pCloud Transfer: send large files free without an account

pCloud Transfer is a free web page, transfer.pcloud.com, that sends files of up to 5 GB in total to anyone, without signing up. You add your files, choose whether pCloud emails them or gives you a link, verify your email address and you're done. The person on the other end doesn't need an account either. Here is how it works, what its limits are and when a Google Drive link is the better choice.

What pCloud Transfer is

pCloud is a Swiss cloud storage company. Next to its normal storage service it runs Transfer, a separate tool for one thing only: getting a file from you to someone else. Nothing is synced and nothing stays in a folder of yours. You upload, the recipient downloads, and the link stops working after it expires.

That makes it useful for the moments when email attachments are too small and you don't want to fill your own cloud storage: sending a project video to a teacher, a set of event photos to a friend, or a big presentation to a client.

How to send files with pCloud Transfer

You can do this on a computer or on a phone. On Android, open the page in Chrome; the file picker lets you choose files from your phone's storage.

1. Go to transfer.pcloud.com.
2. Add the files you want to send. Any file type is allowed.
3. Choose how to deliver them: by email, where pCloud sends the files to the recipient's address, or with a link, which you copy and share yourself, for example on WhatsApp.
4. For email delivery, type the recipient's address and add a short message if you like. pCloud's help page says you can also choose an expiry date for the link here.
5. If you want, turn on a password (see the section on encryption below).
6. Send the transfer. Without a pCloud account, you now have to confirm your email address. Open the message pCloud sends you and verify it within 6 hours, or the transfer is cancelled.

If you chose a link, pCloud shows it only after you verify your email. Copy it and send it however you prefer. If you're signed in to a pCloud account, the verification step is skipped and the transfer goes straight out.

When the recipient downloads the files, pCloud sends you an email. That is a simple way to know your file arrived, which a link pasted in a chat doesn't tell you.

pCloud Transfer limits

These are the limits pCloud lists on its Transfer page and help center, as of November 2026:

The 200 MB per file limit is the one that catches people. You can send 5 GB as many smaller files, such as a folder of photos or a set of PDFs, but not one 2 GB video. For a single large file, a Google Drive link is the easier route (more on that below).

pCloud's help page doesn't say how many days a link lasts by default, so check the expiry shown when you send, and tell the recipient to download soon. Treat any transfer link as temporary: if the files matter, the recipient should save their own copy.

Password protection and encryption

Transfer has an optional password. When you set one, pCloud says the files are encrypted in your browser using AES-256, a standard and strong encryption method. "In your browser" means the files are scrambled on your device before they're uploaded, so what travels and sits on pCloud's servers can't be opened without the password.

Two habits make the password worth having:

• Send the password separately. pCloud's own advice is not to put the password in the same email or message as the link. If the link goes by email, send the password on WhatsApp or say it on a call.
• Use it for anything personal. Marksheets, ID cards, bank statements, contracts and family photos should never travel as an open link. Anyone who gets hold of an unprotected link can download the files.

Pick a password the recipient can type easily but nobody can guess, such as three random words. Don't reuse a password from one of your accounts.

pCloud Transfer vs a Google Drive share link

Most people already have Google Drive, so it's fair to ask why you would use anything else. The short answer: Transfer is for a quick one-off send, and Drive is for files you want to keep and control.

Drive has one more catch when you share widely. If you post an "Anyone with the link" file in a big group, Google can temporarily block downloads after too many people grab it, and everyone sees the Google Drive download quota exceeded error. A transfer link sent to one or two people avoids that, and so does sharing a Drive file with specific people instead of the whole group.

Choose Transfer when the files are under 200 MB each, you only need to send them once and you don't want them taking space in your Drive. Choose Drive when one file is very large, when the link must keep working for weeks, or when you need to control exactly who can open it.

When a pCloud account makes more sense

Transfer is built for sending, not storing. If you find yourself sending the same files again and again, or you need a place to keep big videos and photo archives, a storage account is the better tool. With an account, you share a folder link once instead of uploading a new transfer every time, and your transfers skip the email check.

pCloud has a free plan and paid plans, including lifetime plans that you pay for once instead of every month. One detail from its terms is worth knowing: free accounts that stay inactive for 12 months are deleted along with their files, so don't treat a free account you never open as a safe archive. If you're weighing pCloud against other services, our comparison of Google Drive alternatives lays out free space, privacy and prices side by side.

Safety tips for sending and receiving files

• Check the address before you hit send. A typo in the recipient's email sends your files to a stranger. For anything private, add a password as well.
• Be wary of transfer emails you didn't expect. Scammers copy the look of file-sharing notices to get you to click. If someone says they sent you files, confirm with them in another app before opening the link, and look at the real web address before downloading.
• Don't open programs from strangers. A transfer can carry any file type, including apps and archives. Photos, PDFs and videos you were expecting are one thing; an unknown .apk or .exe is another.
• Shrink files before sending when you can. A smaller file uploads faster on mobile data and is more likely to stay under 200 MB. Our free PDF compressor helps with heavy scans and reports.

Frequently asked questions

Is pCloud Transfer really free?

Yes. As of November 2026, pCloud lets anyone send up to 5 GB per transfer for free, without registering. You only need to verify your email address before the transfer goes out.

Does the recipient need a pCloud account?

No. The recipient opens the link or the email and downloads the files in their browser. They don't have to sign up or install anything.

Can I send a 1 GB video with pCloud Transfer?

Not as a single file. Transfer accepts up to 5 GB in total but at most 200 MB per file. For one large video, upload it to Google Drive or another cloud and share the link instead.

How long does a pCloud Transfer link last?

Transfer links expire, and pCloud lets you choose an expiry date when you send by email. Check the date shown when you create the transfer, and ask the recipient to download the files soon and keep their own copy.