TL;DR
- Google Drive gives 15GB of free storage and a 5TB per-file limit, but every shared link is a plain Google Drive page with no branding and no custom domain.
- What "custom domain" means in this guide: your own domain on the download page, like
files.yourstudio.com, not a branded subdomain on the vendor's own domain, likeyourstudio.we.tl. Google Drive offers neither; every link stays on drive.google.com.- For a true custom domain at an affordable price, TrunkTransfer ($9/mo). Smash has this too, but only on its custom-priced Enterprise plan.
- Permissions on Drive get messy with clients. "Anyone with the link" is the common workaround, but it's also the setting most IT teams flag, and restricted sharing can require the client to sign in with a Google account.
- For huge video or production files, MASV has no per-file cap, similar to Drive's own 5TB limit, but adds branded upload portals Drive doesn't have.
- For a quick one-off send without setting anything up, WeTransfer or Dropbox Transfer's free plans work, though both carry the sender's branding, not yours.
If you're looking for a Google Drive alternative because client deliveries need to look like they came from your studio rather than a shared Drive folder, TrunkTransfer is the most direct option, with a custom domain and client portal from $9/mo. If you just need a quick one-off send and don't want to deal with sharing permissions, WeTransfer or Dropbox Transfer's free plans work, though the link will carry their branding, not yours. The rest of this guide covers all six with current pricing and what each one actually does well.
Quick Comparison
| Tool | Best For | Custom Domain | Client Portal | Free Limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TrunkTransfer | Branded agency delivery | Yes (Starter+) | Yes (Starter+) | 3GB per transfer, 7-day expiry |
| WeTransfer | Occasional large sends | No | No | 3GB total, up to 10 sends/30 days, 1-3 day expiry |
| Dropbox Transfer | Dropbox users sending small files | No | No | 100MB per transfer, 7-day expiry |
| MASV | Huge video/production files | No | No | 15GB/month, no per-file cap |
| Smash | Freelancers, casual branding | Enterprise only | No | 2GB per transfer |
| TransferNow | Budget branded transfers | Yes (Premium+) | No | 5GB per transfer, 7-day expiry |
Why Look for a Google Drive Alternative
Google Drive is genuinely good at what it's built for: ongoing storage and real-time collaboration on Docs, Sheets, and Slides. The friction shows up specifically when you're handing finished work to a client, for three reasons:
Every link looks like Google, not you. A shared file or folder opens in Google's interface, on a drive.google.com address. There's no way to put your studio's name or domain on that page, and depending on the folder structure, a client browsing a shared folder can sometimes see sibling files they weren't meant to.
Permissions get messy with external people. Sharing "publicly" or "anyone with the link" is the easiest way to avoid asking a client to sign in, but it's also the setting that shows up in every "Google Drive security mistakes" article, because anyone who gets the link can forward it on. Restricting access to specific people instead means the client needs a Google account that matches, which adds a step for anyone who doesn't have one.
It's storage, not a handoff. There's no automatic expiry, no client portal, and no notification when someone downloads a file. Finished work just sits in Drive, mixed in with everything else, until someone remembers to clean it up.
What to Look For Instead
Custom domain and branding. Can the download page live at files.youragency.com with your logo, or will it always say the vendor's name? Google Drive doesn't offer this on any plan, including Google Workspace.
Client portals. A portal gives each client one bookmarkable link that collects every file you've ever sent them. Drive's closest equivalent is a shared folder, but it's not structured around "everything for this client" the same way, and clients often need to be added individually.
Download tracking. Drive tells you when someone comments on or requests access to a file, but not when they download it. If knowing when a client actually grabbed the files matters, look for a tool that tracks this directly.
A clean handoff, not permanent storage. Files that automatically expire after a set window keep "sent to client" separate from "still need this internally," without manual cleanup.
The 6 Alternatives
1. TrunkTransfer
TrunkTransfer is built specifically for agencies handing off finished work to clients. The Starter plan ($9/mo, or $6/mo billed yearly) includes 200GB per transfer with a 30-day expiry, and includes a custom domain, full branding, and client portals. A 7-day free trial lets you try it before you commit.
