Key takeaways
- 1Tresorit Send is free, needs no account, and caps transfers at 5GB and 100 files, with links expiring after 7 days or 10 downloads, whichever comes first.
- 2Files are end-to-end and zero-knowledge encrypted — the decryption key rides along in the link itself, not on Tresorit's servers, so Tresorit itself cannot open what you send.
- 3Send is a separate product from Tresorit Basic, Tresorit's free 3GB storage account with a 500MB file cap. You don't need Basic to use Send.
- 4Tresorit's paid Personal and Business plans raise the max file size to 10-20GB and add ongoing encrypted storage, but they're subscriptions — check Tresorit's own pricing page for current rates before buying.
- 5Zero-knowledge encryption is a real, verifiable property (Tresorit publishes its cryptography documentation), not a marketing phrase — but it only matters if your threat model includes the storage provider itself.
Short answer: Tresorit Send is free, needs no account, and lets you send files up to 5GB (up to 100 files per transfer) with end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption. The link dies after 7 days or 10 downloads, whichever comes first. That's the whole free product — there's no larger tier of Send itself. If you need bigger files, longer-lived links, or ongoing encrypted storage, that's a paid Tresorit Personal or Business plan, a separate purchase from Send.
Most "Tresorit Send review" posts either repeat Tresorit's own marketing copy or bury the actual limits three paragraphs in. Here's what the free tool does, what encryption is actually buying you, and where the free tier stops being enough.
What Tresorit Send actually is
Tresorit Send is a standalone transfer tool, separate from Tresorit's cloud storage product. You go to the site, drop in a file, and get a link back. No signup, no app install required, no Tresorit account.
| Limit | Tresorit Send (free) |
|---|---|
| Price | Free |
| Account required | No |
| Max file size per transfer | 5GB |
| Max files per transfer | Up to 100 |
| Link lifetime | 7 days or 10 downloads, whichever comes first |
| Encryption | End-to-end, zero-knowledge |
| Password protection | Optional, adds a second layer |
| Ongoing storage | None — the file isn't kept after the link expires |
Ten downloads is a smaller number than it sounds. If you send a contract to a client and they open it once on their laptop, once on their phone to check on the train, and forward it to their bookkeeper who opens it twice while reviewing, that's four downloads gone before anyone outside the deal has looked at it. Reusing one link for a whole team burns through the cap fast.
What "end-to-end" and "zero-knowledge" actually buy you
These two phrases get used loosely across the industry, so it's worth being specific about what Tresorit means by them for Send. The file is encrypted on your device before it's uploaded. The decryption key doesn't sit on Tresorit's servers — it travels inside the link you share. That means Tresorit, as the company running the servers your file passes through, cannot open the file itself. A server breach, a subpoena served on Tresorit alone, or a rogue employee with database access doesn't get anyone your file's contents, because the key was never stored there to begin with.
That's a real, meaningful property, not just copy on a landing page — it's the standard definition of zero-knowledge encryption, and it's the reason security teams at law firms, healthcare providers, and financial firms specifically ask for it by name.
What it does not protect against: someone who gets hold of the link itself (which is why the optional password matters — it's a second secret the link alone doesn't carry), a compromised device on either end, or a recipient who forwards the file after decrypting it. Encryption in transit and at rest protects the pipe. It doesn't protect what happens once the file is legitimately opened.
The practical question to ask yourself isn't "is Tresorit secure" — it clearly is. It's "does my threat model actually include the storage provider itself." For most day-to-day client file delivery, it doesn't. The realistic risks are usually a link getting shared past who it was meant for, or a client not being sure the file is genuinely from you. Zero-knowledge encryption solves neither of those. It solves a narrower, specific problem: keeping the platform operator out of your files.
Send vs Tresorit Basic vs the paid plans
A common point of confusion: Tresorit Send and Tresorit's free storage account (called Basic) are different products with different limits, and neither requires the other.
| Product | Storage | Max file size | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tresorit Send | None (one-off transfer) | 5GB per transfer, 100 files | Free |
| Tresorit Basic | 3GB ongoing | 500MB | Free, no card required |
| Personal Lite | 50GB | 2GB | Paid |
| Personal Essential | 1TB | 10GB | Paid |
| Personal Pro | 4TB | 10GB | Paid |
| Business (3-seat minimum) | From 6TB total | 15GB | Paid, per user |
| Business Pro (5-seat minimum) | From 15TB total | 20GB | Paid, per user |
Storage and max file size come straight from Tresorit's current pricing pages. Exact dollar pricing changes by billing cycle (monthly vs annual) and region, so check Tresorit's pricing pages directly before you commit — third-party trackers we cross-checked did not agree with each other closely enough to repeat a number here with confidence.
The upgrade logic is straightforward: Send covers occasional large files with no ongoing relationship to the recipient. Basic covers small personal storage needs for free. The paid tiers exist for people who need bigger per-file caps, more total storage, or a business seat structure with admin controls — not for people who just need to send one file once.
Where Tresorit Send runs out
The 5GB cap is generous for most documents, PDFs, and even short videos, but it's tight for raw video footage, large design files, or full project handoffs. The 10-download / 7-day ceiling is the one that catches people off guard, because it's not obvious until a client says the link stopped working.
