Send Anywhere alternative
The best Send Anywhere alternatives
Send Anywhere earned its fans with one trick: pick a file, read out six digits, and the other phone or computer pulls it across within seconds. That key still works in 2026, but the rest of the service has changed around it. The Korean company behind it now carries the Rakuten Symphony name, free share links draw on a 10 GB monthly download allowance that belongs to the sender's account, links expire after 48 hours, and the website serves ads beside the send box. This guide lays out the three ways Send Anywhere actually moves files and the limit on each, dates the policy changes, ranks seven alternatives for the jobs people used it for, and maps each Send Anywhere habit to a replacement. BIShare is on the list: free and open source, with a six-character code, 100 GB links that last a day, and direct transfers between phones and computers. No ads and no monthly allowance.
We make BIShare, so weigh our ranking with that in mind. Every Send Anywhere limit below comes from its own pricing page or Help Center, and where Send Anywhere is still the better tool, we say so.
Quick answer
- You mostly used the 6-digit key: it is still free, up to 50 GB per transfer with no monthly limit. If ads or reliability are the problem, BIShare's code or PairDrop's pairing code replaces it.
- Your recipients hit "download limit" errors: free links share a 10 GB monthly pool on the sender's account. A BIShare link takes as much as 100 GB and never counts downloads against you.
- You need a link that lasts longer than 48 hours: Smash keeps free transfers for 7 days, or pay for Send Anywhere's Lite plan to set your own expiry.
- Two devices in the same room: skip the internet. BIShare or LocalSend go device to device on your router or a hotspot, and Quick Share handles Android to Windows.
- Privacy first, from a browser: Wormhole encrypts in the browser before upload, up to 10 GB for 24 hours.
- Staying with Send Anywhere: use key transfers for large files, since they skip the server and the monthly pool entirely.
What changed at Send Anywhere
Most reviews of Send Anywhere were written before its free plan was reshaped in 2023, so they describe limits that no longer apply. These are the dated changes from its own notices.
March 2018 to November 2020: the PLUS years
Send Anywhere PLUS launched in March 2018 with a dedicated server, 50 GB transfers and links that never expired. A notice dated 30 November 2020 announced its shutdown; automatic payments stopped after 31 December 2020, and links without an expiry date were given one, 90 days after each subscriber's end date.
April 2022: Estmob becomes Rakuten Symphony Korea
The developer, Estmob Inc., changed its name to Rakuten Symphony Korea effective 8 April 2022, and the terms of service and privacy policy were updated to match. The website footer now reads Rakuten Symphony Inc.
March 2023: paid Email Add-on and a monthly download pool
On 7 March 2023 Send Anywhere introduced the Email Add-on plans and changed the free policy. The old rule was a 10 GB download limit per link; the new one is a 10 GB download limit per free account per month, resetting on the 1st. The notice stresses that the limit applies to the person who shares, not to recipients.
March 2026: the Open API ends
Send Anywhere switched off its Open API on 31 March 2026. Existing API keys stopped working and file transfer inside third-party apps built on it ended. Regular users of the apps and website were not affected.
June 2026: a new system rolls out
A notice published in 2026 says the Send Anywhere infrastructure moves to a new system, rolling out gradually from 8 June 2026, and asks users to keep the app updated. If an old installation suddenly misbehaves, updating it is the first fix.
The three ways Send Anywhere moves a file
Send Anywhere is really three products behind one Send button, and each has its own size limit, storage rule and failure mode. Knowing which one you use explains most complaints.
6-digit key transfer
The sender gets a six-digit key that works once and only within 10 minutes. The receiver types it in and the file goes straight between the two devices without being stored on the server, up to 50 GB per transfer and with no monthly limit. On a computer the key can be entered on the website; on a phone the receiver needs the app. If the connection drops, the transfer cannot resume and starts again from zero.
Share link
Files are uploaded and kept for 48 hours on the free plan, up to 10 GB and 1,000 files per link, and anyone can download in a browser without an account. Downloads count against the sender's 10 GB monthly allowance, and free accounts can hold 10 GB of unexpired links in My Link. Interrupted link transfers can resume in the app.
Directly To Device
Signed-in users can push files to one of their own registered devices without typing a key. The files sit on the server until that device collects them or 48 hours pass, with a 10 GB ceiling. Like key transfers, it is a one-time, one-to-one delivery that cannot be resumed.
The limits that send people looking for an alternative
Send Anywhere still works well for a quick key transfer. The trouble starts when people lean on links, big files or the free website.
One busy link can block every other link
Because the 10 GB allowance belongs to the sender's account, a single 4 GB video downloaded by three colleagues uses the month. Help Center wording is blunt: once the limit is reached, all downloads of links created under that account are restricted until the 1st. Recipients just see a failed download.
Links vanish after two days
Free links expire after 48 hours and files are deleted permanently. Choosing your own expiry, up to 30 days, or links with none requires Lite at $5.99 or Standard at $9.99 a month, and even those unlimited links are capped at 2 GB and 5 GB.
