7 BEST File Hosting Services (Free Storage Sites) 2023

File hosting services are used by many of us on a daily basis. However, choosing a non-ideal tool for storing your files can lead to a disastrous outcome. With some file hosting site, there are risks involved like low security that puts your sensitive files in the hands of hackers.

Such free file hosting services also have heavy downtime, give limited control over your links and data, and have low to no support. These services also provide a restricted number of uploads and downloads and may even alter your file quality.

Some file hosting services also lack features like real-time collaboration, backup, synchronization, etc.

We researched over 50 best file hosting services and selected the seven best tools and evaluated these file hosting services based on their storage capacity, free storage allowance, security, size of file upload and sharing, etc.

Best File Hosting Sites & Services

Name Free Storage Data Transfer Limit Per File Maximum File Upload Size File Versioning and Backup Encryption Link
Icedrive 10 GB No limit, upto 100 TB No limit, upto 100 TB Yes. 3 versions, Backup Wizard Twofish algorithm, AES/ Rijndael, Zero Knowledge Learn More
Mega 20 GB No limit No limit Yes, 100+ versions, File Backup Zero Knowledge,End-to-end encryption , keys generated passwords Learn More
pCloud 10 GB 5 GB for Basic plan No Limit Yes, 15 days, Auto-save backup Strict pCloud Encryption, 4096-bit RSA, 256-bit AES Learn More
Dropbox 2GB 100 MB for Basic plan 2GB for Basic plan Yes, 180 days, Recover files from 30 days 256-bit AES, SSL/TLS, two-step-verification Learn More
Google drive 15 GB 750 GB for Basic plan 750 GB for Basic plan Yes,40 versions, Primary data backup reCAPTCHA, Notifications to secondary registered email Learn More

1) Icedrive

Best for accessing your files immediately upon installation

Icedrive is a free cloud storage tool that makes you feel like you are using a physical hard drive. You get all the features for file hosting services like edit, delete, upload, open, etc. It is one of the best cloud storage platforms that comes with a smart cache control operation that helps you access your files immediately upon installation without waiting for syncing.

With Icedrive you can easily not only upload and download but also stream media with a built-in media player. You can also preview all formats and images without downloading them. It simplifies file editing as the old one is only temporarily saved so the new version is instantly uploaded to the cloud once it is edited.

For customer support, you can use their website and send a ticket or chat via the site or call or mail them for assistance.

#1 Top Pick
Icedrive
5.0

Lifetime Free Storage: 10 GB

Data Transfer Limit Per File: No limit, upto 100 TB

Maximum File Upload Size: No limit, upto 100 TB

Pricing: Starts at $1.67 per month (paid annually)

Visit Icedrive

Features:

  • File sharing: Share files with no limit as there are no size restrictions to upload or send. Create public links which can be made for both files and folders.
  • File upload: Upload entire folder at once from the “add new menu” or use just drag-and-drop to move folders to web browser.
  • Storage space: Get upto 5TB storage capacity with this file hosting website
  • Encryption: Twofish algorithm encryption with AES/ Rijndael, client-side encryption, Zero Knowledge, and 256-bit keys.
  • Integrated media players: Web version and mobile apps have integrated players for audio and video files, you can also adjust the speed of the audio.
  • Collaboration: It has an easy collaboration where the users can also use emojis, provide instant feedback, leave remarks, etc.
  • Backup: You can backup files in your iOS, Android devices using its backup wizard.
  • Auto-sync: It auto-syncs your files and you can access them immediately after installation.
  • Cache control: It has an intelligent caching system which boosts app speed while using minimum space.
  • Selective Sync: You can use selective sync for any folder on the hard disk.
  • Supported platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS

Pros

  • It doesn’t require credit card for free trial
  • Provides large storage space in free version
  • No extra software required to view spreadsheets and slideshows
  • Allows preview of all popular vector files directly in the browser

Cons

  • Limited customer support as responds are within 24 to 48 hours
  • It may not detect duplicate files

Key Specs:

Free version: Free upto 10 GB
Pricing: Paid plans start at $1.67 per month, billed yearly, 150 GB, Clientside encryption

Visit Icedrive >>


2) Mega

Best file hosting with chat and meets in one place

Mega provides high-security storage for your files and data for sharing online. It helps in stocking large files with easily extendable storage. Mega also helps you send chat messages and have a meeting over audio and video calls.

Share Mega files with limited access or full access with family, friends, and colleagues. It allows you to decide whether they can only read or make changes, etc. It also enables you to set passwords on your files and create expiring links.

Mega lets you be the true controller of your data. You can also restrict access by preventing newly added individuals in the group from reading old messages and much more.