Key features:
- Delivery pages on your own domain (e.g.
files.youragency.com), with no TrunkTransfer branding visible to clients - Client portals so each client has one link collecting every delivery you've sent them
- Email notifications when a client downloads a file
- Password protection and link expiry on every transfer
Pros:
- Custom domain and full branding from the $9/mo Starter plan, the lowest price on this list for that combination
- Client portal is included on the same plan, not a separate add-on
- No account or sign-in required for the recipient, ever
Cons:
- Built for delivery, not ongoing storage or team collaboration, so it sits alongside whatever you already use for internal files rather than replacing it
- Files expire on a schedule (7 days free, 30 days Starter, 365 days Pro), so it's not a place to archive work long-term
- No real-time document editing, so it won't replace Google Docs or Sheets for working files
How it compares to Google Drive: Drive gives free raw storage (15GB), while TrunkTransfer is a paid delivery tool with 200GB per transfer on Starter, but that storage is for keeping files, not handing them off. TrunkTransfer adds the custom domain, client portal, and download notifications that Drive doesn't have on any plan, and files are designed to expire on a schedule instead of sitting in a shared folder indefinitely. See the full TrunkTransfer vs Google Drive comparison for a closer side-by-side.
Best for: Agencies and freelancers who deliver finished work to clients regularly and want every touchpoint, including the download page, to look like it came from them.
2. WeTransfer
WeTransfer changed its plans significantly in 2026. The free plan now allows up to 10 transfers or 3GB total in any rolling 30-day period, and files stay available for only 1 to 3 days before they're gone. The Starter plan ($8/mo) raises the monthly cap to 300GB, still with short-lived links. Ultimate ($23/mo) removes the transfer cap entirely, imposes no per-transfer size limit, and adds custom expiration dates, password protection, and some page branding (though still on a we.tl address, not your own domain).
Key features:
- No per-transfer size limit on Ultimate, with no monthly cap
- Password protection and custom expiration on Starter and above
- Some logo and color customization on Ultimate, but no custom domain on any plan
- Teams plan ($19/user/mo, 2-user minimum) for shared workspaces
Pros:
- Free plan now includes password protection and file requests, features that used to require a paid plan
- Ultimate removes the transfer cap entirely and imposes no per-transfer size limit
- Almost every client already recognizes a WeTransfer link, so there's no "what is this" hesitation
Cons:
- The 2026 changes made the free plan more restrictive overall: 3GB total per month across all sends, not 3GB per send, and files only last 1 to 3 days
- No custom domain at any price, including Ultimate and Teams
- Branding on Ultimate is limited to a we.tl address, not your own domain
How it compares to Google Drive: WeTransfer's free tier (3GB total per month) is smaller than Drive's 15GB, and both require no special setup to send. The difference is in how recipients access files: Drive links can require the recipient to sign in depending on sharing settings, while WeTransfer links never do. Neither offers a custom domain. See the WeTransfer alternatives guide or TrunkTransfer vs WeTransfer for more.
Best for: Occasional large sends where you don't need branding and the recipient shouldn't need to sign in to anything.
3. Dropbox Transfer
Dropbox Transfer is a feature within Dropbox for sending files via a link, separate from Dropbox's main storage. The free plan caps transfers at 100MB with a 7-day expiry. Dropbox Plus raises the transfer limit to 2GB, and Professional or Advanced plans raise it to 100GB, with custom expiration, passwords, and basic branding available from Professional upward.
Key features:
- Transfers don't count against your Dropbox storage quota
- Custom expiration dates and password protection on Professional and above
- Transfer stats and history on paid Transfer plans
- Familiar if your agency already uses Dropbox for internal files
Pros:
- If you already pay for Dropbox, Transfer is built in rather than a separate subscription
- A one-off send with automatic 7-day expiry, so it doesn't add clutter to your storage
- Recipients never need a Dropbox account to download
Cons:
- The free limit (100MB) is the smallest on this list by a wide margin
- No custom domain or meaningful branding on any Dropbox plan
- Reaching 100GB per transfer requires the Professional or Advanced tier, a bigger jump than most freelancers need just for transfers
How it compares to Google Drive: Dropbox Transfer's 100MB free limit is far smaller than Drive's 15GB, but Transfer is built as a one-off send with automatic expiry, while Drive files sit in storage indefinitely unless someone cleans them up. Neither has a custom domain or a client portal. See TrunkTransfer vs Dropbox Transfer or the Dropbox Transfer alternatives guide for more.
