Friday, May 7, 2010

15 Great Free Online File Sharing Alternatives

Today’s technology and machines (whether it’s PC or Mac) are certainly capable of processing large original files like .PSD (Photoshop) and .AI (Illustrator) but the bad news is the sharing part aren’t . These files are fairly large in size and cumbersome to share with peers and clients. Two ways we would generally used – e-mailing and sharing via hosting account. Not saying it’s bad but e-mail comes with attachment limitation and usually doesn’t allow anything more than 100Mb. On the other hand sharing via web hosting account allows you to upload as big as your account can take but it also means the file is exposed by anyone who knows its direct path.
File-sharing web services solve most of these problems. They are free (most of them and they allow large files to be sent securely. Here are some free file-sharing sites we come to know and if you share files with friends or peers via Internet frequently, you might want to consider getting them done this way.

Streamfile

Based in Stockholm, Streamfile is a better looking, easier to use and the fastest way to deliver data, wherever you are in the world.

Max filesize: 300Mb | Registration: No | Premium account: Yes | Password Protection: No | Visit Website
streamfile

Pando

Pando is free P2P software that makes downloading, streaming and sharing large media files fast, easy and fun.

Max filesize: 1GB | Registration: Yes | Premium account: Yes | Password Protection: Yes | Visit Website
pando

Wikisend

Upload and download lots of files, big files, small files, data files, media files, archives or backups any files.

Max filesize: 100Mb | Registration: No | Premium account: No | Password Protection: Yes | Visit Website
wikisend

PipeBytes

Instantly send music, movies, presentations or any other files to anybody!

Max filesize: Unlimited | Registration: No | Premium account: No | Password Protection: No | Visit Website
pipebytes

Mail Big File

Max filesize: 200Mb | Registration: No | Premium account: Yes | Password Protection: No | Visit Website
mailbigfile

4Shared

Max filesize: 100Mb/file, 5Gb in total | Registration: Yes | Premium account: Yes | Password Protection: No | Visit Website
4shared

SendThisFile

SendThisFile allows you to easily send and receive large files to and from anyone, anywhere.

Max filesize: Unlimited | Registration: Yes | Premium account: Yes | Password Protection: Yes | Visit Website
sendthisfile

Files2U

Files2U is a web-based service that allows you to send large files to a receiver without having to worry about the restrictions of email or slowdowns of FTP.

Max filesize: Unlimited | Registration: No | Premium account: No | Password Protection: Tracking Number | Visit Website
files2u

Driveway

Powered by iDrive Online Backup, this free web service allows both web file sharing or simply just share files via your PC’s desktop.

Max filesize: 500Mb | Registration: No | Premium account: Yes | Password Protection: No | Visit Website
driveway

MediaFire

Max filesize: 100Mb | Registration: No | Premium account: Yes | Password Protection: No | Visit Website
mediafire

Drop.io

Privately share your files and collaborate in real time by web, email, phone, mobile, and more. Create each drop in two clicks and share what you want, how you want, with whom you want.

Max filesize: 100Mb | Registration: No | Premium account: Yes | Password Protection: Yes | Visit Website
dropio

Dropbox

Dropbox is software that syncs your files online and across your computers or even share it with friends and peers.

Max filesize: Unlimited | Registration: Yes | Premium account: Yes | Password Protection: Yes | Visit Website
dropbox

Box

Box.net’s online file storage makes it easy to securely share content as a link or a shared folder with anyone – inside or outside your company.

Max filesize: Unlimited | Registration: Yes | Premium account: Yes | Password Protection: Yes | Visit Website
box

Senduit

Max filesize: Unlimited | Registration: No | Premium account: No | Password Protection: No | Visit Website
senduit

File Dropper

Max filesize: 5Gb | Registration: No | Premium account: Yes | Password Protection: No | Visit Website
file dropper

More

Curious for more? Here are some file sharing services (not all are free) worth checking out too!
  • Yousendit – Web-based pseudo-SaaS[1] digital content delivery service provided by YouSendIt, Inc. It lets users send, receive and track files on-demand. It is an alternative to sending large e-mail attachments, using FTP, and sending CDs or DVDs or tape or USB flash drive via courier. (via Wiki)
  • BigUpload – Leading provider of services that allow secure uploading, transferring and file sharing. The service uses a network of the newest, quickest and most reliable servers with memory close to unlimited working on multi-gigabyte Internet connections.
  • divShare – Share large files, music and video online.
  • ADrive – Serves as an online, centralized vault for all important file types including: music, videos, photos, documents, and more.
  • DropSend – Send up as big as 2Gb per file!
  • Sendspace – Unlimited downloads and uploads, 300Mb per file.
  • TransferBigFiles – There’s no registration required to use the website. You can just go to the home page and start uploading some files.