Mega

Features:

  • File sharing: Share files and folders with total control of your data and any size of links even with non-Mega users. You can also set expiring dates on links with up to 16 TB transfer capacity.
  • File upload: No size limit for uploading files, can even upload upto 3TB at once.
  • Storage space: Expand upto 16 TB with a paid plan.
  • Encryption: It uses Zero-Knowledge, also has encryption keys, and generated password protection.
  • Integrated media players: Stream videos and other media without downloading.
  • Collaboration: Easy and safe collaboration with end-to-end encryption and make audio and video calls for meetings.
  • Scan files: It scans all local files in the synced folders and asks for permission to make changes.
  • Backup: Easy backup available with Desktop App
  • Auto-sync: It automatically runs once you are on your device and syncs files using a complex matrix for accuracy and update you once done.
  • Selective sync: Add multiple selective syncs between specific folders on your Mega account and PC.
  • Supported platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android.

Pros

  • It has a huge storage capacity
  • Let’s you invite people without Mega account to upload files in Mega cloud
  • Photo and video versions of each live picture is uploaded by default
  • It has achievement programs for extra free storage space other than free version.

Cons

  • Paid plans are a little expensive
  • It doesn’t provide enough integrations

Key Specs:

Free version: Free up to 20 GB
Pricing: Paid plans start at $9.06 per month, billed yearly, 2TB GB

Visit Mega >>


3) pCloud

Best auto-backup for your photos and videos

pCloud is a file hosting tool that has an easy-to-use interface that lets you locate all your files in an instant. With pCloud you can store several kinds of files like music, videos, and documents and also use its filter for arranging them as per their formats.

Along with regular syncing capability, it includes an additional sync feature for connecting local files with its drive.

It lets you share and receive files instantly and your recipients can also upload materials without login into your account. pCloud’s interface provides visibility of every change instantly on your devices which boosts efficiency while working together on documents and files.

pCloud

Features:

  • File sharing: Share large files upto 5GB for free with friends and co-workers even if they don’t own a pCloud account. You can also use this free file hosting without registration.
  • File upload: It allows you to upload any type of file and even store HD videos without a size limit at high speed.
  • Storage space: Upto 10 TB storage capacity in a paid plan
  • Encryption: High-end pCloud encryption with Zero Knowledge and encryption key, 4096-bit RSA and 256-bit AES per file and per folder.
  • Integrated media players: Watch videos and play audio in any format with its integrated media player.
  • Collaboration: Collaborate with teams and work on files and provide restricted access or full access, use “Invite to folder” for sharing exclusive folders.
  • Scan files: It has a pCloud scanner app for iOS.
  • Backup: Automatically saves the folder you select from your system and changes are synced in real-time.
  • Auto-sync: Get Instant synchronization with iCloud between all your devices.
  • Media file management: You can resize photos straight from pCloud, compress and download videos and it lets you customize your auto-upload.
  • Supported platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac, Android, iOS

Pros

  • Provides multiple options for sharing files
  • This file storage app has integrations with popular tools like Dropbox, Google Drive, Onedrive, etc.
  • pCloud Rewind features tracks data for 30 days, even the ones deleted b mistake
  • It provides backup for Facebook and Instagram.

Cons

  • Lacks instant support, you can reach them through email
  • You have to pay if you want client-side encryption as extra layer of security

Key Specs:

Free version: Free upto 10 GB
Pricing: Paid plans start at $49.99, and 500 GB

Visit pCloud >>


4) Dropbox

Best for editing Microsoft Office files online for free

Dropbox is a well-known file hosting tool that helps in storing, sharing, giving e-signatures, document tracking, etc. This cloud storage tool is your daily companion for tasks like creating, editing, sharing cloud content from Google docs, sheets, slides, Microsoft Office and much more.

It has Standard+ DocSend bundle that gives you real-time analytics, personalized document spaces, advanced doc controls, etc. Using Dropbox you can safely send files to your clients, colleagues and family members. This file storage tool also lets you use a custom password and also provides expiration date settings to safeguard your files.

All Dropbox plans have priority email support. With paid plans you receive 24/7 live chat and phone support during business hours.

pCloud

Features:

  • Link sharing: You can share any uploaded file by sharing its associated short link.
  • Storage space: Get upto 5000 GB in standard version and customize as per your requirement in advanced paid plan.
  • File sharing: Share files as large as your cloud storage space limit
  • Annotate files: Collaborate on files by adding annotations and exchange feedback in real time instead of emails.
  • To-do lists: To-do lists can be added to files to keep track of project progress and assign different tasks to different team members.
  • Templates: Dropbox includes templates for many types of files including brainstorming, project planning, timelines, meeting minutes, and social media calendars. You can use these templates to create and edit files within Dropbox.
  • Encryption: Dropbox uses 256-bit AES, SSL/TLS and two-step-verification
  • Backup: With this cloud storage service you get an “always on” cloud auto-backup files and instant recovery with DropBox backup capability.
  • Scan documents: With Dropbox’s mobile app, you can scan documents and upload them to Dropbox as PDFs.
  • Auto-sync: You can automatically sync your devices with Dropbox for easy backups.
  • E signature: Sign e-signatures, add or request unlimited legally binding signature requests to the stored documents in Dropbox workflow
  • Supported Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux

Pros

  • Reasonable collaboration support. Build, edit and create agendas, project outlines, etc.
  • This app has a task management tool that allows assigning tasks and much more
  • Protect files by deleting files and folders from missing device by using “Remote wipe”.