Best for: Agencies already paying for Dropbox who want transfers to stay separate from their main storage, for small files only.
4. MASV
MASV is built for production teams moving very large media files. There's no file size cap. The first 15GB each month is free, and after that it's pay-as-you-go at $0.25/GB. Files are stored for 5 days after upload, then expire automatically.
Key features:
- No upper limit on file size, useful for 4K/8K video and large datasets
- Pay-per-use pricing with no seat licenses or contracts
- Branded upload portals for receiving files from others (the download side still uses MASV's domain)
- AES-256 encryption, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certified
Pros:
- No file size ceiling at all, so it handles whatever a video pipeline throws at it
- Pay-as-you-go means no monthly commitment if your volume is irregular
- SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification, useful if a client's IT team asks
Cons:
- No client portal, so every delivery is a one-off link with no ongoing client space
- No branding or custom domain on the download side
- Per-GB pricing can cost more than a flat plan if you send large files often
How it compares to Google Drive: Drive's 5TB per-file limit is already generous, so MASV doesn't really win on raw size against Drive the way it does against Dropbox Transfer's 100GB cap. What MASV adds is a branded upload portal for receiving files, something Drive doesn't offer, and no requirement for the sender to have any storage of their own. See TrunkTransfer vs MASV for how the two compare on branding and client delivery.
Best for: Video production houses and studios sending very large project files where reliability matters more than how the link looks.
5. Smash
Smash offers a free plan up to 2GB per transfer, with some logo and background customization even at no cost. The Pro plan (around €10/mo) raises this to 250GB with a 30-day link expiry. A true custom domain (CNAME) exists, but only on Smash's Enterprise plan, which is custom-priced and considerably more expensive than TrunkTransfer's $9/mo Starter
Key features:
- Logo and background customization available even on the free plan
- Download tracking and link history on paid plans
- No ads on any plan, including free
- Team plans scale up to 1TB per send
Pros:
- Free plan includes some logo and background customization, more than most free tiers offer
- No ads on any plan, including free
- 250GB on Pro (~€10/mo) is generous for the price point
Cons:
- A real custom domain requires the custom-priced Enterprise plan, not Pro
- No client portal
- Link expiry tops out at 30 days even on Pro
How it compares to Google Drive: Smash's free tier (2GB) is much smaller than Drive's 15GB, but Smash adds logo and background customization on the download page itself, something Drive's interface doesn't allow at all, even on paid Google One or Workspace plans. See TrunkTransfer vs Smash or the Smash alternatives guide for more.
Best for: Freelancers and small teams who want some visual customization on the download page without paying for Enterprise.
6. TransferNow
TransferNow is a European file-sharing service with a free plan up to 5GB per transfer and a 7-day link expiry. The Premium plan (around €6/mo) raises this to 250GB with up to 365-day link validity, and includes full branding plus a branded subdomain (yourstudio.transfernow.net). A true custom domain (CNAME) is Enterprise-only.
Key features:
- Logo, background, and color customization on all paid tiers
- No ads, and data centers in the EU or US depending on your needs
- Team plans add user management and SSO
- Custom domain support on Enterprise plan
Pros:
- Link validity up to 365 days on Premium
- EU and US data center choice, useful for clients with data residency requirements
Cons:
- No client portal, so each delivery is still a standalone link
- Less brand recognition outside Europe, which can make some clients pause before clicking
- Free plan expiry is 7 days, the same as Dropbox Transfer
How it compares to Google Drive: TransferNow's free tier (5GB) is smaller than Drive's 15GB, but Premium ($10/mo) adds visual branding and a branded subdomain (yourstudio.transfernow.net), something Drive doesn't offer. Note that a true custom domain on TransferNow requires their Enterprise plan at custom pricing. For a true custom domain at a standard price, TrunkTransfer Starter ($9/mo) is the only entry-level option. See TrunkTransfer vs TransferNow for the full breakdown.
