ordner.link compared with WeTransfer, Dropbox and Google Drive
Cloud services keep a copy of your files on their servers. ordner.link keeps them on your Mac and streams them to the visitor. Each approach has its strengths, so here are the facts.
| Feature | ordner.link | WeTransfer Free | Dropbox Basic | Google Drive (free) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Files and limits | ||||
| Where files are | On your Mac, no copy uploaded | Uploaded to the service | Uploaded to the service | Uploaded to the service |
| Size limit | No size limit for sharing, up to 10,000 items per folder | 3 GB per transfer, 3 GB in 30 days | 2 GB of storage | 15 GB of storage, shared with Gmail and Google Photos |
| How long a link lasts | You choose: 1 hour to never | Up to 3 days | Until you remove it | Until you remove it |
| Links and accounts | ||||
| Updates after sharing | Live: visitors see the folder as it is now | No, a transfer is a fixed set of files | Yes, after files sync | Yes, after files sync |
| Account to share | None | Required | Required | Required |
| Account to open a link | None | None | None | None with a link open to anyone |
| Security and availability | ||||
| End-to-end encryption | Every share | Not stated on the page we checked | Advanced and Enterprise plans | Client-side encryption on selected Workspace editions |
| Works while your computer is off | No, your Mac must be awake and online | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Where you can share from | Mac only (macOS 14 or later) | Web and apps | Web, desktop and mobile apps | Web, desktop and mobile apps |
ordner.link fits when
- Files are large or change often
- You want no copy on someone else's servers
- Your Mac is usually awake and online
- Up to 20 visitors are connected to a share at once
A cloud service fits when
- Files must stay available while your computer is off
- You share from Windows, Linux or a phone
- Many people download at the same time
- You also want a backup or sync across devices
Sources
We checked the details about other products on their own pages on 30 October 2026, for their free plans. Entries without a source below describe how these services generally work.
- WeTransfer: comparison with Google Drive(opens in a new tab)
- Dropbox: plans(opens in a new tab)
- Dropbox: sharing features(opens in a new tab)
- Google Drive: storage(opens in a new tab)
- Google Workspace: client-side encryption(opens in a new tab)
WeTransfer, Dropbox and Google Drive are trademarks of their respective owners. ordner.link is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.