A Filestack Alternative with Simpler Storage Tiers

Step by step

1. Create an app

   Sign in at api.rapidfile.cc, create an app and copy its secret key. The key is shown once, so save it in your server's settings.

2. Request an upload

   Send the file name, size, type and access setting from your server. The Upload API returns an upload address valid for one hour.

3. Upload from the browser

   Pass the address to your front end. Large files are split into parts automatically, so the browser can send them directly.

4. Listen for webhooks

   Add a webhook URL to your app to hear about each file that finishes uploading or gets deleted.

Filestack is a file handling platform for developers. It accepts uploads from users, then runs them through a pipeline: transformations, virus detection, workflows and document tools such as OCR on paid plans. Teams choose it when they want that whole chain in one service. Others look for an alternative because they only need storage and uploads, or because the free plan's file size cap is too small for their users. Rapidfile's Upload API covers the storage side. It gives your app signed upload addresses, persistent files, private access and webhooks, with a free tier that accepts files much larger than Filestack's free plan.

The short version

Filestack figures are from Filestack's website as of October 2026. Plans change — check their site.

Where Filestack is the stronger pick

• Processing built into the pipeline. Filestack offers transformations, workflows and, on paid plans, virus detection and document tools such as OCR. If you want uploaded files to be checked and converted by one service, that is a real advantage.
• Workflows. Its plans include one to five workflows, depending on the tier, so you can chain steps without writing your own queue.
• Unlimited team members on paid plans. Filestack lists unlimited team members from the Start plan upward.
• Accelerated uploads. Filestack sells an add-on for faster uploads from distant users, which Rapidfile does not offer as a named option.

Where Rapidfile fits better

• A larger free file limit. Filestack's free plan caps files at 20 MB. Rapidfile's free plan accepts files up to 512 MB, which is enough for many PDFs, archives, audio tracks and short videos.
• More free storage. The free tier gives you 2 GB across up to 3 apps, against Filestack's 1 GB.
• Bigger files on paid tiers. Filestack's Scale plan lists a maximum file size of 5 GB. Rapidfile's Scale tier allows 50 GB files, with multipart uploads up to 50 GB. The pricing page has the other tiers.
• Fewer moving parts. The Upload API is a storage service. Each file is one object with a URL, a status and an optional signed link. You do not need to learn a set of operations to get files in and out.
• Private files with signed URLs. Keep a file private and create a signed link for it that lasts up to 7 days.
• Plain URLs for public files. A public file gets a URL that opens in any browser, so you can use it in a page, an email or a support ticket without a separate sign-in step.

Limits that matter early

Filestack's free plan has a 20 MB file cap, so a short video or a set of high-resolution photos can hit it quickly. That may be fine for a prototype, and it is worth knowing before you build a product on it. Rapidfile's free plan has 512 MB files, and its paid plans scale up from there.

Pricing is also not like-for-like. Filestack bills for uploads, transformations, storage and bandwidth as separate allowances, and charges overage per unit beyond them. Rapidfile's Upload API uses storage tiers with a file-size cap per tier and unlimited CDN requests. Compare the total cost for the workload you actually run, not the headline price alone.

A practical test helps. Take a typical month of uploads from your app, note the average file size, the number of uploads and how often you serve the files, then price that against each plan's storage, file-size cap and bandwidth. For many storage-heavy apps, the file-size cap and the storage tier decide the answer long before any other number does.

How the upload flow works

No code is needed to see how the pieces fit:

1. Your server asks the Upload API for an upload slot, using the secret key from your app.
2. The browser or script sends the file to the address it received. Files above 95 MB are split into parts, and the response lists the addresses to use.
3. Once the last part arrives, the file is ready. Your webhook receives a signed notice, and your backend can update its own records.

The same flow works from a server job or from an AI agent using the MCP server, so one storage layer covers both your users and your automation. 4. Your app serves public files from the CDN, or creates a signed URL for private ones.

Which one should you use?

Choose Filestack if you need uploads, transformations, virus detection and workflows in one managed pipeline, and the free plan's 20 MB limit is not a problem for you. Choose Rapidfile's Upload API if you mainly need persistent storage and reliable uploads, you want larger free files and a simple tier model, and you will process files elsewhere if you need to. Many teams do the processing in their own worker and keep storage on a simpler service.

FAQ

Updated 2026-10-20