Yes, you can share files without an account, and on several free services neither you nor the person receiving the file has to sign up. You upload the file, get a link, and send it. Which service to pick depends on the file's size, how long the link has to work, and how private the file is.
This guide compares the main no-sign-up options (checked November 8, 2026), explains what you give up by skipping an account, and covers how to keep a shared file safe.
Can you share files without an account?
Yes. There are two kinds of no-account sharing, and many lists mix them up:
- The sender needs no account. You upload without signing up. SwissTransfer, Filemail, Wormhole, ShareDrop, Filebin and InvisHosting work this way.
- The recipient needs no account. The person you send the link to can download without registering. This is true of SwissTransfer and Filemail, and also of Dropbox, where you need an account but they don't.
If you want both sides to skip sign-up, pick a service where the sender needs no account and check that recipients can download from the link alone.
Free ways to share files without signing up (2026 comparison)
"Not stated" means the service's own page didn't say, so we haven't guessed.
| Service | Max size without an account | How long the link lasts | Recipient needs an account? | End-to-end encrypted? | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InvisHosting | 300 MB per file | Until deleted, or you set 1 minute to 30 days; files with no downloads for 90 days are removed | No, anyone with the link | No | 1-minute cooldown between uploads and an hourly limit |
| SwissTransfer | 50 GB per transfer | 30 days (up to 60 days only on paid Enterprise) | No | No (encrypted in transit and at rest) | None for most uses; files stored in Switzerland |
| Wormhole | 10 GB | Expires automatically (24 hours at its 2021 launch) | Link only | Yes | Short-lived links |
| Filemail | 5 GB | Not stated | No | Not stated | Email delivery needs your own email address too |
| ShareDrop | 4 GB per transfer | 3 days | Not stated | Not stated | Daily cap of 20 files and 4 GB |
| WeTransfer Free | 3 GB total per rolling 30 days | Not confirmed | Not stated | Not stated | Max 10 transfers per 30 days; non-commercial use only |
| Dropbox | Your storage quota (starts at 2 GB) | Not covered here | No | Not stated | The sender needs an account |
Filebin also works without registration and gives you a link to share, but we couldn't confirm its limits.
Which option fits your file?
Documents, images and short clips up to 300 MB: InvisHosting
InvisHosting takes files up to 300 MB without an account. Large uploads are sent in pieces, so they finish reliably. You can set the file to delete itself after anything from 1 minute to 30 days, or leave it up: files are kept unless you delete them, they break the Terms of Service, or nobody downloads them for 90 days.
Every upload is scanned for malware with VirusTotal, suspicious files are quarantined, and executables and other dangerous file types are blocked. That helps your recipient trust the link. The limits: files are not end-to-end encrypted, and without an account there's a 1-minute cooldown between uploads plus an hourly cap.
Big files up to 50 GB: SwissTransfer
SwissTransfer is the most generous free option: up to 50 GB per transfer with no account, kept for 30 days. Recipients don't install anything or create an account. When sending, you choose how long the link stays available, an optional password and a maximum number of downloads. Files are stored only in Switzerland, in Infomaniak's data centers.
SwissTransfer's FAQ is clear that its encryption covers transit (TLS and AES-GCM) and storage (LUKS and AES-256), and that "this is not end-to-end encryption."
Private files: Wormhole (end-to-end encrypted, up to 10 GB)
Wormhole sends up to 10 GB with end-to-end encryption and a link that expires automatically. When it launched in April 2021, its makers said files were hosted for 24 hours; check the current expiry when you upload. A handy detail: the recipient can start downloading before your upload has finished.
If you need anonymity rather than just privacy, OnionShare is an open-source tool that shares files over the Tor network. It takes more setup than a website.
Up to 5 GB with email delivery: Filemail
Filemail shares files up to 5 GB free with no account, and recipients download without registering. If you want Filemail to email the file for you, you must enter your own email address as well as the recipient's, so it isn't fully anonymous in that mode.
WeTransfer in 2026: the new free quota
WeTransfer's homepage still describes sending files "without an account", but the free plan has changed. Until late 2024 it allowed 2 GB per transfer with no monthly cap. As of October 2026, two independent sites (Send Atlas and transfr.me) report that WeTransfer Free allows 10 transfers or 3 GB in total, whichever comes first, in any rolling 30-day window. WeTransfer also states the free plan is for individual, non-commercial use only.
Some 2026 roundups still list WeTransfer as "2GB", so treat older lists with caution. We couldn't confirm WeTransfer's current sign-up rules from its own help pages, so if it asks you to sign in, use one of the options above.
When you have an account but the recipient doesn't: Dropbox and cloud drive links
If you already use Dropbox, you can share a link to any file with anyone, even if they don't have a Dropbox account. The size limit is your storage quota, which starts at 2 GB on the free plan. This is the best route when you want to keep managing the file afterwards.
How to share a file without an account, step by step
Using InvisHosting as the example:
- Go to the InvisHosting upload page and choose your file (up to 300 MB).
