Free file sharing for business: a checklist before you pick
Seven checks for choosing free file sharing for business: file size, storage, expiry, access, branding, support and growth. See how Tarkle Free scores and where Pro starts.
Free file sharing for business works when the free plan matches how you actually send files: how big they are, how long a customer needs the link, and who is allowed to open it. This checklist gives you seven checks to run on any free tool, then scores Tarkle Free against them, including the point where Free stops and Pro starts.
Last checked: October 2026.
What should free business file sharing include?
Free business file sharing should let you send a file to a customer or supplier without making them create an account, protect the link when the file is sensitive, and look like your business rather than a stranger's website. It should also tell you plainly what happens when you outgrow it.
Most free tools are built for a one-off send. A small business sends files again and again to the same people, so the checks below go beyond the headline file size.
The 7-point checklist for free business file sharing software
File size. What is the biggest single file or transfer? Check the number on the vendor's own page, because it differs by plan.
Storage. Does the tool keep your files, or does it only hold them until the link expires? A transfer tool with no storage cannot be your filing cabinet.
Expiry. How long does a link last, and can you choose? A link that dies in three days is a problem when a supplier opens it after a long weekend.
Who can see files. Can you add a password, disable a link, or limit who opens it?
Branding. Do customers see your logo and your address, or someone else's?
Support. Who answers when a customer cannot open a link?
Growth. What changes when you add a second person, a bigger file, or a customer who wants a login?
Write down your three biggest real files from the last month before you compare tools. The largest one decides whether a free size limit is enough.
How do free file sharing tools compare?
The table shows the free plan of six tools. Facts come from each vendor's own pages, checked in October 2026.
Tool | Free size per transfer | Link lifetime | Your branding on free |
|---|---|---|---|
Tarkle Free | 1 GB per file and per transfer, 5 GB storage | You set the expiry date | Logo, colours and custom domain, with "Powered by Tarkle" shown |
3 GB | 3 days at most | No | |
2 GB (2 GB storage) | 7 days | No | |
5 GB | 7 days | No | |
5 GB | 7 days, 2 transfers per 24 hours | No | |
50 GB | Up to 30 days | No |
Two things stand out. The transfer-only tools give you larger sends but no storage and a fixed lifetime, so every send starts from scratch. And on the free plans of these tools, branding is a paid feature. Tarkle Free is smaller on file size than most of them, so if you regularly send 5 GB video files, a free transfer tool such as SwissTransfer or TransferNow may serve you better today.
What does Tarkle Free include?
Tarkle Free costs $0 and needs no credit card. It covers one workspace for one person, with 5 GB of cloud storage and uploads up to 1 GB. You can share files by link and send file requests, and recipients do not need an account to download. The file sharing page shows how a transfer link works.
Here is how Free scores against the checklist.
Check | Tarkle Free |
|---|---|
File size | 1 GB per file and per transfer |
Storage | 5 GB, kept in your workspace |
Expiry | You pick an expiry date on a transfer or file request |
Who can see files | Password protection on shared files |
Branding | Logo, colours and a custom domain, with "Powered by Tarkle" on your pages |
Support | Priority support is a Pro and Agency feature |
Growth | Pro adds 3 TB, files up to 200 GB, team members and a client portal |
Free also includes file requests, so a customer can upload documents to you through a link instead of emailing attachments, client feedback and approval, and event management. For branding, a custom domain lets links come from your own address, such as files.yourbusiness.com. On Free, "Powered by Tarkle" shows on your pages and cannot be removed.
Set an expiry date on every transfer that holds contracts, invoices or ID documents. A link that stops working on its own is safer than one that sits in an old email for years.
Where does Tarkle Free stop?
Free stops in four places, and it is better to know them before you share your first link.
One person. Free is a single seat in one workspace, so a second staff member needs Pro, which includes team members.
1 GB per file and 5 GB of storage. When you reach a limit, uploads may stop until you free up space or upgrade. The Terms of Service say reaching a limit does not delete existing files, and that each plan has limits on storage, file size, transfers and team members.
No client portal. Giving each customer a branded place to sign in and find what you shared is a Pro feature. See the client portal page.
Shorter recovery. Deleted files wait in a recovery bin for 30 days on Free and 90 days on Pro. See file retention and recovery.
One more rule worth knowing: under the Terms of Service, Free accounts with no sign-in or workspace activity for 6 consecutive months may be deleted, and Tarkle sends at least one notice first. If you use Free as an archive rather than a sending tool, sign in now and then and keep a copy elsewhere.
When is Pro or Agency the better fit?
Pro costs $29 a month, or $19 a month billed yearly ($228 a year). It includes everything in Free, plus 2 workspaces, 3 TB of cloud storage, an upload limit of up to 200 GB, file versioning, team members and team folders, the fully branded client portal, 90-day file recovery and priority support. It fits a business with several staff, large files, or customers who should log in to find their documents. The pricing page lists every plan.
Agency costs $59 a month, or $49 a month billed yearly ($588 a year). It includes everything in Pro, plus 6 TB of storage, 20 client workspaces and a 100% white-label platform where "Powered by Tarkle" becomes your agency name. It fits only if you run file sharing for your own clients on your own domain. Read more on white label for agencies.
Honest advice: a solo owner who sends small and medium files to customers can stay on Free for a long time. If you send files over 1 GB regularly, need a second person in the account, or want customers to sign in, move to Pro. Pro and Agency are bought at checkout with a card, and the plan belongs to your organization.
Free file sharing for small business: a short checklist
Before you commit to a tool, run through this list:
Write down your largest file from the last month and compare it with the free size limit.
Decide if you need storage or only a send link.
Check how long a link lasts and whether you can set the date.
Confirm you can add a password and disable a link.
See whether customers will see your logo and your own address.
Ask who answers a customer who cannot open the link.
Read what the first paid plan adds and what it costs.
If you want to see how this feels in practice, start for free, send one real file to a customer, and check the seven points against what you see. For a longer look at the difference between sending and storing, read file sharing vs cloud storage.