Ads on the free website and apps
Loading send-anywhere.com in September 2026 showed ad units labelled as served by BuySellAds and Carbon next to the Send and Receive panels, and Google Play lists the Android app as containing ads. Ad removal is one of the paid plan features.
Key transfers are all or nothing
The fastest mode is also the most fragile. A 30 GB key transfer that fails at 90 percent because a phone locked or Wi-Fi hiccupped must start over, since key transfers and Directly To Device cannot resume.
Phones need the app to receive a key
A friend without the app cannot use your six digits on a phone; they either install Send Anywhere or you switch to a link, which brings back the 48-hour expiry and the monthly pool.
Seven Send Anywhere alternatives, ranked
Ranked for the jobs people used Send Anywhere for: quick cross-device sends, links for people far away, and big files. Every pick lists its catch.
BIShare
Best overall replacement for keys, links and nearby transfers
Android, iPhone, Windows, macOS, Linux and any browser · MIT · 100 GB links for 24 hours with a 6-character code and QR · no monthly download allowance · nearby sends over a router or hotspot, uncapped · no ads, no account
BIShare covers the same three jobs as Send Anywhere's three modes. For someone far away, upload in the app or at bishare.app and share a link, a six-character code or a QR code; the file is encrypted before upload, holds up to 100 GB, and stays for 24 hours, with an optional one-time download. For devices near each other, the apps spot each other over a shared router or hotspot and move files with no internet and no ceiling. There is no per-account download pool to run out of.
Falls short: Links last 24 hours rather than 48, uploads from a browser reject program files like .exe or .msi, and the no-internet route only works once both devices run the app.
PairDrop
Best key-style pairing with nothing to install
GPL-3.0 web app, PWA-installable · a 6-digit code or QR remembers a device for good · devices on one network appear automatically · temporary public rooms · TURN relay behind NAT
PairDrop is the nearest thing to Send Anywhere's key in a browser. Instead of a code that dies after ten minutes, a six-digit code pairs two devices once and they recognise each other on any network afterwards. On the same Wi-Fi, devices show up without any code at all, and files never pass through a server.
Falls short: Both devices must be online with the page open during the transfer, and there is no stored link for someone who is offline.
Wormhole
Best private link from a browser
Browser only · no charge · 10 GB ceiling · encrypted client-side · 24-hour links · peer-to-peer above 5 GB
Wormhole is the pick when the content matters more than the size. Encryption happens on your machine and the decryption key travels inside the link, leaving the service holding ciphertext. Up to 5 GB is stored for a day; bigger files stream from your browser to the recipient's.
Falls short: Its 10 GB ceiling matches Send Anywhere's free link, links last only 24 hours, and large transfers need your tab open.
Transfer.zip
Best open-source service for real-time and stored transfers
Browser · AGPL-3.0, self-hostable · free Quick Transfers: end-to-end encrypted, nothing stored, shared by link or QR · stored transfers on paid plans with a 7-day trial
Transfer.zip's free Quick Transfers stream a file between two browsers with AES-GCM encryption and no size limit, handed over with a link or a QR code. Its README notes that files over 10 MB are routed through its relay for speed, still encrypted end to end. Paid plans add stored transfers of up to 200 GB or 1 TB, and the whole service can be self-hosted.
Falls short: Free transfers only work while both people are online, and stored links require a subscription after the trial.
LocalSend
Best open-source app for devices on the same network
Apache 2.0 · apps for phones, desktops and Fire tablets · single LAN, offline-capable · device-to-device HTTPS · no sign-in, no cap
If most of your Send Anywhere use was phone to laptop at home, LocalSend does it without keys, servers or ads. Devices on the same router list each other by name, and transfers never leave the building, so there is no allowance of any kind.
Falls short: Nobody beyond your router is reachable, and each device has to install it.
Quick Share
Best built-in option between Android and Windows
Preinstalled on Google-certified Android and ChromeOS · Google's PC app wants 64-bit Windows 10+ · Bluetooth and Wi-Fi · iPhone reach limited to listed models or QR
For Android users, the share sheet already has a Send Anywhere-style shortcut. Quick Share finds nearby Android phones, Chromebooks and Windows PCs running Google's app, and sends without internet or ads.
Falls short: It only works nearby, has no link for later, and needs Google services on Android and Bluetooth on the PC.
Smash
Best free link for files bigger than 10 GB
Web plus mobile apps · uncapped size for free users · anything above 2 GB waits in line · week-long links · free password
Smash is the answer when the file is too big for Send Anywhere's free link and the recipient cannot be online with you. There is no size ceiling on the free plan and no monthly pool, and links last a week instead of two days.
Falls short: Big free transfers wait in a queue, so delivery times vary, and the service stores your files rather than sending them device to device.
