An UploadThing Alternative for Persistent File Storage

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 store it in your server's environment settings.

2. Ask for an upload

   From your server, send the file name, size, type and access setting to the Upload API. It returns an upload address that is valid for one hour.

3. Send the file

   Pass the upload address to your front end or to a script. The file goes straight to Rapidfile, and large files are split into parts automatically.

4. Get notified

   Add a webhook URL to your app. Rapidfile sends a signed message when a file finishes uploading or is deleted.

UploadThing is a file upload service for developers. It gives your app a way to accept files from users and store them. People start looking for an alternative for a few predictable reasons: they want fixed monthly tiers instead of usage-based billing, they want files to stay in storage with an explicit size model, or they want a plain REST API they can call from any server language. Rapidfile's Upload API is one option. It stores files persistently for your app, issues signed upload addresses, supports private files and sends webhooks. It does not process images or video, so the comparison below is about storage and uploads, not transformations.

The short version

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

Where UploadThing is the stronger pick

Being fair to UploadThing is the quickest way to tell whether it suits you:

• Pay-as-you-go storage. UploadThing's usage plan starts at $25 per month with 250 GB included, then $0.08 per GB beyond that. If your storage is hard to predict and you would rather pay per gigabyte than pick a tier, that model suits you better than fixed Rapidfile tiers.
• Limits set in code. UploadThing's file routes let you define the file types and maximum size for each upload endpoint. Defaults are 4 MB for images, 16 MB for video, 8 MB for audio and blobs, and 4 MB for PDFs. If each part of your app should enforce its own rules in the same codebase, that approach is convenient.
• Longer audit logs on paid plans. Its pricing page lists 30 days of audit log retention on paid plans, against 7 days on the free plan.

Where Rapidfile fits better

• Clear tiers with room for large files. Starter ($5 per month) gives 100 GB and 4 GB files. Growth ($15 per month) gives 500 GB and 16 GB files. Scale ($49 per month) gives 2 TB, 50 GB files and multipart uploads up to 50 GB. The details are on the Upload API pricing page.
• A free tier to test with. The free plan gives you 2 GB, files up to 512 MB and 3 apps. That is enough to build and test an upload flow before you pay anything.
• Uploads that bypass your server. Your server requests an upload address with its secret key, then the browser sends the file directly. The API documentation describes the request and response shapes.
• Private files and signed links. Mark a file as private and hand out signed URLs that expire on your schedule, up to 7 days.
• Unlimited CDN requests. Public files are served from a CDN without a request cap, and bandwidth is free on paid tiers.
• Tools beyond REST. The API comes with a JavaScript SDK and an MCP server for AI agents, so an assistant can list or upload files without custom glue code.

How the upload flow works

No code is needed to understand the shape of the integration:

1. Your server asks for a slot. It sends the file name, size, type and access setting to the Upload API, using your secret key. Small files get a single upload address. Files above 95 MB are split into parts, and the response lists the part addresses and a completion address.
2. The browser sends the bytes. Your front end uses the address it was given. The key never leaves your server, and the address stops working after one hour.
3. The file becomes ready. When the last byte arrives, the file status changes from uploading to ready. A webhook can tell your backend about the upload, so you do not have to poll.
4. Your app serves it. Public files come with a CDN URL. Private files need a signed URL, which your server creates for the viewer.

This split keeps large uploads off your own servers, which matters most when files are big or users are on slow connections.

If you are comparing costs, count three things: how much you store at once, the size of your largest file and how many apps you run. Rapidfile's free tier allows three apps, so a side project and a staging copy can run side by side before you pay.

Which one should you use?

Choose UploadThing if you want usage-based billing, you prefer to set file limits inside your app's code, or you already run on it and do not want to change anything. Choose Rapidfile's Upload API if you want fixed monthly tiers with generous per-file limits, a free tier with three apps to test with, and a plain API with private files, signed URLs and webhooks. Both store files you upload; neither is a substitute for a backup plan you control.

FAQ

Updated 2026-10-20