WeTransfer vs Dropbox: Which one is better for one-time file sharing?

You’re planning an ecommerce marketing campaign and need to send large product images and videos to your retail partners quickly. Both WeTransfer and Dropbox are popular file transfer services used for sending large files quickly and securely - but which one is better?

For quick, one-time file sharing, WeTransfer is usually the easier option. It’s fast, free for files up to 3GB, and you don’t even need an account. Dropbox, on the other hand, works better if you need to store files long-term or collaborate, but it’s a bit too much when you just want to send an image or video and move on.

But here’s the thing: when you’re running a campaign, one-time sharing is only a tiny part of your needs. You’ve got product shots coming in from freelancers, videos to send to partners, and visual assets scattered across email threads and file links. While WeTransfer and Dropbox can handle a quick send, neither is built to keep your visual content organised and easy to find when needed. 

That’s where Dash comes in. In this article, I’ll walk you through how Dash stacks up against WeTransfer and Dropbox — whether you’re just sending a quick file or need a better way to keep all your visual assets organised.

What is WeTransfer? 

WeTransfer is primarily a large file sharing service. It lets you send images and videos of up to 3GB for free — with larger file sizes available for Pro and Premium users. 

Beyond that, you can also use WeTransfer to: 

• Give and request feedback on shared files.

• Manage creative projects — with due dates and auto-reminders to keep everyone on track. 

• Encrypt sensitive files to make sure only authorised people can view and use them. 

Many of the above-mentioned features are restricted to paid users. As a free user, you’ll only be able to complete basic file sharing for up to ten monthly transfers. 

Also, when you send a file through WeTransfer, the recipient can only access it for seven days (or up to a year if you’re a paid user). After that, WeTransfer deletes it. Therefore, it’s not  the best option for sharing important files that your agency, retailers or PR partners need to access long-term.

What is Dropbox?

Dropbox is file management software similar to Google Drive. It allows you to share, receive, and organise various file types, including PDF documents, images, and videos. 

It’s okay for one-time file sharing and works better for document storage and collaboration.  But it drops the ball when it comes to managing visual assets.

Sure, you can use Dropbox to receive images and videos. However, its limited features make it tough to access, organise, and actually use them in your online store or marketing channels. 

That’s why many businesses prefer to use digital asset management software like Dash to organise their visual assets, and stick to Dropbox for document storage. Check out my Dropbox vs DAM article to learn more about the limitations of using Dropbox for visual asset management. 

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So how does Dash compare? Our DAM tool offers specialised visual asset management features — making it a lot easier to receive, manage, and use your images and videos. Let’s discuss a few of them. 

• Auto tagging: When you add a new image to Dash, it automatically scans and adds relevant tags so you can find it later. 

• Intuitive search: Dash lets you search for files based on their content. Let’s say there’s an image with a chair in it, but you can’t remember what it’s saved as. All you need to do is search for ‘chair’ and Dash will surface all the images that feature a chair — no more struggling to remember exact file names. 

• Preset file sizes: You can set predefined image and video sizes for different marketing channels without altering the original file. When someone downloads an asset, they can select from one of your presets, ensuring that they use it in the right size and format. 

• Unlimited file size: There’s no limit to the file size you can receive and store in Dash, no matter which plan you’re on. Also, shared file access won’t expire automatically unless you choose to set an expiration date. And if you reach your storage limit, you can easily purchase extra space instead of upgrading your plan.

If you’re ready to explore DAM in more detail, check out our list of digital asset management features to see how Dash can grow your brand.

WeTransfer vs. Dropbox: Pricing

WeTransfer pricing

WeTransfer’s paid plans start from around $10 a month. But that only gives you the ability to send up to 300GB of files—not store them. It's great if you just need to transfer large creative files occasionally, but not so great if you're looking for a proper content library.

You also can’t add team members to your plan unless you’re on their Enterprise package. And, surprise surprise, there’s no public pricing available for that.

Most of WeTransfer’s premium features are aimed at creative professionals rather than growing ecommerce teams. For example, you can customise your download pages with branded wallpapers or even accept payments for your work. But if you're managing product imagery, video content, and marketing assets, those features probably aren’t top of your list.

