sto.care vs Smash
No size limit, with a queue · Updated May 2026
- Use Smash Premium if you regularly send files over 10 GB and need priority upload speed.
- Use sto.care if your files are 5 GB or under and you want full speed without queueing.
- Use Smash free if your file is under 2 GB and you can wait out the upload queue.
Smash launched as the "no size limit" alternative when WeTransfer added its 2 GB free cap. The headline still holds: you can technically send a 50 GB file for free. The quiet caveat is that anything above 2 GB on the free plan waits in line behind paid subscribers. The advertised number is real; the experience is slower than the numbers suggest.
Below is the head-to-head with sto.care, focused on what actually happens during and after the send.
Feature ComparisonSide-by-side breakdown
| Feature | sto.care | Smash |
|---|---|---|
| Free per-file size limit | 5 GB | Unlimited |
| Speed priority on free | Full link | Deprioritised >2 GB |
| Account required (sender) | ✗ | ✗ |
| Account required (recipient) | ✗ | ✗ |
| Default expiry | 7 days | 14 days |
| Revoke link on demand | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ads on download page | ✗ | ✓ |
| Encryption at rest | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multiple downloads | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom branding | ✗ | Paid |
| Monthly cost | $0 | $0 to $9+ |
The queueWhy "unlimited" doesn't mean fast
Smash's free tier promotes "no limit on file size." The fine print, on their own pricing page (fromsmash.com/pricing): free transfers above 2 GB "do not have priority, unlike those of Smash Premium subscribers" and will "be uploaded on our servers and sent after a waiting period." The size cap goes away; the queue replaces it. How long the wait is depends on what paying customers are doing at the same time.
sto.care doesn't queue free uploads. The cap is the cap (5 GB), and within that cap you upload at your full link speed straight into S3. No queue, no waiting room, no quiet downgrade.
Lifecycle Control14 days you can't shorten
Smash's free transfers expire 14 days after upload. There's no early-revoke control on the free tier: you have to upgrade to manage transfers from a dashboard. If you need to take a file back before its 14-day clock runs out, your options are wait or pay.
sto.care's 7-day expiry is shorter by design, and the one-click revoke link in your confirmation email lets you kill the share at any time. Shorter clock plus early-out, free.
When Smash is better
- You need to send a single file larger than 5 GB
- You don't mind a slow upload for the convenience of no hard cap
- You want the file available for 14 days rather than 7
- You're willing to pay Smash for branding, customisation, and management features
When sto.care is better
- Your file is under 5 GB and you want it transferred at full speed
- You want the option to revoke the link before its automatic expiry
- You don't want ads on the recipient's download page
- You'd rather a tool that's free and stays free than one that pushes upgrades
FAQCommon questions
Does Smash really allow unlimited file size for free?
Yes. Smash advertises no upper limit on transfer size, which is unusual for a free service. The catch sits on their pricing page: free transfers above 2 GB are not given priority and are queued behind paying subscribers, so a free 10 GB upload can sit on their servers for hours before delivery completes. sto.care caps at 5 GB but doesn't queue or shape free transfers.
How fast is Smash compared to sto.care for a 5 GB file?
On free Smash, a 5 GB file falls into the deprioritised tier. Smash explicitly says these uploads have no priority and will be sent after a waiting period (their own wording on the pricing page), so end-to-end delivery time depends on queue length, not your link. sto.care uploads directly to S3 at your full link speed: the same 5 GB on a 100 Mbps connection finishes in around 7 minutes.
Can I delete a Smash transfer early?
Smash's free tier expires transfers after 14 days and doesn't surface an early-revoke control. To pull a file back you'd need to upgrade to a paid plan and use the management dashboard. sto.care's confirmation email includes a one-click revoke link on every transfer, free.
Does Smash have ads?
Yes. Smash's free download page shows display advertising. Less prominent than WeTransfer's full-screen wallpapers but still present. sto.care's download page is plain: no ads, no tracking pixels.
Is Smash hosted in Europe?
Smash is a French company and hosts on European infrastructure (AWS Paris and similar EU regions). sto.care also stores in EU (eu-west-1, Ireland). Both are GDPR-applicable. Neither claims a specifically privacy-focused jurisdiction.
What's the case for using Smash over sto.care?
If you need to send a single file larger than 5 GB and you can wait through Smash's deprioritised queue, it's one of the few free options that doesn't refuse the file outright. For everything else (speed, control, ad-free download) sto.care wins.
Skip the queue. Send at your full speed, take it back if you need to.
UPLOAD A FILE →Comparing more options? See sto.care vs WeTransfer and sto.care vs SwissTransfer, or read our guide to sending large files for free.