- If the file only needs to exist briefly, set an expiry between 1 minute and 30 days. After that it's deleted permanently.
- Upload. You'll get the download link and a one-time deletion token.
- Save the deletion token somewhere safe, such as a password manager or a note. It's your only way to delete the file later without an account.
- Copy the link and send it. To share it in print or on a screen, turn it into a scannable code with the QR code generator, or make it shorter with the link shortener.
The same pattern applies on SwissTransfer, Filemail and Wormhole: upload, set any options offered, copy the link.
What you give up without an account
Skipping sign-up is quick, but you trade away control:
- Deleting or managing the file later. Without an account there's no dashboard. On InvisHosting, the deletion token is your only way to remove the file early; lose it and the file stays until it expires or goes 90 days without a download. Other services may give you no delete option at all.
- Generous limits. No-account uploads come with quotas: ShareDrop's 20 files and 4 GB a day, WeTransfer's 10 transfers per 30 days, InvisHosting's 1-minute cooldown and hourly cap. A free InvisHosting account cuts the cooldown to 15 seconds and raises the hourly limit.
- Long-lived links. Many no-account links expire in days. Fine for a one-off send, bad for a link you'll post somewhere permanent.
- History and tracking. You typically get no record of what you sent and no way to see whether it was downloaded.
Is sharing without an account private and safe?
Not having an account doesn't make a share private. Keep these points in mind:
- Anyone with the link can download the file. Links get forwarded, pasted into the wrong chat or saved in someone's history. Treat the link like the file itself.
- Encryption in transit and at rest isn't end-to-end encryption. Most services encrypt files on the way and on their disks, but the service can still access them. Of the options here, only Wormhole says it uses end-to-end encryption. InvisHosting and SwissTransfer do not.
- Encrypt sensitive files before you upload. Put the file in an encrypted archive with a strong password, or use SwissTransfer's optional password.
- Send the password through a different channel. SwissTransfer gives the same advice: if the link goes by email, send the password by text or phone call, so one intercepted message isn't enough.
- Recipients: check before opening. Even from someone you know, a downloaded file can be dangerous. See how to check if a file is safe before opening it.
Troubleshooting: the link expired, you hit the quota, or the file is too big
- The link expired. The file is gone; there's nothing to recover. Ask the sender to upload again, and pick a longer expiry (SwissTransfer keeps files 30 days; InvisHosting can keep them indefinitely).
- You hit a quota. WeTransfer's window is rolling 30 days, so waiting may take a while. Switching services is faster. On InvisHosting, wait out the 1-minute cooldown, or create a free account for a 15-second cooldown and a higher hourly limit.
- The file is too big. Move up a tier: 300 MB (InvisHosting), 4 GB (ShareDrop), 5 GB (Filemail), 10 GB (Wormhole), 50 GB (SwissTransfer).
Frequently asked questions
Does the person receiving the file need an account?
Not on SwissTransfer, Filemail, Dropbox shared links or InvisHosting: a link is enough. That makes these good choices when you don't know whether the recipient uses any particular service.
What is the biggest file I can send for free without signing up?
SwissTransfer, at 50 GB per transfer, is the largest free no-account option we found.
Can I delete a file I uploaded without an account?
It depends on the service. On InvisHosting you can, using the one-time deletion token you get after uploading. Otherwise, setting a short expiry before you upload is the safest way to make sure the file disappears.
Is sharing a file without an account anonymous?
Not necessarily. Skipping sign-up means you don't create a profile, but some services ask for your email (Filemail's email delivery does), and the service can still see the file unless it's end-to-end encrypted. For stronger anonymity, look at OnionShare, which uses Tor.
Which no-sign-up services are end-to-end encrypted?
Of the services in this guide, Wormhole is the one that says it uses end-to-end encryption. SwissTransfer explicitly says it isn't, and InvisHosting isn't either. For anything else, encrypt the file yourself before uploading.
Can I password-protect a file without an account?
Yes. SwissTransfer offers an optional password when sending. On any service, you can put the file in a password-protected encrypted archive first, then share the password separately from the link.
How do I share a file without an account from my phone?
These services run in a web browser, so open the site on your phone, upload, and share the link through any messaging app. To pass a link from your computer to a phone, scan it as a QR code.
Sources
- SwissTransfer: Send large files securely and free of charge
- Filemail: Send Large Files, Up To 5 GB Free
- Wormhole: Simple, private file sharing
- Show HN: Wormhole – Simple, private file sharing (Hacker News, April 1, 2021)
- ShareDrop: Share Files From Your Browser, No App or Signup
- WeTransfer homepage
- WeTransfer free plan limits in 2026 (Send Atlas)
- WeTransfer Limits in 2026 (transfr.me)
- WeTransfer Limits vs TransferNow in 2026
- WeTransfer Free Limit 2026 (Brault)
- Best Free File Sharing Sites in 2026 (Hypeshare)
- Dropbox file sharing features
- Filebin
- OnionShare (Wikipedia)
This article was written with AI assistance from the sources listed above and checked automatically against them.