Dropbox pricing

Dropbox's plans start at $11.99/month for 2,000GB of storage. It’s a solid general file management tool with handy features like e-signatures, document scanning and built-in editing. You can also add new users, but you’ll need to pay for each one.

For everyday storage, it does the job. But if you’re managing lots of visual content, you might hit some limitations. For example, you can't crop or resize images in Dropbox without changing the original file. It’s also hard to find what you need quickly, especially if your files haven’t been meticulously named or sorted.

DAM pricing: How Dash compares

Dash starts at £99/$139 per month. And unlike Dropbox or WeTransfer, it’s not just a storage space—it’s your full content hub.

Pricing is based on how many assets you store and how much you download. And, you’ll get access to all features on every plan, no matter how many users you have. That way, you’re only paying for what you actually use.

Take a look at our article that explores the ROI of digital asset management. Or keep reading to learn why Dash might be the best WeTransfer and Dropbox alternative for your brand. 

WeTransfer vs. Dropbox: File sharing 

WeTransfer and Dropbox both make it easy to share files, but they serve slightly different purposes. Let’s compare them. 

WeTransfer file sharing

WeTransfer keeps it super simple when it comes to file sharing. You can send files either via email or by generating a shareable link.

With email transfers, you upload the file, add your email and your recipient’s, then hit “transfer.” You’ll get a notification once the file has been sent, and your recipient will get an email with the download link. It’s quick, easy and ideal for one-off transfers.

You can also generate a link to your file and share it however you like—whether that’s over Slack, WhatsApp, or your platform of choice. That said, WeTransfer’s free plan is very limited. You can’t set permissions or edit files after sending. There’s no collaboration functionality and recipients can only download the file.

So if you’re just looking to send a big file quickly, WeTransfer does the job. But it’s not built for anything beyond that.

Dropbox file sharing

Dropbox is designed with more ongoing collaboration in mind. You can share files by adding specific recipients via email, or by generating a shareable link.

When you add recipients directly, they’ll receive an email notification with access to the file. You can set permissions too—so you can decide whether someone can view, edit, or share the file with others. It gives you more control than WeTransfer, especially for ongoing projects.

Dropbox also lets you manually set an expiration date on shared links, though you’ll need to be on a Professional plan or higher to access this feature.

So how does Dash compare with these file sharing methods? Let’s find out. 

Dash file sharing 

Email is where links go to die. With the flood of emails we get every day, it’s easy to miss a WeTransfer or Dropbox notification. That’s why Dash goes beyond email, offering multiple ways to share and receive files: 

• Share a public version of your Dash using Portals. No need to send links — just add the image or video to the portal, and collaborators will be able to access it whenever they need it. And the best part is they enjoy all of Dash’s cool search features. 

• Use Guest Uploads to receive assets from your freelancers and agencies. All they need to do is upload the images and videos there. You can review them, provide feedback, and add approved assets to your Dash. 

• Create an image or video collection for specific projects. Let’s say you’re working on a campaign with a specific agency. In that case, you can create a collection with all the assets they’ll need and share with them. That way, they don’t need to request images or videos separately — they open the collection to access and use what they need. 

WeTransfer vs. Dropbox: Integrations

Both WeTransfer and Dropbox offer some level of integration with other tools—but the experience is very different depending on which platform you choose.

Let’s take a look at how each one stacks up.

WeTransfer integrations

WeTransfer recently retired its public API, which means it no longer supports the same level of integration as it used to. You can’t build custom workflows using connector tools like Zapier, and your options for third-party apps are pretty limited.

That said, WeTransfer does still connect with Adobe Express and is available as an add-on for Adobe users. So if you already use tools in the Adobe Experience Manager ecosystem, you’ll still be able to access WeTransfer files from within your creative tools.

But overall, WeTransfer isn’t really designed to be part of a broader tech stack—it’s more of a one-and-done file-sending platform.

Dropbox integrations

Dropbox, on the other hand, offers a wide range of integrations. It connects with major tools like Adobe, Canva, Microsoft Office, and even Dash. That means you can pull files directly from Dropbox into your Dash library and start tagging, resizing, or cropping right away.