Best for: Agencies that want visual branding and long link validity without needing a client portal or a true custom domain.
Quick Picks by Use Case
- Want every client delivery to look like it came from your studio: TrunkTransfer. Custom domain and client portal from the $9/mo Starter plan.
- Need more free storage for internal team files: Google Drive is still the right tool for that. The issue is only with client-facing delivery, not general storage.
- Sending huge video or production files: MASV. No per-file cap, plus branded upload portals.
- Want a custom domain on the smallest budget: TransferNow Premium (around €6/mo).
- Quick one-off send, branding doesn't matter: WeTransfer or Dropbox Transfer free plans, but check the limits above first.
Switching from Google Drive?
If you're already using Google Workspace for internal files and team collaboration, keep it. Add TrunkTransfer for anything that goes to a client, so the handoff looks like it came from your studio instead of a shared Drive folder. The Starter plan ($9/mo) covers sends up to 200GB and adds the custom domain and client portal, with a 7-day free trial to see the branded setup before you commit.
Send your first file from your own domain →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Google Drive and how does sharing work?
Google Drive is Google's cloud storage service, used for storing files and collaborating on Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Sharing works by generating a link to a file or folder, which can be restricted to specific people or opened to "anyone with the link." Free accounts get 15GB of storage shared across Drive, Gmail, and Photos.
Does the recipient need a Google account to download files?
It depends on the sharing setting. If a file is shared as "anyone with the link," recipients can view or download without signing in. If it's restricted to specific people, they need to sign in with a matching Google account. TrunkTransfer, WeTransfer, Dropbox Transfer, MASV, Smash, and TransferNow never require an account to download.
Can I use my own domain for file delivery instead of a Google Drive link?
Two tools on this list offer a true custom domain. TrunkTransfer includes it from the Starter plan ($9/mo), Smash also has a custom domain option, but only on its custom-priced Enterprise plan. Google Drive doesn't support a custom domain on any plan, including Google Workspace.
What is a client portal, and which of these tools have one?
A client portal is a single link that collects every file you've sent to a specific client, so they don't need to dig through old emails or shared folders to find past deliveries. TrunkTransfer includes this from the Starter plan. Google Drive's closest equivalent is a shared folder, but it isn't structured around "everything for this client" and clients are added individually rather than getting one ongoing link.
Can I see when a client downloads files I shared on Google Drive?
No. Drive notifies you about comments and access requests, but not downloads. TrunkTransfer sends an email notification when a client downloads a file. WeTransfer's Ultimate plan and Smash and TransferNow's paid plans include some download tracking.
What's the real file size limit on Google Drive?
Google Drive's free storage is 15GB, shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos. The maximum size for a single file is 5TB, and there's a 750GB daily upload cap per account. For most people, the practical limit isn't file size, it's running out of the 15GB of free storage with everything else stored there too.
What changed with WeTransfer's plans in 2026?
WeTransfer restructured its entire lineup. The free plan now allows up to 10 transfers or 3GB total in any rolling 30-day period, with files available for only 1 to 3 days, down from the previous 7-day window. The old Pro and Premium plans were replaced by Starter ($8/mo, 300GB/month) and Ultimate ($23/mo, unlimited transfers, no per-transfer size limit).
Is there a free alternative to Google Drive for sending files to clients?
For sending files without using up your Drive storage: WeTransfer (3GB total across up to 10 sends per month), Dropbox Transfer (100MB per transfer), Smash (2GB per transfer), and TransferNow (5GB per transfer) are all free options with no account required for the recipient. TrunkTransfer offers a 7-day free trial with 200GB per transfer if you need branding and a custom domain.
Are Google Drive links secure for sending files to clients?
Google Drive meets standard enterprise security requirements and supports two-factor authentication. The bigger risk with Drive for client files is usually permissions, not encryption: a link shared as "anyone with the link" can be forwarded to anyone, and shared folders can sometimes expose other files if permissions aren't set carefully. TrunkTransfer, MASV, Smash, and TransferNow all use encryption in transit, with MASV holding SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certification.
