Droplink and WeTransfer solve the same problem from opposite directions: one is source-available software you can own outright for $29, the other is a subscription at $12/mo run entirely on someone else's servers.
Head to head
| Droplink | WeTransfer | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29 once | $12/mo ($144/yr, forever) |
| File size limit | None — your disk is the limit | 200GB (Pro) |
| Resumable uploads | Yes | No |
| Where files live | Your own server | Their storage |
| Download limits per link | Yes | No |
| Password-protected links | Yes | Pro only |
| Ongoing cost after year 1 | $0 | $144+/yr |
| Source code | MIT, on GitHub | Closed |
What Droplink does well
- Chunked, resumable uploads — Files slice into 5MB chunks with per-chunk retry. Drop your connection mid-upload and it resumes exactly where it left off — a 50GB file is as safe as a 5MB one.
- Transfers with real terms — Expiry (default 7 days), optional bcrypt-hashed password, optional max-download count, optional message to the recipient.
- Clean share links — File list with sizes, live expiry countdown, password gate, inline preview for images and PDFs, per-file download plus streamed "Download all as ZIP".
- Email the link — Compose recipients + a note straight from the transfer page using your own SMTP credentials — no third-party mail service.
What WeTransfer still does better
There's a real reason WeTransfer costs what it does: a bigger team, broader integrations and dedicated support behind it. If that ecosystem is genuinely what you need, it's worth paying for.
Which one should you pick
If your workflow depends on WeTransfer's specific integrations or you'd rather not run anything yourself, stay put — that's a legitimate call. If you're comfortable owning the tool and want to stop paying $12/mo for a job your own hardware can do, Droplink pays for itself and then some: pays for itself in 2.4 months versus WeTransfer Pro — and stays free forever after that.
Try Droplink — $29, once
Self-hosted WeTransfer — chunked resumable uploads, password links, download limits.