There’s a whole app directory where you can browse compatible tools and see what works with your current stack. Whether you're managing assets, editing documents, or planning campaigns, Dropbox plays nicely with most of the big names in your workflow.

It also offers more flexibility for building out custom integrations or automated processes—especially if you're using it as part of a larger content management setup.

Dash integrations

As an ecommerce-focused DAM, Dash integrates with the tools you actually use to run your business.

• Connect Dash to Shopify or WooCommerce to instantly access product imagery and drop it into your listings.
  
  
• Use our Hootsuite integration to push fresh assets straight to your social media channels.
  
  
• Send final designs from Adobe Creative Suite directly to Dash—no downloads or clunky transfers required.
  
  
• Need something custom? Our open API lets you connect Dash to other tools in your tech stack, making it easier to access and use your assets wherever you work.
  
  

Want to see the full list? Check out our integrations page to see how Dash fits into your workflow.

WeTransfer vs. Dropbox: Visual asset management

If you’re trying to manage a growing library of product shots, campaign imagery, or video content, both WeTransfer and Dropbox are going to leave you a bit short. Let’s break it down.

WeTransfer for visual asset management

WeTransfer is great for quickly sending large files—but that’s where the functionality ends. It’s not built for long-term asset storage or content management. Files expire after a set number of days, and there’s no way to organise, search, or browse through your past uploads.

Need to reference a product image from two months ago? Too bad—it’s probably already gone. If you’re looking to build an organised asset library, WeTransfer just doesn’t cut it.

Read up on WeTransfer alternatives for your brand. 

Dropbox for visual asset management

Dropbox gives you more storage, but it’s still not ideal for managing visual assets at scale. While it’s fine for general file storage, there’s no smart tagging, limited preview functionality, and no version control to keep track of asset updates.

Searching for that perfect product photo? Unless you remember the exact file name or folder it lives in, you’re in for a frustrating scroll through hundreds of thumbnails. If you’ve ever thought, “there has to be a better way,” you’re absolutely right.

Learn more about Dropbox vs digital asset management.

Dash for visual asset management

Dash is built specifically for managing, organising, and deploying visual content. That means no more hunting for images or uploading the wrong logo to your product page.

• Use AI-powered tagging and custom fields to search for exactly what you need, fast.
  
  
• Quickly organise assets into relevant folders without the need for duplication.
  
  
• Set up approval workflows, so only the right files get shared with your team or partners.
  
  
• Share content with retailers, freelancers and agencies via Portals

Just ask brands like RevAir, who now save 20 hours a month thanks to Dash. Or Forthglade, who use Dash to collect and approve UGC in one place. If you’re looking to keep your visuals tidy, searchable, and ready to go—Dash is the better fit.

Want to see it for yourself? Start your free trial today ✨

The best alternative to Dropbox and WeTransfer 

You may have started this article looking for a one-time file sharing tool, but your ecommerce business demands much more. 

File sharing tools like Dropbox and WeTransfer do the job when you need to send something quickly. But what happens when you’re managing thousands of product images, marketing visuals, and video content? Constantly digging through folders to find the right images or resending expired links to partners will slow you down.

Dash makes things easier. You get all the benefits of fast, secure sharing plus the ability to keep your assets organised and accessible. Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Launch new products faster, like COAT Paints. With Dash’s Shopify integration, you can drop product images straight into your store—no downloading, renaming, or resizing needed. You can even set up custom crop sizes so your team always uses the right image dimensions.
  
  
• Collect and deploy user-generated content without the chaos. Dash’s guest upload feature is the best way to gather UGC from customers and creators. You can approve or reject uploads before they go live, so your team only works with the best content.
  
  
• Save time every single week. RevAir estimates they save 20+ hours a month by ditching the folder sprawl of Google Drive. They’re now using Dash’s AI-powered search to find exactly what they need, fast.
  
  
• Keep your brand consistent everywhere. Use Portals to share up-to-date assets with retailers, press and agencies—without needing to give them login access. They’ll see only the assets you want them to use, all in one place. This is how the watering can brand, Haws, manages their 100 + retailers around the world.
  

Why settle for a basic file-sharing tool when you could have a digital asset management system that’s built to support your growth?

✨ Try Dash free for 14 days—no credit card required.