SwissTransfer alternative: when you need zero-knowledge encryption
SwissTransfer, run by the Swiss host Infomaniak, is a generous free service: transfers up to 50 GB, kept for up to 30 days, stored in Infomaniak's own data centers in Switzerland. For big, ordinary transfers it's hard to beat. The question worth asking is who can read your files.
How SwissTransfer protects files
Infomaniak encrypts files in transit and encrypts them again once they're stored (disk encryption plus AES-256). That's solid protection against someone stealing a disk. But Infomaniak manages those keys, so it's encryption at rest, not end-to-end or zero-knowledge encryption: the service itself can technically decrypt what you upload.
How Send Shed differs
With Send Shed's Encrypted Share, the file and its filename are
encrypted in your browser before upload, and the key only exists in the share link after
the #, which is never sent to our server. We store ciphertext and nothing
else. There's no key on our side to hand over, leak or misuse.
| SwissTransfer | Send Shed Encrypted Share | Send Shed Quick Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max size | 50 GB per transfer | 5 GB per file | 3 GB per file |
| How long files stay up | Up to 30 days | 1 hour to 30 days | 1 hour to 7 days |
| Download limit | 1, 20, 100, 250 (unlimited on paid) | 1, 5, 25, 100 or unlimited | 1, 5, 25 or unlimited |
| Who can decrypt stored files | Infomaniak (holds the keys) | Only people with the link | Stored unencrypted, screened |
Which one to use
For a 30 GB video project going to a client, SwissTransfer's size limit makes it the practical choice. For tax returns, contracts, IDs, medical records or anything else you'd rather no third party could open, use a tool where only the recipient holds the key.
Send something private
Encrypted on your device before upload. We never see the file, its name or the key.
Start an Encrypted Share Quick Share, no account