How long do WeTransfer links last? Free vs Starter vs Ultimate expiry (2026)

A free WeTransfer link lasts up to 3 days from the moment you send it, and then the files are deleted from WeTransfer's servers for good. Starter has the same 3-day cap; only the Ultimate plan can push that out, recover an expired transfer, or set a link to never expire. Everything below is taken from WeTransfer's own pages, checked on 5 Oct 2026.

WeTransfer link expiry by plan

Two details catch people out. First, the clock starts at send, not at first open, so a link emailed on Friday evening can be dead before a Monday-morning click. Second, the expiry is independent of the download: a transfer that was downloaded once still expires on schedule, and one that was never opened expires exactly the same way.

What the recipient sees after expiry

An expired transfer opens to a page that says the transfer is no longer available. There is no download button, no preview and no way for the recipient to request the files from WeTransfer. On Free and Starter the files have been permanently removed, so the only route back is the sender uploading them again.

If you are the recipient, do not wait and retry later; it will not come back. Reply to the sender and ask for a fresh transfer, or, better, a link that does not run on a timer.

How to re-send an expired WeTransfer

1. Open WeTransfer and start a new transfer with the same files from your computer.
2. If you are on Ultimate, open the Transfers panel first. Expired transfers under 256 MB can be restored for up to a year, larger ones for 90 days, and that includes transfers that expired while you were still on Free.
3. Set the expiry before you click send. Free and Starter cannot go beyond 3 days, so if the recipient might take a week to open it, pick another way to share.
4. Check your monthly allowance. Free transfers also count against a rolling 30-day limit, so a re-send can be blocked for a reason that has nothing to do with expiry. We explain how to tell the two apart in WeTransfer limit reached.

The option that does not expire

WeTransfer treats expiry as the product. That makes sense for a one-off hand-over of raw footage, and it makes no sense for a portfolio, a price list, a resume, or anything printed on a QR code. For those, the honest answer is a link that is permanent by default.

That is how Link in Seconds works. Upload a file, get a clean link, and it stays live until you delete it. There is no countdown on the free plan, no "never expire" switch to find, and no recovery window to race. Pro users can optionally set an expiry date when they want one to vanish, which is the opposite default from a transfer service. We go into why links die and what it costs in share links that never expire.

What you give up

• Size. WeTransfer Free carries up to 3 GB per transfer. A free Link in Seconds link holds a file of up to 100 MB, with 100 MB total and 20 live links. For a one-off 2 GB hand-over, WeTransfer is still the right tool.
• Email delivery. WeTransfer emails the recipient for you. With a permanent link you paste it wherever the conversation already is, which is usually what people do with the WeTransfer link anyway.

For a side-by-side on size, expiry and whether the recipient needs an account, see our WeTransfer alternative page.

Which should you use?

• Sending once, to one person, who will open it today: WeTransfer Free is fine. Tell them the link dies in 3 days.
• Sending something people will open at their own pace: a permanent link. A recruiter, a client, a committee: none of them read on your schedule.
• Sending the same file repeatedly: a permanent link you can update. Replace the file behind it and everyone who already has the link sees the new version.
• Sending something that must disappear: WeTransfer Ultimate's custom expiry, or a Pro link with an expiry date and a view limit.

Quick answers

Go deeper

• WeTransfer limit reached? Which limit you actually hit
• How to share links that never expire
• WeTransfer alternative with permanent links