Smash alternative: unlimited size or end-to-end encryption?

1. Smash Free: no size limit, with a queue

Smash is built around zero friction. Its free plan requires no sign-up, sets no limit on size or number of transfers, and keeps files available for 7 days. A password can be added and recipients can preview files before downloading them.

One detail matters for large volumes: beyond 2 GB, free transfers join a queue behind Pro, Team and Enterprise transfers. When you need to deliver tens of gigabytes of video footage quickly, plan for that delay.

2. Smash encryption: AES-256 at rest and TLS

Smash's security page describes two protections: SSL/TLS protocols during transfer between the application and the servers, and 256-bit AES encryption of files at rest. Storage is provided by Amazon Web Services' S3 service, and files are automatically erased when the transfer expires.

This documentation does not describe encryption performed in the browser with a key Smash would not hold. That does not mean Smash lacks internal controls. It means its published model relies on transport encryption and encryption at rest, where keys are managed on the service side. We explain what encryption at rest actually protects in a dedicated article.

3. End-to-end encryption: what PrivCloud does differently

With PrivCloud, encryption happens before upload. The browser generates an AES-256-GCM key and encrypts the file in chunks with the Web Crypto API. The server, and then storage, only receive encrypted data.

The key travels in the link fragment, after #key=. This fragment is not sent to the server: the recipient's browser reads it and decrypts the file locally. That is the principle of a zero-knowledge architecture. Encryption is on by default for account shares and can be turned off by explicitly deleting the key.

This model protects content if storage leaks or the server is accessed. It does not remove the need to protect the link itself: anyone with the full link can decrypt the file. A short expiration and a password limit that risk, as we explain about public sharing links.

4. Where are files stored?

Smash says it stores files in one of its 9 regions, always the one closest to the user: Paris when sending from France, Frankfurt from Germany, London from England. Files are not duplicated from one region to another. The documentation reviewed does not mention choosing a region manually.

PrivCloud hosts files in France, whatever the sender's country, and publishes a data processing agreement (DPA). For personal data, location is only one part of the assessment: encryption, the processing agreement and the metadata kept matter just as much.

5. Volume and retention: where Smash leads

On size, Smash Free is more generous: no announced cap, versus 3 GB per share on PrivCloud's Free account, which is also limited to 15 shares per rolling 30 days and 6 GB of storage. PrivCloud paid plans go up to 250 GB per transfer.

On retention, Smash keeps free transfers for 7 days, versus 5 days at most on PrivCloud's Free plan. A short retention period has one benefit: it shortens the time during which a link sent by mistake remains usable.