Firefox Send alternative: encrypted, expiring file sharing that still exists
Firefox Send was the file-sharing tool a lot of people actually liked: pick a file, it was encrypted in your browser, and the link deleted itself after a set time or number of downloads. Mozilla suspended it in July 2020 and shut it down for good on September 17, 2020, after it was abused to deliver malware and phishing. If you're still looking for something that works the same way, here's what it did and how Send Shed compares.
What made Firefox Send different
- Encryption in the browser. Files were encrypted with AES-GCM before upload, and the key lived in the link itself, after the
#, which browsers never send to the server. - Links that removed themselves. You chose an expiry from 5 minutes to 7 days, or a download limit from 1 to 100.
- Optional password on top of the link.
- 1 GB without an account, 2.5 GB with a free Firefox account.
How Send Shed compares
Send Shed's Encrypted Share uses the same design: your file and its name are encrypted in your browser with AES-256-GCM, and the key only exists in the link fragment, so the server stores ciphertext it can't read. On top of expiry, download limits and passwords, it can email you when the file is downloaded.
| Firefox Send (2019–2020) | Send Shed Encrypted Share | Send Shed Quick Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Shut down September 2020 | Available | Available |
| Encrypted in your browser | Yes (AES-GCM) | Yes (AES-256-GCM) | No (screened, unencrypted) |
| Account needed | No up to 1 GB | Yes, free | No |
| Max file size | 1 GB / 2.5 GB | 5 GB | 3 GB |
| Expiry | 5 min to 7 days | 1 hour to 30 days | 1 hour to 7 days |
| Download limit | 1 to 100 | 1, 5, 25, 100 or unlimited | 1, 5, 25 or unlimited |
| Password | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Download notifications | No | Yes | Yes |
The honest difference: Firefox Send let you send encrypted files with no account, and Send Shed's encrypted tier needs a free one. If you don't need encryption, Quick Share needs no account at all, but it stores files unencrypted so it can screen them.
Why the abuse problem matters to you
Firefox Send didn't disappear because the technology failed. It disappeared because anonymous, encrypted, free uploads attracted malware distributors, and there was no way to stop them without breaking the product. Any free service that ignores abuse is at risk of the same ending. Send Shed's split is deliberate: anonymous uploads (Quick Share) are checked before the link goes live and rate-limited, and full zero-knowledge encryption is tied to an account. That's what keeps both sides running.
Send a file the Firefox Send way
Encrypted in your browser, expiring links, optional password. Free account, no ads.
Start an Encrypted Share Or Quick Share, no account