At a glance
| Feature | BIShare | PairDrop | Wormhole | Transfer.zip | LocalSend | Smash |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free stored link for someone offline | ||||||
| Links over 10 GB on the free plan | ||||||
| Direct device-to-device transfer | ||||||
| Works with no internet | ||||||
| Recipient needs no app | ||||||
| Open source |
As of September 2026. A BIShare link holds 100 GB for a day; its nearby mode needs the app on each end. PairDrop and Transfer.zip Quick Transfers need both people online. Wormhole stores up to 5 GB and streams larger files peer to peer, with a 10 GB ceiling. LocalSend works only on one local network. Smash has no free size limit but queues transfers over 2 GB. Send Anywhere for comparison: key transfers up to 50 GB, free links up to 10 GB for 48 hours within a 10 GB monthly download allowance.
Replace each Send Anywhere habit
Map what you actually did in Send Anywhere to the tool that does that one thing best.
Reading out six digits to a friend nearby
BIShare on both phones finds the other device without a code, or share a BIShare code for a link. PairDrop's pairing code works when you would rather not install anything.
Emailing a link to a client
A BIShare link for files up to 100 GB within a day, Smash when it must stay up a week, Wormhole when the content is sensitive.
Phone to your own laptop
LocalSend or BIShare across your home router, Quick Share if the laptop runs Windows and the phone is Android.
Files over 10 GB
A BIShare link up to 100 GB, a direct BIShare or LocalSend transfer with no cap, or Smash if the recipient needs a week to collect it.
One file, many recipients
Links scale best: a BIShare link has no per-account download pool, so ten people can download the same file without using up a monthly allowance.
Moving from Send Anywhere to BIShare
Save what is still in My Link
Free Send Anywhere links delete their files when they expire and nothing can be recovered afterwards, so download anything you still need from My Link first.
Install BIShare where you send most
Get BIShare for Android, iPhone, Windows, macOS or Linux. Recipients who only receive links need nothing; they open the link or type the code at bishare.app.
Pick nearby or link for each send
With both devices on one router or one phone's hotspot, tap the other device and it sends directly. For anyone elsewhere, create a link, then share it, its six-character code or its QR code.
Security: what each approach exposes
Send Anywhere's modes treat your files differently, and so do the alternatives. Match the method to how private the file is.
Keys are short-lived by design
A six-digit key has one million combinations, which is why Send Anywhere limits it to one use within 10 minutes. Treat any short code the same way: share it only with the person receiving, and do not post it in a group chat.
Stored links sit on someone's server
Send Anywhere says files uploaded for links and Directly To Device are encrypted in storage and deleted at expiry. Wormhole and BIShare go further by encrypting in your browser or app before upload, so the stored copy cannot be read by the service.
Check what the app collects
Send Anywhere's Google Play data safety section declares data encrypted in transit and names location, personal details and device identifiers in its collection list, some of it used for ads. Open-source tools such as LocalSend, PairDrop and BIShare let you read the code instead of trusting a label.
Send Anywhere alternatives: FAQ
Is Send Anywhere still free?
Yes. Key transfers up to 50 GB are free with no monthly limit. Free share links are capped at 10 GB per link, expire after 48 hours and draw on a 10 GB monthly download allowance for the sender's account.
Why can't people download my Send Anywhere link?
Most often the sender's free account has used its 10 GB monthly download allowance, which blocks downloads from all of that account's links until the 1st of the month. The link may also have passed its 48-hour expiry.
What is the best alternative to Send Anywhere?
BIShare for one tool that does codes, 100 GB links and direct transfers without ads. PairDrop for a browser pairing code, Wormhole for encrypted browser links, LocalSend for devices on one network, and Smash for free links over 10 GB.
How long is a Send Anywhere 6-digit key valid?
Ten minutes, and it can be used only once. The file goes directly between the devices and is not stored on the server.
How big a file can Send Anywhere send for free?
Up to 50 GB with a 6-digit key, 10 GB with a share link and 10 GB with Directly To Device. Paid Lite and Standard plans raise links to 20 GB and 30 GB.
How much does Send Anywhere cost?
The paid Email Add-on plans cost $5.99 a month for Lite, with 200 GB of monthly download data, and $9.99 a month for Standard, with 500 GB, on the pricing page checked in September 2026.
Who owns Send Anywhere?
Its developer, Estmob, changed its name to Rakuten Symphony Korea in April 2022, and the website footer credits Rakuten Symphony Inc.
Does Send Anywhere have ads?
Yes. The free website shows ad units, and Google Play lists the Android app as containing ads. The paid plans remove them.
Can Send Anywhere resume a failed transfer?
Only for share links in the app, because those files stay on the server. Key transfers and Directly To Device restart from the beginning if interrupted.
Is BIShare free?
Yes. BIShare is free and MIT-licensed, shows no ads, needs no account and has no monthly download allowance; links hold up to 100 GB for 24 hours.
The quick send, without the monthly meter
Free and open source. Send directly to nearby devices, or share a 100 GB link with a short code that anyone can open in a browser.