There's also no branding on a Send link. It's a tresorit.com URL with no way to put your business name on it, no way to see whether the client actually opened it versus just received the email, and no persistent record once the 7 days pass. For a one-off transfer to someone you trust, none of that matters. For a client-facing agency, freelancer, or studio sending deliverables as part of a paid engagement, it can be the whole point.
Tresorit Send alternative: when encryption isn't the actual requirement
Disclosure: I built BulkShare, so take the comparison with that in mind. Tresorit and BulkShare are solving different problems, and it's worth being honest about which one is actually yours.
| Need | Tresorit | BulkShare |
|---|---|---|
| Zero-knowledge encryption | Yes | No |
| Free tier for one-off sends | Yes (Send, 5GB) | No free plan |
| Link on your own custom domain | No | Yes, up to 5 domains on Pro |
| Password-protected links | Yes | Yes, per link |
| Link expiry control | Fixed on Send (7 days/10 downloads); more control on paid plans | Yes, 24 hours to never, set per link |
| Open/download analytics per link | Limited (open notification on Send) | Yes, per-link analytics |
| Max file size | 5GB free, up to 20GB on paid tiers | Up to 100GB on Pro |
| Price | Send is free; paid plans are a subscription | $29/mo or $240/yr, 7-day trial |
Pick Tresorit if end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption is a genuine requirement — legal, healthcare, or financial work where you need to be able to say the provider itself cannot access the files, and you're willing to work within Send's transfer limits or pay for a storage plan.
BulkShare doesn't do zero-knowledge encryption. If that's the hard requirement, Tresorit is the more honest answer and I'd say so even though I built the other tool. What BulkShare is built for is different: a client-facing delivery link that looks like it came from your business — password-protected, with an expiry you set, on your own domain — plus proof of whether the client actually opened it. See pricing for the current plan.
The honest verdict
Tresorit Send is a well-built free tool for what it is: a no-signup way to move a file up to 5GB with encryption that genuinely locks Tresorit itself out of the contents. The limits — 100 files, 10 downloads, 7 days — are tight enough that you'll notice them if you use Send regularly rather than occasionally.
If encryption strong enough to keep the storage provider blind is the actual thing you're buying, Tresorit's paid plans are the correct next step once Send's caps stop fitting. If what you're actually after is a professional, branded handoff with tracking — and zero-knowledge encryption isn't a stated requirement from your client or your compliance team — that's a narrower, cheaper problem, and it's worth checking whether you're paying for security you don't need instead of the delivery experience you do.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tresorit Send actually free?
Yes. Tresorit Send doesn't require an account, a credit card, or a Tresorit subscription. You upload a file, get a link, and send it. The limits are 5GB per transfer, up to 100 files, and the link dies after 7 days or 10 downloads, whichever happens first.
What is the file size limit on Tresorit Send?
5GB per transfer, with up to 100 files bundled into that transfer. If you need to send more than 5GB in one go, you'd need a paid Tresorit storage plan or a different tool — the free Send tool doesn't offer a larger tier.
How long does a Tresorit Send link last?
Up to 7 days, or until it's been downloaded 10 times — whichever limit is hit first. You can also revoke the link yourself before either limit is reached, and Tresorit notifies you when someone opens it.
Is Tresorit Send end-to-end encrypted?
Yes. Tresorit describes Send as end-to-end and zero-knowledge: the file is encrypted before it leaves your device, and the decryption key lives in the link rather than on Tresorit's infrastructure. You can add a separate password for a second layer, so even someone who intercepts the link can't open the file without it.
What's the difference between Tresorit Send and Tresorit Basic?
They're different products. Send is a no-signup transfer tool for one-off files. Basic is Tresorit's free ongoing storage account — 3GB of encrypted storage with a 500MB per-file cap, meant for keeping files rather than sending them once. You don't need a Basic account to use Send.
Do I need a paid Tresorit plan to send large files?
Only if you're regularly over 5GB per transfer, need files to stay downloadable longer than a week, or want them to live in ongoing encrypted storage rather than expiring. Tresorit's paid Personal and Business tiers raise the per-file cap to 10-20GB depending on plan and add persistent storage — check Tresorit's current pricing before subscribing, since it varies by billing cycle and seat count.
What's a good Tresorit Send alternative for client delivery?
It depends on what you're actually optimizing for. If zero-knowledge encryption is a hard requirement, Tresorit's own paid plans are the direct upgrade path. If what you actually want is a link that looks like it came from your business, with password protection, an expiry you control, and proof the client opened it, that's a branded-delivery tool like BulkShare rather than an encryption tool.
Sources & further reading
- Tresorit Send — Tresorit
- Send large files securely with Tresorit Send — Tresorit Blog
- Tresorit Basic plan — Tresorit
- Tresorit personal plans — Tresorit
- Tresorit business plans — Tresorit
- BulkShare pricing — BulkShare
Written by
Api Alam
Founder of BulkShare
Full-stack developer building BulkShare — branded file delivery for agencies and client-service teams.
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