A Google Drive Alternative for Sharing Files Outside Your Account

Step by step

1. Add your files

   Drop files or a whole folder onto the uploader at rapidfile.cc, or tap to pick them on a phone.

2. Pick the options

   Choose an expiry time, and optionally add a password, a download limit, a title or a message.

3. Share the link, code or QR

   Send the link, read out the 6-digit code, or let the other person scan the QR code.

4. Recipient downloads

   They open the link, or go to rapidfile.cc/receive and type the code. You can close your tab once the upload finishes.

Google Drive is a file store, a sharing tool and a set of editors rolled into one. Every Google account includes 15 GB of free storage, and plenty of people reach for Drive whenever they need to get a file to a client, a relative or a supplier. The features that make Drive useful for teamwork can get in the way when the job is simpler: one large file, one person outside your organization, and no wish to set up a shared folder. This page explains where Drive fits, where Rapidfile fits, and how to choose between them.

The short version

Google Drive figures are from Google's website as of October 2026. Plans change. Check their site for current limits.

Where Google Drive is the stronger pick

Being honest about this saves you time:

• Working on the file together. Drive lets people comment, suggest edits and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the same place. Rapidfile does not offer real-time collaboration or a sync client.
• Keeping the file where it lives. A Drive file stays in your storage until you remove it, so the link is as long-lived as the file. Rapidfile transfers are deleted at their expiry. The longest free link is 7 days with a free account, and Pro reaches 30 days.
• Very large files. Google's help page on file types lists up to 5 TB for most file types. Rapidfile's largest transfer limit is 50 GB, which is on the Pro plan.

If your work depends on live editing or on a file that must stay available for months, Drive is the better fit. For a broader view of the field, see our comparison of free file transfer services.

Sharing a file from Drive to someone outside your account

Drive's general access settings are Public, Anyone with the link and Restricted. Public means anyone can find the file through Google search. Anyone with the link lets anyone who has the URL open the file without signing in. Restricted allows only people who already have access.

With Anyone with the link, you choose a role: Viewer, Commenter or Editor. Viewers and commenters can download the file by default, and the owner can change that in the advanced sharing settings. Expiration dates are offered, but Google's sharing page says that feature is only available for eligible work or school accounts. Google's sharing help does not mention a password option for shared files.

This works well for a file that many people will open, and where you are happy for the link to stay live. It is more work when you want a single download that disappears after a while, because you have to remember to change the access setting yourself.

Where Rapidfile fits better

• No account for everyday files. A transfer up to 500 MB needs no sign-in on your side. The recipient needs no account either. See sending files without signing up.
• Codes and QR codes. Every transfer gets a link, a 6-digit code and a QR code. Someone in the room can type the code at rapidfile.cc/receive or scan the QR code with the Rapidfile app.
• Each transfer is its own bundle. You do not have to manage access to a file in your storage afterward. The transfer has an expiry, you can add a password, and you can delete it early.
• Apps and a command line. The Mac and Windows apps let you right-click a file in Finder or File Explorer and choose "Rapidfile: Get link". The Android app adds share-sheet support. The CLI runs on Node 18 or newer, and rapidfile send <path> sends a file from a terminal.
• Folders without zipping first. Drag a folder in and it is zipped in your browser with its structure kept. See sending a folder online.

How Rapidfile handles your files

Files are encrypted in transit with TLS and encrypted at rest on Cloudflare's network. Every upload is scanned with ClamAV, an open-source virus scanner. If a file is flagged, the download page shows a warning and a "Download anyway" option. Single files are sent byte-for-byte, with no recompression.

Rapidfile is not end-to-end encrypted, and that is the main difference from some other services. The free plan is ad-supported, and the paid plans remove ads on all Rapidfile products and apps. For the terms that cover Google's storage and sharing, read Google's own privacy and terms pages.

Checking access before and after you send

When you share from Drive, the access list is the thing to check. Open the sharing dialog and confirm who can see the file, which role each person has, and whether downloads are turned on. If the file contains anything personal, set general access to Restricted and add the recipient by email address, so only the account you named can open it. This is the tighter option, but it usually means the recipient signs in with a Google account, which is one reason people look for something simpler.

After the file has arrived, go back to the sharing dialog and remove access. A Drive link stays live until you change its setting, so this step is yours to take. A Rapidfile transfer is different: it ends at the expiry you chose, and you can delete it early if you no longer need it.

Moving a one-off send from Drive to Rapidfile

If you only need to get one file to one person, the steps are short:

1. Open rapidfile.cc on the device you use most. Files up to 500 MB need no account.
2. Pick an expiry, from 1 hour to 3 days, or 7 days with a free account, and add a password if the file is sensitive.
3. Copy the link or the 6-digit code into your message. Rapidfile does not send an email for you.
4. For files over 500 MB and up to 2 GB, sign in with a free Enzonic account first.

Your recipient does not need to change anything. They open the link or type the code at /receive.

Which one should you use?

Use Google Drive when the file is part of ongoing work, when people need to edit it together, or when you want it to stay in your storage for a long time. Use Rapidfile when you want to send one large file to someone outside your account without setting up sharing permissions, and when a 2 GB limit or a 7-day link with a free account is enough. Many people use both, and choose by what the file needs to do after it arrives.

FAQ

Updated 2026-10-20