Email stops at 25 MB, and WeTransfer's free plan is tighter than it used to be. The good news is that a Mac already has two of the best routes for big files built in, and the rest are free if you know their limits. Here they all are, measured on October 27, 2026, with a way to check yours in one drag.
- Under 25 MB: attach it to an email.
- Nearby Apple device: AirDrop, which has no published size limit.
- Up to 200 MB, for anyone: a Droppy Cloud link, no account on either end.
- Up to 5 GB: Mail Drop in Apple Mail, free with iCloud.
- Up to 15 GB: Google Drive's free storage, shared as a link.
Every free limit in one table
Free plans only, read from each service's own pages on October 27, 2026: Gmail, Outlook.com, Dropbox Transfer, Smash, WeTransfer, Mail Drop, Google One and AirDrop.
| Route | Free limit | Link lasts | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gmail | 25 MB a message | Not a link | Bigger files become a Drive link |
| Outlook.com | 20 to 25 MB a message | Not a link | Microsoft's own pages differ |
| Droppy Cloud | 200 MB a file, 1 GB a share | 3 days | Up to 25 files, no account on either end |
| Dropbox Transfer (Basic) | 2 GB | 7 days | Needs a Dropbox account to send |
| Smash (free) | 2 GB at full speed | 7 days | Bigger transfers wait in a queue |
| WeTransfer (Free) | 3 GB | 3 days | 10 transfers or 3 GB in any 30 days |
| iCloud Mail Drop | 5 GB a message | 30 days | Apple Mail with iCloud; folders must be zipped |
| Google Drive (free) | 15 GB of storage | Until you delete it | Shared with Gmail and Google Photos |
| AirDrop | No published limit | Instant | Nearby Apple devices, about 30 feet |
Nearby: AirDrop
For anything going to an iPhone, iPad or Mac in the same room, nothing beats AirDrop. Apple publishes no size limit, nothing is uploaded to a server, and the file lands in the other person's Downloads or Photos. Both devices need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and need to be within about 30 feet. On macOS 27, Apple's guide adds that a transfer that has started continues over the internet if you walk out of range.
If AirDrop will not show the other device, our guide to fixing AirDrop and its alternatives walks through the usual causes.
Up to 5 GB by email: Mail Drop
Mail Drop is one of the most underused features on the Mac. Attach a large file in Apple Mail with an iCloud account set up, and Mail offers to send it with Mail Drop: the file goes to iCloud and the recipient gets a download link, whatever email app they use.
- Up to 5 GB per message, including attachments.
- Links expire after 30 days.
- It does not count against your iCloud storage; Apple allows 1 TB of Mail Drop storage in total.
- Folders need to be compressed first: right-click and choose Compress.
A link for anyone: Droppy Cloud
Most files people send are not 5 GB. They are a screen recording, a few photos, a PDF that is too big for Gmail. For those, Droppy Cloud is the quickest route on a Mac: drop the files into the file tray, drop them on the cloud tile, and a getdroppy.app/cloud link is on your clipboard. The recipient opens it in any browser. Neither of you needs an account.
- Limits: 200 MB per file, 1 GB and 25 files per share, and 1 GB of active shares at a time.
- Expiry: 3 days after upload, or sooner if you delete the share yourself.
- Privacy: HTTPS in transit and encrypted at rest, but not end to end encrypted. Encrypt confidential files first.
Bigger than a gigabyte
Above 1 GB you are choosing between a cloud drive and a transfer service. In 2026 the cloud drive is usually the better deal:
- Google Drive gives every Google account 15 GB free, shared with Gmail and Photos. Upload, share, done. The link lasts until you delete the file.
- WeTransfer's free plan now allows 3 GB per transfer and only 10 transfers or 3 GB in any rolling 30 days, and links expire after 3 days. Paid plans lift that.
- Dropbox Transfer is open to free Basic accounts up to 2 GB a transfer, with links that last 7 days.
- Smash sends 2 GB free at full speed and puts bigger free transfers in a queue behind paying users.
If you use Dropbox or Google Drive anyway, point Droppy's cloud tile at it. The habit stays the same, drop the file and get a link, and the size limit becomes your plan's.
Shrink it before you send it
The fastest transfer is the one that does not need to be large. A screen recording or a folder of iPhone photos is often several times bigger than it needs to be. Drop it on Droppy's Transform tile and pick Compress: you choose by quality or type the size you want, and Transform shows the size it will have before it runs. Everything happens on your Mac. Zipping a folder in Transform also turns a pile of files into one link.
Which route to use
- Same room: AirDrop, whatever the size.
- Small to medium, anyone, anywhere: a Droppy Cloud link, no accounts.
- Up to 5 GB by email: Mail Drop.
- Bigger: Google Drive's free 15 GB, or a paid transfer plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the largest file I can email from Gmail?
25 MB per message for a personal Gmail account. Gmail turns anything bigger into a Google Drive link instead of an attachment.
Does AirDrop have a file size limit?
Apple publishes no file size limit for AirDrop. Both devices need to be nearby, within about 30 feet (9 meters), with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on.
How long do WeTransfer free links last?
Three days. WeTransfer's free plan also caps you at 10 transfers or 3 GB in any rolling 30 days, read on October 27, 2026.
What is Mail Drop on a Mac?
Mail Drop is part of iCloud Mail. When you attach a file over the email limit in Apple Mail, Mail uploads it to iCloud and sends a download link instead. It handles up to 5 GB per message, links last 30 days, and it does not count against your iCloud storage.
How do I send a 10 GB file for free?
If the other person is nearby with an Apple device, use AirDrop. Otherwise upload it to Google Drive, which includes 15 GB of free storage shared with Gmail and Google Photos, and share the link.
Is Droppy Cloud encrypted?
Uploads and downloads use HTTPS and files are encrypted at rest by Cloudflare, but Droppy Cloud is not end to end encrypted. For confidential files, encrypt them yourself first. Shares expire after 3 days, and you can delete them sooner.