You‘ve Got Mail: The 11 Best Ways to Send Large Files in 2023
We‘ve all been there. You‘re trying to email an important video file or ZIP folder to a colleague or client and you get that frustrating error message: "Sorry, this file exceeds the maximum attachment size."
In today‘s media-heavy digital landscape, figuring out how to send large files is an increasingly common challenge. Whether you‘re a marketer sharing a new product demo, a designer delivering a batch of high-res images, or just a friend trying to send a goofy video, large file transfers can be a major headache.
Consider these telling statistics:
- The average US employee sends/receives 126 emails per day (Radicati Group)
- 97% of all business email attachments are less than 10MB (Litmus)
- But email providers like Gmail and Outlook limit attachments to 25MB
- The most common file types found in email attachments are images (37.8%), PDFs (14.5%), and archives like .zip (13.4%) (Symantec)
Translation? We‘re sending more emails with more and bigger files than ever but still hitting annoying obstacles with the most popular file sharing method.
Luckily, there‘s no shortage of tools and techniques designed to make transferring large files a breeze in 2023. From user-friendly browser-based services to secure cloud storage platforms to good old-fashioned physical media, you‘ve got options.
In this guide, we‘ll break down the 11 best ways to send large files this year, including:
- How to send large video files without losing quality
- The most reliable options for quickly delivering big files for free
- Secure methods for confidential file sharing
- Advanced solutions for marketing teams dealing with huge asset libraries
Whether you‘re regularly sharing multi-gig video files or just the occasional overstuffed PowerPoint, you‘ll find the ideal file transfer solution for your needs. Let‘s dive in!
Clever Ways to Send Big Files via Email
While attaching large files directly to an email is unreliable, you can lean on cloud storage integrations and public links to send beefy PDFs and videos via your favorite email app. Here‘s how:
1. Attach files with Google Drive or OneDrive
If you use Gmail or Outlook.com for email, you can seamlessly attach files stored in your Google Drive or OneDrive cloud storage.
To attach a large file in Gmail:
- Click the Google Drive icon at the bottom of the compose window
- Select the file you want from your Drive folders
- Choose to share as an attachment or a Drive link
- Compose and send your email normally
With Outlook.com, the process is similar — just click the OneDrive icon to attach files from your Microsoft cloud storage.
Using these integrations, you can easily send files well beyond the normal 25MB attachment limit. Recipients can view compatible file types like images and PDFs right in their browser or download the original file.
Best for: Quick sharing of large files via email without leaving your normal provider. Ideal for internal and external collaboration with Google/Microsoft apps.
2. Share download links to cloud files in your email
Don‘t want to bother with email integrations? You can simply upload your large files to any cloud storage platform, generate a shareable link, and then paste that link in your email.
To create a shareable Google Drive link:
- Select the file in your Drive and right-click
- Choose "Get shareable link" from the menu
- Adjust permissions to control who can access
- Copy link and insert in your email
This approach works with all the major cloud providers including Dropbox, iCloud, and Box. You can copy the download link into any email provider.
Keep in mind, you‘ll need to adjust the share settings to ensure your recipient can access the file with the link. For sensitive files, you may want to disable downloads and restrict access to only specific email addresses.
Best for: Generating download links you can use anywhere, not just in supported email apps. More sharing controls than native attachments.
Simple Online Services for Delivering Large Files
If you don‘t regularly use cloud storage or just want a purpose-built solution for the occasional big file transfer, these web apps make it super simple:
3. WeTransfer
WeTransfer is one of the most popular file sharing services thanks to its simple interface and generous free tier. You can send up to 2GB for free without even creating an account.
Just go to WeTransfer.com, upload or drag-and-drop your files, enter the recipient‘s email, and click Send. The recipient will get an email notification with a link to download the files, which are available for 7 days.
If you need to send larger files up to 20GB and keep them available for longer (28 days), the Pro plan starts at $12/month and adds features like password protection, link expiration, and 1TB of permanent storage.
Best for: No-fuss sharing of large files without size limits or account sign-up. Great for one-off transfers and quick delivery.
4. Jumpshare
Jumpshare is another user-friendly option for sharing big files via web links. The free plan allows up to 250MB per file and 2GB total storage along with handy features like custom branding and link activity tracking.
Where Jumpshare really stands out is its slick media previews and commenting tools that make it great for visual collaboration. When you share images, videos, or documents, recipients can add comments and annotations right in their browser.
Paid Jumpshare plans starting at $9.99/month bump the max file size to 25GB and storage to 1TB. You also get features like password protection, download limits, and custom domains.
Best for: Creative professionals who want to present large visual files in a polished interface with room for feedback. Useful for internal and client sharing.
5. Hightail
Formerly known as YouSendIt, Hightail targets its file sharing service at creative teams dealing with big design and video files.
The free Lite plan includes 2GB of storage for sending files up to 100MB each and preserves files for 7 days. Upgrading to a Pro plan ($12/month) allows files up to 25GB each, 25GB of storage, and keeps transfers available for a year.
Where Hightail shines is creative collaboration features like timestamped comments, approval routing, and version control. It also offers native add-ons for creative apps like Photoshop and Final Cut Pro for saving large files directly to your Hightail Spaces.
Best for: Professional designers and video producers who need to iterate on large files with clients and team members. Less suited for generic file sharing.
