Filemail alternative: a free link that doesn't expire after 7 days
Filemail links die in 7 days. Fix that
If you need a Filemail alternative because your link keeps dying after a week, you need a file host, not another transfer service. Filemail's free plan sends up to 5 GB per transfer and keeps the files for 7 days; even the paid Personal plan keeps them for 30. Link in Seconds gives each file a permanent link that never expires on the free plan, at the cost of a much smaller file size limit.
Below is an honest comparison: where Filemail is the better tool (big files, today) and where a link that stays online is. Filemail figures are from filemail.com as listed in October 2026.
Filemail vs Link in Seconds at a glance
| Filemail (free) | Link in Seconds (free) | |
|---|---|---|
| Free size limit | 5 GB per transfer | 250 MB per file, 500 MB total |
| Free link lasts | 7 days | Until you delete it |
| Paid plan keeps files | 30 days on Personal | Until you delete it |
| What the recipient sees | A download page | The file itself: PDFs, video, images and HTML open in the browser |
| Reading analytics | Not its focus | Views, time, pages read, device, city |
| Password and custom expiry | On paid plans | Free on every plan |
| Change the file later | Send a new transfer | Replace the file, keep the same link |
When is Filemail the right tool?
Give Filemail its due: for a one-off hand-over of a large file, it is one of the most generous free options there is.
- Multi-gigabyte sends. Raw video, a full photo shoot or a large project archive fits in one 5 GB transfer. That is far more than a free Link in Seconds file (250 MB), and more than our paid per-file limit (500 MB) too.
- Send and forget. If the recipient downloads the file today and you never need the link again, a 7-day lifetime is a feature: nothing lingers online.
- Built for transfers. Filemail offers a desktop app and an API for people who send big files as part of their work.
Why does a 7-day link cause problems?
A transfer is built to disappear. That is fine for a hand-over and wrong for anything people open on their own schedule:
- A portfolio, resume or rate card you send to different people over months.
- A menu, flyer or manual behind a printed QR code, which cannot be reprinted every week.
- A proposal the client opens two weeks later, after the link has already expired.
- A course handout, press kit or price list you would otherwise re-send again and again.
Paying for Filemail stretches the timer to 30 days on Personal, but it is still a timer. When the job is "this file needs an address", a longer countdown does not fix it.
How is Link in Seconds different?
The free link does not expire
A link stays live until you delete it, on every plan. No 7-day countdown, no reminder to re-send. You can still set an expiry date or a view limit when you want a file to vanish, and both are free. More on that default in share links that never expire.
It opens instead of downloading
A Filemail link lands on a download page. A Link in Seconds link opens the file itself: PDFs page through in the browser, videos play with seeking, images show full size and an HTML file renders as a page. You can turn downloads off for a view-only link. That is a deterrent, not copy protection: anyone can still take a screenshot.
You can see who read it
Every link has analytics on every plan: views, unique visitors, time spent, how far people read (page by page for a PDF), device and city. Add an email gate if you need to know who opened it. See how to track a shared file for what each number means.
You can fix it after sending
Found a typo? Replace the file behind the link and everyone who already has it sees the new version, with the same URL and the same QR code. With a transfer you send a second link and hope people open the right one.
What do you give up?
- Size. 250 MB per file and 500 MB in total on the free plan; Pro raises that to 500 MB per file and 15 GB in total. Still far below a multi-gigabyte transfer.
- An account to upload. You sign in with Google or an emailed code before the first upload, because a permanent link has to belong to someone who can update, lock or delete it. Your viewers need no account.
- A cap on live links. 50 live links at a time on the free plan. Delete one and the slot comes back.
Which should you use?
- A file of several gigabytes, sent once: Filemail.
- A file that must work next month, or that you want to track: a permanent link. Upload a file and share the link it gives you.
- Not sure? Our guide to which way to send a file walks through it by size and purpose.
Quick answers
How long does Filemail keep files on the free plan?
Seven days. Filemail's own pages say files sent on the free plan are available to download for up to 7 days, after which the link stops working. Its paid Personal plan keeps files for 30 days.
What is the Filemail free limit?
5 GB per transfer, per Filemail's own site as checked in October 2026. That is large for a free plan and fits most video, photo and design hand-overs in one go.
Is there a Filemail alternative where the link does not expire?
Yes, a file host instead of a transfer service. Link in Seconds links never expire on any plan, open in the browser and show who viewed them. The trade-off is size: a free file can be up to 250 MB, not 5 GB.
Is Filemail better than Link in Seconds?
For sending multi-gigabyte files once, yes. Filemail is built for big transfers and handles sizes Link in Seconds does not. For a file that has to stay online, open without a download, or tell you whether it was read, a permanent link fits better.
Do I need an account to use Link in Seconds?
You need a free account to upload (Google sign-in or an emailed code, no card). The people you send the link to need no account to view it.
Go deeper
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