How To Send Large Files Via Email – 4 Easy Ways (2024)

Emails are a widely-used channel for sending information, marketing collateral, and other communications from one person to another. It’s also possible to send files through emails.

But this can be problematic for senders looking to send large files as emails cap at 25 MBs of data (because text emails cannot exceed 25 MBs).And with organizations often needing to send large files and presentations, it begs the question: “How can I email a file larger than 25 MB?”

Here are four easy ways you can send large files via email:

1. Use integrated cloud services like Google Drive
2. Use an online collaboration platformlike Filestage
3. Use a file transfer tool like WeTransfer
4. Compress your files with a tool like 7-Zip

We’ll explain all these methods in more detail below.

How to send large files via email with integrated cloud services

Cloud services can help users send large files via email. All you have to do is upload the file to your cloud storage then put its link in your email. For some email providers that have an integrated cloud service, the process is even easier. The recipient can click on the link to view or download the file at their end from the cloud.

The benefits of using integrated cloud services include the speed of transfer, the document’s security, and the lack of storage constraints. Moreover, sending a file via the cloud can be safer and more convenient than using a USB.

Google Drive

Whether you’re using your email for business or personal purposes, the popularity of Gmail has made Google Drive nearly ubiquitous. And when you try to attach a file that’s over Google’s 25MB email file size limit, Gmail will automatically ask if you want to upload that file to Google Drive and share that link in your email instead.

A nice feature of Google Drive is that you can organize your file into a Drive folder right there in your email window without having to open Google Drive. Moreover, because the program belongs to Google, Google Drive can be the simplest solution for sending large files for Gmail users.

However, it’s not for everyone. Google Drive takes up quite a lot of memory, and if you’re using a computer without much processing power, it can be a hassle to drag your whole system down by going into Google Drive just to grab an email attachment.

OneDrive

​If you use Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive is a native cloud storage service for sending large files. Much like with Google Drive, OneDrive allows you to share documents through either a link that you can copy and paste or by actually emailing the document. OneDrive is convenient for individuals, but it gets clunky fast when used as a more collaborative tool amongst teams.

One bonus is that OneDrive is also integrated into Outlook. When sending a large file with Outlook, the program will automatically give the user an option to save the file to OneDrive. This reduces the need to manually upload files to the cloud service.

iCloud and Mail Drop

Apple’s solution to the email attachment size limit is Mail Drop, a component of their iCloud cloud storage system that allows Apple users to sync content across different Apple devices.

Mail Drop works differently from Google Drive and OneDrive. When you want to attach a large file to your email with Mail Drop, your file will be hosted on iCloud; however, the link will expire after thirty days.

This can be an advantage if you know that you don’t want your files permanently hosted in iCloud but simply need to send them via email. What’s more, files that are temporarily uploaded through Mail Drop are not included in your iCloud storage limits. However, beware of letting your files accidentally expire if you need to keep them organized in the cloud long-term.

The above three solutions to the problem of how to send large files via email could work well if your whole team uses Gmail, Outlook, or iCloud email. But if you need an option for sending large files that work with a wider variety of platforms, another option might be better.

For more options, browse our list of the top 10 free file-sharing sites.

How to send large files via email with a collaboration platform

There are a lot of different ways to share files with your colleagues and clients. And various online platforms can help you do that easily. Consider them the loading docks where you can store your files and ask the receiver to pick them up later.

The following are some of the solutions that allow you to share files in this manner.

Filestage – best way to send large files via email with a link

Filestage is an online platform that enables users to share their videos, documents, and images with stakeholders for review. Once a file is uploaded to the platform, you can invite reviewers by adding their email addresses (see image below) or by copying the review link to share it via chat. Now stakeholders can view, comment, and approve the file without having to sign up for any kind of service.

To increase security, Filestage users can ask reviewers to verify their email addresses or even add password protection to files.

Furthermore, Filestage users can enable stakeholders to download shared files or upload new files, such as an updated version of a proposal. This removes the inefficiency of sending emails back and forth and also keeps everything in one place.

Its wide range of review and approval features, make Filestage a powerfulenterprise file-sharingsolution and a great fit for small businesses or freelancers.

Dropbox

Dropbox is one of the most commonly used cloud storage systems, and it is designed to work well for anyone who needs a central file hub that’s accessible to all team members. It doesn’t offer as much review and approval functionality as Filestage, but it does make it easy to transfer large files.

