Is WeTransfer Safe? What to Know Before You Send
WeTransfer is one of the most popular ways to send big files, but if you are about to send something sensitive it is fair to ask whether it is safe. The short answer is that it is reasonably safe for everyday files. Here is what that means in practice, where the limits are, and how to send files more safely when it matters.
Is WeTransfer safe to use?
For ordinary sharing, yes. WeTransfer encrypts files in transit and at rest, and it is an established service used by millions of people. For sending a portfolio, a video, or a set of photos to a colleague, it is a sensible choice.
The honest caveat is that safety on any link-based sender depends as much on how you use it as on the service itself. The main risk is not the company being hacked, it is the link reaching the wrong person.
The real risk: the link, not the service
With most file senders, anyone who has the link can open the file. That is convenient, but it means a forwarded email, a shared screen, or a link pasted in the wrong chat can expose your file. This is true of WeTransfer and of almost every link-based tool.
So the practical question is not only is the service safe, but can I control who opens the link. That is where a password and a short lifetime matter.
How to send files more safely
Three habits cover most of the risk. First, add a password to the file and send that password through a different channel than the link, for example the link by email and the password by text. Second, prefer a service that virus-scans uploads, so a shared file cannot carry malware. Third, do not keep files online longer than you need to.
SAVEDLY is built around these. Every upload is virus-scanned before it goes live, you can add an optional password to any file, and files with no traffic for 7 days are auto-deleted, so nothing lingers online forever.
A safer-by-default alternative
If you want the simple send-a-link experience of WeTransfer with these protections built in, SAVEDLY is a free alternative with no account. Upload the file, optionally lock it with a password, and share the link. The recipient opens it in the browser, and because uploads are scanned, both sides are protected from malicious files.
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Upload a file freeFrequently asked questions
Is WeTransfer safe to use?
For everyday files, yes. WeTransfer encrypts files in transit and at rest and is a long-established service. The main thing to manage yourself is who receives the link, since anyone with the link can usually open the file.
Is WeTransfer safe for sensitive files?
It can be, but you should add protection you control. Use a password where possible, send that password through a separate channel, and remove the file when you are done. A service that virus-scans uploads and lets you password protect files, like SAVEDLY, gives you more of that control for free.
Can WeTransfer files be intercepted or hacked?
Files are encrypted in transit and at rest, so interception is unlikely. The far more common risk is the share link being forwarded or seen by the wrong person, which exposes the file regardless of the service. A password on the file prevents that.
Is there a safer alternative to WeTransfer?
SAVEDLY is a free WeTransfer alternative that virus-scans every upload, lets you password protect any file, and auto-deletes files with no traffic after 7 days, so they do not stay online indefinitely. There is no account and no size limit.
Does a file sender scan for viruses?
Not all of them do. SAVEDLY scans every upload with antivirus before the file goes live and looks inside archives like .zip and .rar, so a shared file cannot quietly carry malware to the person who downloads it.