How to send large files (10, 20, 50 GB): a 2026 guide for teams

The short answer: for anything larger than 20–25 MB, stop using attachments. Upload the file to a transfer service and send a link. WeTransfer’s free tier covers up to 3 GB, Nivlo Send up to 7 GB with no account, and SwissTransfer up to 50 GB. If you send large files to the same clients every week, a link that expires after a few days becomes the problem. At that point you need a place where files stay organised.

Below are the real limits, checked on 28 October 2026, and what to use for each file size.

The limits at a glance

Method	Limit	How long it stays available	When it makes sense
Gmail attachment	25 MB	as long as the email exists	documents, small PDFs
Outlook attachment	20 MB (Outlook.com, Gmail, IMAP accounts)	as long as the email exists	documents, small PDFs
WeTransfer free	3 GB per transfer, at most 10 transfers or 3 GB per 30 days, account required	3 days	an occasional transfer
Nivlo Send	up to 7 GB, no account	the link expires automatically	a quick transfer you don’t need to keep
SwissTransfer	50 GB	up to 30 days, limited downloads	a single very large transfer
Google Drive	15 GB free across the whole account	until you delete it	teams already working in Google
Nivlo account	10 GB per upload session (Starter), 50 GB (Professional)	until you delete it	teams that send and receive files constantly

Free service limits change often. Before an important transfer, check the service’s official page.

What to use for each file size

Under 20 MB: an attachment

A contract, a quote or a few compressed photos fit in an email. The limit applies to the whole message, though: ten 3 MB attachments already exceed Outlook’s limit.

25 MB to 3 GB: any transfer service

Most presentations, photo shoot batches and short videos fall here. WeTransfer’s free tier, Nivlo Send or the Google Drive link Gmail inserts automatically all work. If the file is a video for a client, don’t send it as a video on WhatsApp: it gets recompressed and loses quality.

3 to 7 GB: Nivlo Send

Above 3 GB, WeTransfer’s free tier no longer helps. The other options are compared in our WeTransfer alternatives guide. Nivlo Send accepts up to 7 GB per transfer with no account. Add your files and get a link that expires automatically. It is built for a quick transfer when you don’t need to keep the files after they’ve been downloaded.

7 to 50 GB: SwissTransfer or a working account

A high-resolution brand film, raw event footage or a full campaign archive easily goes past 10 GB. SwissTransfer accepts up to 50 GB in a single free transfer. If the recipient chooses “Download all”, they get a ZIP archive, and above 10 GB files have to be downloaded one by one.

If you send this kind of volume regularly, a working account is simpler: upload the files once and share them by link whenever needed. On Nivlo’s Professional plan, a single upload session takes up to 50 GB, and uploads continue in the background and resume if the connection drops.

Over 50 GB: split the transfer

For tens or hundreds of gigabytes, split the material by day, stage or file type and send it in several transfers. The alternative is an external hard drive, which is still the fastest option for hundreds of gigabytes over a slow connection.

A whole folder: ZIP archive or preserved structure?

When you send a folder with subfolders, you have two options:

• A ZIP archive. Everything goes as one file, but the recipient has to download all of it before seeing anything, then unzip it. At 20 GB, that means an hour of waiting for the one file they were looking for.
• A preserved structure. Some platforms reproduce your folders exactly as you uploaded them, so the recipient browses online, sees previews and downloads only what they need. In Nivlo, dragging a folder into the browser keeps its subfolder structure.

When an expiring link is no longer enough

Transfer services are built for one-off sends. For a team working with clients and suppliers, the same limits turn into problems:

1. The client comes back three weeks later asking for “the event photos”. The link has expired, and you have to find the files and upload them again.
2. You receive files from several suppliers. Each one uses a different service, and downloads end up on different computers. In Nivlo, an upload link brings files straight into the project folder, and the sender needs no account.
3. You don’t know which version the client received. When files live in one place, everyone works on the same version, and Nivlo keeps previous versions automatically.
4. You need control. You choose whether the recipient can only view files, download web versions or download originals. From the Professional plan, links can also be password-protected.

If this sounds familiar, see how marketing agencies and event organisers work with their files.

Common mistakes

• Compressing a video to make it fit. The client gets a weaker version than the one you worked on. Send the original by link.
• Sending personal data without knowing where it goes. Photos of identifiable people, documents with contact details or contracts fall under GDPR. Check where files are stored. Nivlo stores data on servers in the European Union.
• Sending dozens of files with unclear names. “IMG_4821.jpg” tells the recipient nothing. A name with the date, project and version saves a lot of emails.