If you’re wondering how to send a large file through email, it’s good to know that after uploading your files to Dropbox, you can email a link to your file by clicking on “Share.” Then, anyone you’ve emailed the link to can download it. The good thing is that the other person doesn’t need a Dropbox account to view or download the shared file.

Hightail

Hightail is similar to Dropbox but offers a better tracking function. It allows users to send large files to several recipients and also notifies the user when a recipient has actually accessed the documents.

Furthermore, Hightail also provides a space to manage all your visual assets for a project while allowing you to send and receive files instantly. Finally, it includes cloud capability, which means you can access these files and send them from anywhere in the world from any device.

File transfer tools are the most commonly used solutions for transferring large files. These are easy to use, fast, and appropriate for both personal and professional situations. When looking for a file transfer tool, there are several options to consider.

WeTransfer

WeTransfer is a popular file-sharing service. You can easily send files directly through the WeTransfer website; you just need to upload files, type in the relevant email addresses, and a short message. This web application uses a cloud storage service to transfer a large file to your recipient with a few simple clicks.

An advantage of WeTransfer is that you don’t even need to create an account on the site. Your recipients do not need an account to download your file either. You can create a shareable link to any file that you upload and send large files via WeTransfer with ease.

Here we have listed the best alternatives of WeTransfer.

Send Anywhere

Send Anywhere is another tool that can send large files to people. The unique selling point of this tool is security. You create a free account and generate a unique 6-digit key that’s used to access the file. The receiver is then sent a shared link; however, they can’t access the file without the key. It makes for a smooth transfer where the sender can rest assured that they’re engaging in a secure file sharing process.

So whether you’re looking to send PDF files to your colleagues, or share large videos with clients, you can confidently rely on Send Anywhere to do a good job.

DropSend

DropSend is another simple yet effective tool that comes in handy when your files are too large to be sent as email attachments.

You only need to upload the files to DropSend and fill in the recipient’s email address. Then, they get an email with a download link to retrieve the sent files. It is a simple process. Plus, with no size restrictions, you can send several GBs of files through this tool. However, one negative aspect of this platform is its lack of security. DropSend grants access to the file to anyone that has access to the recipient’s email.

Compress large files

Another way to send large files through email is by first compressing the file size. These compressed files become a fraction of the original file, and if under the attachment limit, they are ready to be sent through email. The only drawback of using this method is the loss of quality when a file is compressed, especially videos or images.

Here’s how to email large files with the following tools:

7-Zip

7-zip is a file compression software with high compression rates. It allows you to compress files down to a tenth of their original size. This application can easily be installed and can compress as many files as needed. It also allows you to expand any compressed files you may have received. Moreover, 7-zip includes a file manager to keep track of all your larger files.

All you need to do is open the 7-zip File Manager, select the file you want to compress and then choose “Add to Archive” while ensuring that the Archive format is set at Zip. Click “Ok” to compress the file which is then saved in the same location as the original file.

WinZip

WinZip is the world’s leading file archiver utility for compression, encryption, file sharing, and backup. It also offers a file management system, easy sharing via email, PDF conversion, and bank-level encryption to protect your files. WinZip can help you save time and space while quickly zipping and unzipping files owing to its simple interface.

To compress files using this tool, open WinZip, choose the file you want to compress, click “Add to Zip” and then save the compressed zip file.

FileZilla (FTP solution)

FileZilla is a free, open-source FTP solution. It allows you to compress large files into compact versions that can easily be sent via email. FileZilla also offers encryption to protect your data and avoid any data sprawl when sending and receiving files.

Moreover, the program is easy to use, making it a powerful tool for people who are not as tech-savvy. FileZilla is widely used in the market today due to its ease of compression and high security. Most sensitive data can be transferred through FileZilla due to its strong encryption protocols.

Conclusion

If you need to share huge files with collaborators regularly for your job, it’s essential that you are able to send emails without a second thought. Daily tasks, such as sending emails as part of your larger creative workflow, should enhance your productivity instead of wasting your time on a problem that’s easy to solve.

By taking the time to research the best solution for your business, you will avoid headaches and wasted time down the line. A streamlined and easy process for sending large files will positively affect the rest of your workflow and allow for greater productivity and collaboration with less stress.