” feature accessible only to users with an account (free or paid).

It allows sending file requests via email or secure link and tracking received files through a personal interface.

Unlike TransferNow, account creation is mandatory to use this feature.

WeTransfer vs TransferNow : multi-user management

WeTransfer Teams and Enterprise (introduced early 2025):

Since its pricing overhaul in late 2024 (launched early 2025), WeTransfer offers multi-user management via Teams and Enterprise plans:

• • Centralized user, transfer, and access management,
  • Workspace customization (name, logo, branding),
  • User-based billing (monthly or annual).
• The WeTransfer Enterprise plan, available on request, adds:
  • Single sign-on (SSO),
  • SCIM provisioning and user synchronization,
  • Activity logging,
  • Advanced security options and priority support.

TransferNow Team (10 included accounts) and Enterprise:

• The TransferNow Team plan offers a flat rate including 10 user accounts with:
  • Centralized user management,
  • Team or department group creation,
  • Transfer tracking and activity logs via a dedicated dashboard.
• The TransferNow Enterprise plan adds:
  • Single sign-on (SSO) with Microsoft Entra ID and Google Workspace,
  • Automated provisioning (SCIM),
  • Advanced permission management,
  • Custom domain configuration via CNAME.

Both TransferNow and WeTransfer now provide team collaboration solutions.

WeTransfer vs TransferNow : file security

WeTransfer – Encryption and Antivirus on Paid Plans

WeTransfer uses SSL/TLS encryption for transfers and AES-256 encryption for file storage. Files are hosted on servers in Europe or the USA.

Available security features:

• A password protection feature free with account creation (free or paid),
• An antivirus scan applied only on paid account transfers and downloads to detect malicious files before opening,
• Files stored on servers in Europe or the USA, with no user choice of location.

TransferNow – Advanced Encryption and Antivirus on Free Plan

TransferNow includes multiple security layers available even on the free plan:

• Password protection without mandatory account, even for anonymous sends,
• SSL/TLS encryption for transfers, plus optional server-side encryption with a personal key (SSE-C) in advanced plans,
• Automatic antivirus scanning on all uploaded files to block malicious content,
• Choice of storage region (Europe, USA, Asia, or France for French users, for example).

In conclusion, both services maintain high security standards with encryption and access management. TransferNow offers password protection without an account and antivirus scanning from the free plan, while WeTransfer requires an account or paid plans for these features.

WeTransfer vs TransferNow : data hosting

The location of storage servers is an important factor for regulatory compliance (GDPR), transfer latency, and data sovereignty. WeTransfer and TransferNow take different approaches to hosting.

WeTransfer – hosting in Europe and the United States

WeTransfer hosts files on servers located in Europe (Ireland) and the United States. The user cannot choose the storage region: the platform automatically assigns a location based on its own routing logic.

TransferNow – choice of storage region

TransferNow offers three continental regions available from the free plan (Europe, America, Asia), with automatic routing based on the user's geolocation. Paid plans allow the selection of a specific region:

• Paris (France), Frankfurt (Germany), New York (United States), or Singapore.
• This choice enables businesses to meet specific compliance or performance requirements, especially for storing data in France.

In summary, TransferNow provides more control over data location, with storage options in France, Germany, the United States, and Singapore. WeTransfer does not offer region selection and hosts files in Europe or the United States.