File sharing privacy ratings
Tools for sending files privately.
10 file sharing are rated against 9 public criteria, and 10 have enough evidence for a letter grade. Of the 3 with a known jurisdiction, 1 is based in a Five Eyes country, and 2 in the wider Fourteen Eyes.
Open-source file sharing only · Criteria for this category · Suggest an addition · Markdown
| Name | Grade | Score | Data | Jurisdiction | Open source | No trackers or telemetry | No ads or data sales | Independent audit | Transparency report | Tells users about requests | TLS configuration | Security headers | Modern web standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Open source desktop and mobile tool that shares files, hosts websites and runs chat rooms over Tor onion services, directly from the user's device. |
Grade A | 90 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | Partial | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Open source command-line tool for sending files and folders between two computers using a short code phrase, with end-to-end encryption and a relay server. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Open source app for sending files and messages between nearby devices over the local network, without an internet connection or account. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Self-hosted web app for uploading and sharing files with end-to-end encryption in the browser, with expiring download links. Written in Perl. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Open source Python library and command-line tool for sending files, folders and text between computers using short one-time codes, with end-to-end encryption. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Open source web app for sending files and text between devices on the same network or paired devices over WebRTC, usable at pairdrop.net or self-hosted. A fork of Snapdrop. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Self-hosted web app for sharing files with end-to-end encryption through expiring links. A community-maintained fork of Mozilla's discontinued Firefox Send. |
Grade B | 80 | 100% | – | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Web service for sending files with end-to-end encryption through a share link, transferred peer-to-peer or through temporary server storage. Run by WebTorrent, LLC. |
Grade D | 50 | 100% | United States Five Eyes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Not tested yet |
Free file transfer service from Infomaniak for sending large files by link or email without an account, with files stored in Switzerland for a limited time. |
Grade D | 47 | 100% | Switzerland Outside Eyes | Partial | Partial | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Partial | Not tested yet |
Hosted service for sending large files by email or download link, with accounts for storing and managing transfers. Owned by Bending Spoons. |
Grade F | 28 | 100% | Netherlands Nine Eyes | No | No | No | No | Partial | Partial | Yes | Yes | Not tested yet |
Questions
What is the most private option among file sharing?
No pick has been made yet. The table above is sorted by score, based on public evidence.
How are file sharing rated?
Each entry answers 9 questions: open source, no trackers or telemetry, no ads or data sales, independent audit, transparency report, tells users about requests, TLS configuration, security headers and modern web standards. Answers need links to evidence. See the full criteria.
Does jurisdiction matter?
Jurisdiction decides which laws can compel a provider to hand over data. Each entry shows its country and whether it is in the Five, Nine or Fourteen Eyes. The data a provider can hand over depends mostly on what it stores and who holds the keys. Read about jurisdictions and the CLOUD Act.