Advanced Methods for Sending Huge or Sensitive Files
For extra large files or transfers demanding extra security, consider these more advanced techniques:
6. Compress files before sending
One reliable way to shrink hefty files is using lossless compression algorithms like those in the ZIP and RAR formats. File compression can often reduce the size of data-heavy files like videos by up to 80% while preserving the original quality.
To compress files or folders on Windows:
- Select the items you want to compress
- Right-click and choose "Send to > Compressed folder"
- Name the ZIP file and click Create
On a Mac, you can compress files by right-clicking them and selecting "Compress items". There are also many free third-party archiving apps like 7-Zip and PeaZip that offer additional compression options.
Keep in mind the recipient will need to extract the compressed file, so this method works best for computer-savvy colleagues rather than external clients.
Best for: Packaging up multiple files and making very large folders more manageable. Requires an extra step for recipients.
7. Use a VPN
When sending sensitive files over a public Wi-Fi network, you may want to add a layer of encryption with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN creates a "tunnel" between your device and a remote server, making it much harder for hackers and ISPs to intercept your file transfers.
Image Source: ExpressVPN
Popular VPN providers known for high upload/download speeds include ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and Surfshark. Expect to pay around $5-12/month, although most offer free trials.
While a VPN is great for security, keep in mind that file transfers may be a bit slower due to the extra encryption overhead. But it‘s still a smart precaution for sharing confidential legal, financial, or medical documents.
Best for: Securing sensitive file transfers on untrusted networks. Not ideal when speed is the top priority.
8. Set up SFTP access
For automated transfers of large files between servers or from a server to your computer, SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) offers a fast and secure option. All data is encrypted end-to-end and access requires SSH key authentication.
To use SFTP, you‘ll need to set up SSH access on the destination server and use an FTP client that supports SFTP such as FileZilla. The initial setup process is a bit technical but there are plenty of tutorials available.
Image Source: FileZilla
SFTP is especially handy for automating recurring transfers from your computer to a web server, like uploading videos to a content management system. It‘s a common method for web developers and IT teams securely managing server files.
Best for: Routine transfers of large files between systems with high security. Overkill for casual sharing.
9. Mail a hard drive
Sometimes the quickest way to transfer huge files is to copy them on a physical drive and mail or hand-deliver it. It sounds old-school, but mailing a hard drive is still the preferred method in some industries like film production.
For most use cases, an external SSD (solid state drive) in the 500GB-2TB range ($75-200) is ideal. They‘re lightweight, durable, and fast. For truly massive libraries (4TB+), a larger HDD ($100-250) is more cost-effective.
Image Source: LaCie
To ensure safe transit, use a well-padded box or pick a rugged drive designed for mailing. Toss in some foam padding for extra protection. For sensitive data, you can encrypt the drive before mailing it and send the password separately.
Best for: One-off transfers of very large files (500GB+) when physical delivery is feasible. Avoids dependence on internet speeds.
Business Solutions for Marketing Teams
If your marketing team is constantly creating and sharing large visual content, it‘s worth investing in specialized tools to streamline the process. These platforms go beyond basic file sharing to offer team collaboration, digital asset management, and content tracking features.
10. Brandfolder
For enterprise content and creative operations teams, Brandfolder offers a powerful platform for organizing and distributing huge libraries of digital assets like videos, images, and marketing collateral.
Image Source: Brandfolder
Key features:
- Centralized cloud storage and sharing for all file types
- AI-powered auto-tagging and searching of assets
- Customizable brand portals for internal and external access
- Built-in content analytics and performance insights
- Integrations with popular CMS, CRM, and project management tools
- Custom security and permissions at the user, group, folder, and file level
Pricing is customized based on storage and features but expect to pay at least $1,000/month for a team. While not the cheapest option, Brandfolder is hugely popular among major marketing orgs and creative agencies for keeping their content chaos in check.
Best for: Large marketing teams and agencies with vast, fast-moving asset libraries. Provides organization and control beyond basic storage/transfer.
11. Iconik
Another increasingly popular option for cloud-based media management is iconik. Aimed at video-centric teams, iconik enables efficient remote collaboration on massive video projects with visual AI tools and real-time commenting.
Image source: iconik
Notable features include:
- Automatic proxy creation and optimized video playback for smooth remote editing
- Best-in-class AI for auto-tagging video content and identifying faces/objects
- Real-time commenting and approval workflows
- Support for RAW video formats and camera card offloading
- Custom branded portals for simplified external sharing
- Integrations with Adobe Creative Cloud, CMS, and project management tools
Iconik‘s browser-based platform is priced more affordably than many enterprise MAMs, with plans starting around $79/month per user with 250GB of shared storage.
Best for: Video production teams needing to collaborate remotely on large ongoing projects. More specialized than general DAMs.
Whew! With so many handy tools and techniques available, securely sending large files to anyone has never been simpler.
For quick sharing of big PDFs or videos, user-friendly web services like WeTransfer and Jumpshare get the job done with minimal fuss. For more advanced marketing needs, Brandfolder and iconik bring the automation and organization heat.
The key is evaluating your own needs and choosing a file transfer solution that offers the best mix of simplicity, security, and functionality. Whether you‘re sending the occasional hefty attachment to your team or wrangling terabytes of 4K footage, there‘s a big file sharing superhero ready to swoop in and make your day a little easier. 💪
