Zenden
The private WeTransfer alternative.
Send files end-to-end encrypted, with no accounts for the sender or the recipient. Direct transfers are free and unlimited. And when you'd rather send it and close your laptop, Cloud Link stores only ciphertext our servers cannot read — recipients download within 48 hours.
AES-256-GCM · key never leaves the link · macOS, Windows, Linux
Zenden vs. WeTransfer, side by side
WeTransfer is a polished cloud service and the right tool for plenty of jobs. The structural difference: WeTransfer stores your files on its servers so recipients can download later; Zenden encrypts end-to-end so nobody in the middle — including us — can read them.
| Zenden | WeTransfer | |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts | None — not for the sender, not for the recipient. | Recipients download without an account; paid tiers are account-based. |
| Price model | Direct transfers free and unlimited. Pro is $8/month or $80/year for relay + Cloud Link. | Free: 10 transfers or 3 GB total per rolling 30-day window, whichever comes first. Starter starts at $8–10/month depending on billing cycle; Ultimate around $23–25/month (USD, as of July 2026; varies by region). |
| Transfer limits | Direct: unlimited files, unlimited size. Cloud Link: single files up to 4.5 GiB, links valid 48 hours. | Free: max 3 GB per transfer and 3 GB total per month. Starter: 300 GB total per 30-day window. Ultimate: unlimited transfers, up to 1 TB each. |
| End-to-end encryption | Yes — AES-256-GCM, key in the link fragment or a passphrase. It never reaches our servers. | No — files are uploaded to and stored on WeTransfer servers until downloaded. |
| Expiry control | Direct sessions last up to 7 days and end the moment you close the app. Cloud Links expire after 48 hours. | Free links expire after up to 3 days; custom expiration is an Ultimate feature. |
| Recipient experience | Click the link, download in the browser. No app, no sign-up, nothing to explain. | Click the link, download in the browser. Polished and frictionless. |
| Tracking | Aggregate daily connection counters only. The recipient page has no analytics, no cookies, no tracking. | Files reside on their infrastructure until downloaded; see their privacy policy for details. |
WeTransfer figures verified against WeTransfer's help center and pricing pages (July 2026) and covered in our comparison of six file-transfer tools. Prices and caps may vary by region — check WeTransfer's site for current figures.
How Zenden works — two ways to send
Live transfer — direct P2P
Drop a file in the app and share the link. The recipient's browser connects straight to your machine over WebRTC and the file streams directly, end-to-end encrypted — it is never stored anywhere in between. Free, unlimited size, unlimited files, sessions up to 7 days. If a restrictive network blocks the direct path, an encrypted relay steps in and carries only ciphertext — 2 GB/month included free, 100 GB/month on Pro.
Cloud Link — send it and close your laptop
For the classic WeTransfer job: Zenden encrypts the file on your machine with AES-256-GCM, uploads the ciphertext, and hands you a link whose #fragment carries the key — the one part of a URL browsers never send to a server. Recipients have 48 hours to download; single files up to 4.5 GiB, 10 GB of active storage per Pro license. Part of Zenden Pro, rolling out in an upcoming release.
Encryption that isn't a checkbox
Every claim below is how Zenden actually works — not marketing shorthand:
- AES-256-GCM encryption with per-direction keys derived via HKDF.
- The key lives in the link's #fragment or in a passphrase — it never reaches our servers.
- Direct P2P by default; a relay is used only when your network requires it.
- Whatever is relayed or stored is ciphertext we cannot read.
- No accounts for sender or recipient. Direct transfers are free and unlimited.
- We count aggregate daily connection outcomes only — never who you are, what you send, or file names. The recipient page has no analytics, no cookies, no tracking. Read exactly what we measure.
Pricing
Free
Unlimited direct transfers, unlimited size, 7-day sessions, passphrase protection, and 2 GB/month of encrypted relay included. No account.
Pro — $8/month or $80/year
100 GB/month relay (50× free) so transfers complete from any network, plus Cloud Link — encrypted uploads recipients can download within 48 hours, rolling out in an upcoming release.
Full details on the Zenden pricing section.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zenden really free?
Yes. Direct P2P transfers are free and unlimited — unlimited files, unlimited size, no account — and the free tier includes 2 GB/month of encrypted relay fallback per device. Pro ($8/month or $80/year) raises the relay to 100 GB/month and adds Cloud Link.
Can the recipient download after I go offline?
With Cloud Link, yes. Cloud Link is a Zenden Pro feature rolling out in an upcoming release: your file is encrypted end-to-end on your machine, the ciphertext is uploaded, and recipients have 48 hours to download — no need for you to stay online. Direct P2P transfers require the sender to stay online while the recipient downloads.
Is Zenden end-to-end encrypted?
Yes. Transfers use AES-256-GCM with per-direction keys derived via HKDF. The key lives in the #fragment of the link or in a passphrase — either way it never reaches our servers, so we cannot read what you send. Relayed traffic and Cloud Link uploads are ciphertext only.
What are Cloud Link's limits?
Single files up to 4.5 GiB, links valid for 48 hours, and 10 GB of active encrypted storage per Pro license. The server stores only ciphertext it cannot read.
Do you track downloads or recipients?
No. We count aggregate connection outcomes — daily totals of connected-direct, connected-via-relay, and failed. Never who you are, what you send, file names, or IP-linked records. The recipient page has no analytics, no cookies, no tracking.