Cons

  • Storage space limit (2 GB) and file size limit (2 GB) for the free version
  • Expensive price for extra support or space when compared with other Dropbox alternatives.

Key Specs:

Free version: FREE up to 2GB
Pricing: Paid plan starts at $9.99 per month for 2TB, 1 user

Visit Dropbox >>


5) Google Drive

Best file storage tool for working offline

Google Drive is a widely known free file hosting service provider that stores your files and documents for easy access from all your devices. It easily integrates with docs, slides, and sheets for handy and quick collaboration.

Using Google drive you can also collaborate in Microsoft Office files without even converting the files into any format. It is an AI-driven tool that amplifies performance speed, collaboration, and reliability.

You can share files with up to 200 email addresses for all functions such as viewing, editing, and commenting. This online file storage service also helps you organize your files systematically and you can use its Star icon to keep your favorites in one place.

Google Drive

Features:

  • File sharing: Share personal files and other documents directly from the tool to the email address and edit access as per your wish.
  • File upload: It lets you upload up to 750 GB in Basic Plan and upload all kind of files, documents, photos, and videos.
  • Storage space: Get upto 5 TB in paid plan and custom storage space for Enterprise plan.
  • Encryption: It provides reCAPTCHA, Notifications to the secondary registered email
  • Integrated media players: You can use Music Player for Google drive as an extension to play music and you can also store and play videos in the drive.
  • Collaboration: It easily integrates with other Google applications like Documents, Sheets, etc., and provides seamless collaboration in real-time.
  • Scan files: Easy scanning available for Android and desktop.
  • Backup: This cloud storage app has a great backup capability for disaster management and business
  • Auto-sync: All the changes made in your files in files in the computer appear in Google Drive and also its desktop app has auto-sync for local files to the cloud.
  • Built-in Protections: It comes with built-in protection against corrupt files, thus, any malware files found will be scanned and automatically removed.
  • Supported platforms: Windows, Android 6(Marshmallow) and later, and iOS 14 and later.

Pros

  • It has zero downtime
  • It has an OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
  • Google drive supports almost all file formats
  • It provides powerful search feature that helps you find relevant files instantly

Cons

  • The support is not instant or personalized so you cannot get quick assistance
  • There is 750 GB daily upload limit

Key Specs:

Free version: Free upto 15 GB (this space is shared across Drive, Gmail, and Google photos)
Pricing: Paid plans start at $6 per month

Visit Google Drive >>


6) Internxt

Best open source tool for file storage with strict privacy policies

Internxt is a free file hosting platform that stores all your documents and provides total control over them. It is an open-source cloud storage provider that uses powerful encryption technology to ensure the security and privacy of user data.

You can use Internxt to organize and access your files anywhere and anytime. It also has a password generator, password checker, temporary email, and virus scanner. Internxt also provides 24/7 live chat for quick assistance for users.

Internxt is available in 7 languages (English, German, Spanish, French, Russian, Chinese, and Italian) and offers lifetime storage plans of up to 10 TB.

Internxt

Features:

  • File sharing: Share large files and photos securely.
  • File upload: Upload files from all platforms. You can use both desktop and website apps to upload files.
  • Storage space: Get upto 2 TB of storage with a Lifetime paid plan. Pay once with no recuuring fees.
  • Encryption: This cloud storage too uses military-grade encryption with AES-256, has Zero Knowledge technology, is GDPR compliant, and has end-to-end encryption
  • Collaboration: You can collaborate on projects in real time with teams and friends.
  • Anonymous account creation: You do not need to provide an email address or any identity verification to use Internxt
  • Scan files: It has a free virus and malware scanner tool for scanning files.
  • Backup: You can initiate “Backup” on the desktop and reserve your files and photos.
  • Supported platforms: Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Linux.
  • Instantly preview DOCX and XLSX files as PDF or Excel without altering the original file.
  • Accepts debit or credit cards, PayPal, iDEAL, Sofort, Bancontact, Cryptocurrency, and SEPA Debit.
  • Free tools include a password checker, virus scanner, byte converter, password generator, and temporary email.

