How to send large video files to an editor
For tens or hundreds of gigabytes, the cheapest route is usually a Google Drive or Dropbox folder link: recipients don't need an account, and you only pay for the storage. MASV is the pay-as-you-go option built for video, at $0.25 per GB downloaded with 15 GB free a month. WeTransfer's free plan now allows only 3 GB per 30 days, so it's out for real footage. For several terabytes, shipping a drive is still often fastest.
The options, compared
| Free allowance | Paid | Recipient needs an account? | How long files stay | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Drive link | Your storage (15 GB free) | Google storage plan | No | Until you remove it |
| Dropbox folder link / Transfer | Transfer: 2 GB (Basic) to 250 GB | Dropbox plan | No | Transfer: 7 or 30 days |
| WeTransfer | Free: 3 GB per 30 days, 10 transfers | Paid plans | No (sender confirms an email) | Free: up to 3 days |
| MASV | No size limit | $0.25 per GB downloaded, 15 GB free a month | No | Stored free 5 days |
| Filemail | Free: 5 GB per transfer, 2 a day | Pro: 250 GB | No | Free: 7 days |
| Smash | Free: 2 GB, larger files queue | Paid: no size limit | No | Free: 7 days |
| Frame.io | Free: 2 GB storage | Pro $15 per member a month, 2 TB | No (share links) | Until removed |
From each service's own help or pricing pages, checked October 2026. Prices and limits change often, so check before a big delivery.
Google Drive or Dropbox link — cheapest for big deliveries
If you already pay for storage, a shared folder is the cheapest way to move a lot of footage. With "Anyone with the link", people can open a Google Drive file without signing in. Two things to know: Drive can't virus-scan files over 100 MB, so recipients see a warning, and a file downloaded heavily in a short time can be temporarily blocked, usually for 24 hours. Dropbox Transfer works too, but caps each transfer by plan, from 2 GB on Basic to 250 GB on Business Plus.
If you back cards up to the cloud during the shoot, the delivery is already done: share the folder and skip the second upload. That's what Copsy is for: it copies each card to your drive, verifies it, then uploads the verified copy to Google Drive or Dropbox in the background (free, macOS 13+, Windows coming). Offload to a drive and the cloud →
MASV — pay per gigabyte, built for video
MASV charges only when data is downloaded: $0.25 per GB, with 15 GB free each month and a credit card required. There's no file size limit, transfers resume, and recipients don't need an account. Files are stored free for five days. For one 200 GB delivery that's about $46 if you haven't used the free allowance, and every extra download is billed again.
WeTransfer — now too small on the free plan
Since the December 2024 plan changes, WeTransfer Free allows up to 10 transfers, or 3 GB in total, in any 30-day window, and files stay up to three days. Paid plans lift that a long way, but for camera footage the free tier is effectively a preview tool.
Filemail and Smash — free tiers for smaller sends
Filemail Free sends up to 5 GB per transfer, two transfers a day, kept for seven days, without registering; Pro goes to 250 GB. Smash Free needs no sign-up and keeps files for seven days; transfers above 2 GB join a queue behind paid ones.
Frame.io — when the editor reviews there anyway
Frame.io handles assets up to 5 TB, and its free Frame.io Drive app resumes uploads and downloads when the connection drops. The free plan includes only 2 GB of storage; Pro is $15 per member a month with 2 TB.
Several terabytes? Ship a drive
Upload speed sets the pace: a few terabytes over a typical office connection takes days. A verified copy on a portable drive, sent by courier, is often faster, and you keep a second copy. Copy it with checksums so the editor can confirm nothing was damaged on the way. File copy software with verification →
Frequently asked questions
Offload your next card for free
Copsy — a free Mac app that copies camera cards to a drive, verifies every file, then backs them up to Google Drive or Dropbox.
Download Copsy for Mac
