We all know the frustrating feeling — maybe yous've finally finished the script for your next marketing video, or you've collected all the images you need for your next campaign. But when you go to press "Send" you're told, "Pitiful. File also large."

Unfortunately, our email accounts can't carry as much storage equally you might think. Gmail, for instance, can only hold files upwards to 25 MB.

Additionally, large files can eat at your storage space, even if it's only sitting in your Sent folder.

If you've got a file yous can't send the traditional mode, don't worry — we've got ix piece of cake and cheap alternatives, to ensure the largest of files can be sent to whoever, within minutes.

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1. Upload your files to a cloud storage infinite, and share them or email them to others.

Using a cloud storage space like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive is i of the easiest and nigh pop methods for sending large files. Depending on your email provider, you'll probable be able to apply a corresponding cloud storage — like Google Drive for Gmail, or OneDrive for Outlook.com.

If you're sending an attachment inside a provider like Gmail, you'll see the Google Drive button already integrated. Simply press information technology, cull your file, and so ship it like a regular attachment.

Alternatively, Dropbox allows you to upload big files and and so ship a web link via email or text to your recipient. With Dropbox's free tier, you'll receive ii GB of storage infinite. For $9.99 per calendar month, you lot can increase your storage to 1 TB.

Specific Employ Case: Ease-of-use when sending attachments through your email provider. Near likely to use when sharing files internally with colleagues.

Google Drive homepage to share large files

2. Apply file compression software, similar 7-Nada.

If you have multiple files, you might consider using a gratis pinch software similar 7-Zip, which tin compress an entire folder of files at in one case. Zip files in general back up lossless information compression, and are good for saving fourth dimension and space while ensuring your files remain intact. Nearly operating systems can extract Zip files easily, without additional software.

7-Nothing is available for Windows, Mac and Linux. Y'all tin can also provide a password for your files with 7-Zip, to ensure they're safe to send online.

Specific Utilize Case: Sending a folder full of files at once to a recipient.

The 7-zip dashboard for sending folders to colleagues

iii. Purchase a USB flash drive.

If yous desire to collaborate on a project or video with a big storage size, you might consider uploading information technology to a USB wink drive, which can range in size from 2 GB to ane TB. This might permit you lot to laissez passer your files more easily between coworkers, or back your files up for additional protection.

Best of all, if you use a USB you can have some strain off your figurer, extending its data storage.

Specific Apply Instance: If you're interacting with your squad in-person, a USB flash drive is a good option for physically handing files to squad members, and takes some of the storage strain off your devices. Alternatively, a USB flash drive is safe to apply equally a back-upwards, and so if your computer crashes you don't lose access to your files or folders.

four. Use Jumpshare, a gratuitous online service.

There are plenty of gratis online services that make uploading and sending big files both easy and incredibly quick. Jumpshare, for instance, lets you lot send up to 250 MB worth of files with a free business relationship — simply upload a file or folder, and Jumpshare provides y'all with a link to share the files.

Plus, you can download the Jumpshare icon to your desktop. When y'all elevate-and-drop files onto it, a link will be copied to your clipboard, which you lot tin ship to anyone, even if they don't take their own Jumpshare account.

Specific Use Case: Easily, and apace, sending files via links to colleagues. Best used for files or folders for which there isn't as well many privacy concerns, since the link is shareable with anyone.

Jumpshare's desktop icon for uploading files quickly

v. Effort Sendy PRO.

Sendy PRO, the paid version of Send Anywhere, provides 1 TB of deject storage and unlimited Cloud storage to transfer large files. What sets this tool autonomously from the residual is the power to ship your files using a 6-digit key with recipients, and then y'all tin can share files without needing admission to everyone'due south email addresses.

Alternatively, you can send a link through e-mail or a company messenger, like Slack, when you don't need to transfer the files in real-time.

Sendy PRO enables you to attach big files using Chrome Extension, Outlook add-ins, and Send Anywhere's website. It's $7.99/month for the PRO version — or you can try the free version if yous don't need the PRO features.

Specific Utilize Case: The 6-digit central enables you to rapidly message or send files to anyone, without needing an e-mail address. This might be good for chop-chop Slacking files to colleagues, or texting a file to a friend.

Sendy pro for sending large files

six. Use a VPN.

A VPN, or Virtual Individual Network, is a service that protects your data and provides you lot with more privacy when yous're online by routing your internet connexion through a server. A VPN can protect you from hackers, or even online ads, and is a secure option, especially if you're oftentimes using public wi-fi.

Some internet service providers (ISP) use broadband traffic direction to moderate upload bandwidth — if this is the case for your Internet access provider, yous can utilize a VPN, which will forestall your Internet service provider from recognizing how large your files are, enabling you to transport them.

However, this isn't the best option in our listing for two reasons — i, the large file could tiresome down your VPN connectedness, and ii, your files aren't guaranteed to be intact upon commitment. To ensure a high-quality delivery, you might want to endeavor an alternative option, like a Zip compression.

Specific Use Instance: If you lot're using public wifi and you're sending private documents, this is a skillful option for increasing security measures. Withal, this may not be the best option if you need to ensure high-quality delivery.

7. Transfer files using SFTP.

FTP, or File Transfer Protocol, is an choice for transferring files online by uploading a file to your hosting server. Still, the disadvantage of FTP is that information technology isn't that secure — which is where SFTP comes in.

SFTP — or Secure File Transfer Protocol — is a protocol that works in a like way to FTP, except it uses secure vanquish for encryption. This is a good option for limiting accessibility to those outside your recipient list. Some of the other options in this list, including file transfer options that rely on email, are probable less secure than an SFTP.

Specific Use Case: A more secure option than traditional online file-sharing, to be used when sending highly classified files to colleagues or clients.

8. Upload the file and generate a link to share via MyAirBridge.

MyAirBridge is a free tool that enables you to upload and share up to 20 GB through an e-mail, shared link, or downloaded to your own storage space. You tin use your own mobile device to upload files. For larger files the uploading takes a while, and it may not be the cleanest interface on the receiving end (the link your recipient receives takes them to directly download), only it gets the task washed for personal or minor team use.

MyAirBridge likewise offers plans ranging from Bones ($2.99/month) to Enterprise ($65.99/calendar month). With the Enterprise option, users have access to xv TB of storage, unlimited uploads of upwardly to 100 GB, and the option to password-protect files for extra security.

MyAirBridge is a good option if you desire to download various files (including music or video files, game applications, or documents) to your ain storage space. For instance, y'all might use the tool to download music from your mobile device to your computer.

Specific Use Case: Download files to your own storage device, or utilize when downloading music, gaming, or video files.

MyAirBridge's homepage for sending or saving large files

9. Share a collection of assets to your team via Brandfolder.

Consider sharing brand assets, or a collection of assets, with your team, partners, or customers using Brandfolder. Brandfolder lets you use tiered admission to share files with intended individuals, and fifty-fifty measure performance of each asset using Brandfolder's Brand Intelligence characteristic.

Used past major brands including Slack, Bumble, and Hotels.com, Brandfolder enables you to store all brand-related assets in one identify. Brandfolder is cloud-based, and uses user-level permissioning to ensure employees and clients only accept access to the advisable files and folders.

Brandfolder offers Premium and Enterprise options. Request a quote to learn how much it would toll for your team to implement.

Specific Use Example: A more professional-looking option when sharing brand-related avails with clients or agencies, and a good long-term solution for storing all major files in one place for your team to access easily.

brandfolder example screen for Crate Software

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Originally published Jun 3, 2021 7:00:00 AM, updated June 10 2021