Pros

  • It provides 30 day money back guarantee.
  • You can get 90% off discount on annual plan with 2TB storage for a year
  • It has a range of free tools, including a password generator, password checker, temporary email, and a virus scanner
  • You can share large files upto 5GB without creating an account

Cons

  • This data file hosting service doesn’t provide versioning
  • You can only open the files in browser but cannot edit them

Key Specs:

Free version: Free upto 10 GB
Pricing: Paid plans start at $0.99 per month (Note: the pricing on the official website is in Euros)

Visit Internxt >>


7) Sync

Best tool for team collaborations

Sync is a file storing tool that is built for smart collaboration. It brings together all your external and internal partners, customers, clients, files, documents, etc. for creating a seamless workflow.

You can remotely access your files and share them instantly with its safe file-transferring portal. It also includes offline access which helps you work anytime even without connecting to a network connection.

This cloud file hosting tool also allows you to share files through a personalized client file portal with your brand/company’s logo.

Sync

Features:

  • File sharing: Send and receive files and use custom-branded client gateway, transfer unlimited data for paid plans, and create upto 3 links with limited data transfer in the free version.
  • File upload: It lets you upload documents and media files of any size
  • Storage space: Get unlimited storage capacity with paid plans.
  • Encryption: It provides two-factor authentication, pin lock for mobile apps
  • Collaboration: You can create centralized folders for both internal and external members and allow permissions as per your requirement
  • Backup: This cloud storage has a feature called Sync Vault that is useful for backup and storing files
  • Download multiple files at once: If the sender sends a link to a folder containing several files you can download all of them at once as a Zip.
  • Auto-Sync: It provides quick and real-time sync.
  • Supported platforms: Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows, macOS, Google Chrome, Firefox

Pros

  • Includes “Remote Wipe” option for team shared folders to delete files from anywhere for your security
  • Sync stores your files in original quality and never alters or compresses
  • It has 99.9% uptime
  • You can get unlimited team shared folders in all paid plans

Cons

  • There might be delays in support
  • Sometimes the desktop app may lag

Key Specs:

Free version: Free upto 5 GB
Pricing: Paid plans start at $6 per user, per month, billed annually

Visit Sync >>

FAQ

File hosting service is a storage tool that provides services for safekeeping users’ data. These services store the files in the cloud for the users to access them anytime from anywhere. These files can range from anything to documents, photos, music, videos, invoices, software, pamphlets, etc.

Here is difference between two:

  • File hosting service is an application that helps you upload your files and allows you to manage them. They store your file online for you to access from mostly any device and allows you to share them with others as well.
  • File-sharing service allows you to share data which means you can transfer or receive links. These links come with specific files which you or the recipient can download to their device.

While choosing a File hosting service there are some of the important points to keep in mind.

  • Value comparison: Do not only compare the price and amount of storage provided by the companies. You must instead look into every provider’s target user and then the features and pricing to compare file hosting services.
  • Security: It’s best to research thoroughly about the type of privacy policies that the companies are providing and if they offer free file hosting services with stringent security. We are all aware that these services are helpful for storing files and protecting them. However, they can be a target of illegal activities, which is why several file hosting services have been shut down by the government for not following the right privacy laws.
  • Password protection: Make sure that they have password protection along with another encryption. File hosting services usually require unique username and strong password.
  • File encryption: The document hosting tools that you are shortlisting must also include encryption not only for file sharing but also for cloud storage.
  • Private SSL certificate: The service provider should have a private SSL certificate. This means that the company provides an encrypted link between a web servers and web browsers. For example, HTTPS, which is the encrypted version of HTTP.

Verdict:

File hosting service is an extremely necessary tool for storing your files with high-end security. In this article, we have mentioned seven tools that are widely known for their best file hosting services.

We have listed down their important features, and pros and cons for better decision making. Some of best cloud storage we shortlisted are Icedrive, Mega and pCloud.

Best File Hosting Sites & Services

Name Free Storage Data Transfer Limit Per File Maximum File Upload Size File Versioning and Backup Encryption Link
Icedrive 10 GB No limit, upto 100 TB No limit, upto 100 TB Yes. 3 versions, Backup Wizard Twofish algorithm, AES/ Rijndael, Zero Knowledge Learn More
Mega 20 GB No limit No limit Yes, 100+ versions, File Backup Zero Knowledge,End-to-end encryption , keys generated passwords Learn More
pCloud 10 GB 5 GB for Basic plan No Limit Yes, 15 days, Auto-save backup Strict pCloud Encryption, 4096-bit RSA, 256-bit AES Learn More
Dropbox 2GB 100 MB for Basic plan 2GB for Basic plan Yes, 180 days, Recover files from 30 days 256-bit AES, SSL/TLS, two-step-verification Learn More
Google drive 15 GB 750 GB for Basic plan 750 GB for Basic plan Yes,40 versions, Primary data backup reCAPTCHA, Notifications to secondary registered email Learn More