How to Share Large Files Right in Your Browser Using FilePizza

Sharing large files usually means uploading the file to a cloud storage service first and then having the other person download it. Of course, you're still limited by any storage limits. With FilePizza , you can finally share large files without the middleman.

P2P file sharing in browser

Remember the early days of Napster and LimeWire? Peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing networks allowed users to share files by downloading them directly from others. Nothing was stored in the cloud. The downside was that if the person with the file disconnected before the download was complete, you wouldn’t get the file.

FilePizza works similarly. It is P2P, but it works directly in your browser. The service uses WebRTC (real-time communication) to transfer files. And like other P2P apps, you have to keep your browser open while the file transfer is taking place.

Safer than cloud storage

One of the first things to consider when trying out any new app is security. Since the files are never uploaded to a server, all security is between you and the person downloading the file. As long as you’re both using an up-to-date browser and running antivirus software, you’ll be safe.

Of course, don't transfer files on public Wi-Fi. In fact, never do anything private on public Wi-Fi. That just exposes everything you're doing to any hackers nearby. Use a VPN if you're connecting in a public place.

While password-protected files weren't an option in the original release of FilePizza, the second version provided users with this highly requested feature. The service used DTLS (Datagram Transport Layer Security) to encrypt your files during transfer. But now, you can add a password.

Adding a password ensures that even if someone else gets the download link, they can't use it without the password.

Another thing that makes this service safer than cloud storage is that as soon as you close your browser, the download is no longer available. You never have to remember to delete the file from the cloud provider afterwards.

Share files with FilePizza

You don't need to download any special app. Just open your favorite browser and go to FilePizza. Drag and drop files onto the screen or tap Drop a file to get started .

Select your file, add a password (if desired), and click Start . You then have 3 ways to share the file with others:

• QR Code
• Long URL
• Short URL

All three methods lead the user to the same file.

Remember to keep this tab open in your browser until another user downloads the file. Once you close this tab or press Stop Upload , the download link will no longer work.

Download shared file

So, is it really that easy? Yes. The author of this article sent a ZIP file of the images to a friend. They opened the link on their phone and were able to immediately access the download. All they had to do was click Download and wait for the file to download.

Right after they downloaded the file, the author closed the browser to see what happened. They tried the link again and got an error page. So the link was broken as soon as you closed the browser.

No file size limit

Now for the best part. There are no file size limits. Need to share multiple gigs or even a terabyte of data? No problem. Of course, the larger the file size, the longer it will take the other party to download it.

But you don’t have to wait for large files to be uploaded to a third-party service before you can share them, and you don’t have to pay extra storage fees if you’re just using free or cheap cloud storage.

No account required

Another benefit of using FilePizza is that no one needs to create an account. This makes file sharing more secure. You don't have to worry about someone hacking another account or remembering another password.

Note, if you are storing your passwords in a regular Notepad document, stop right now and start using a secure password manager.

FilePizza isn't the only option

Many people prefer FilePizza because it's easy to remember. It's also a cute concept of delivering files like you deliver pizza.

People also like to have options, so if you don't like this service, try one of these P2P alternatives that work similarly:

• JustBeamIt – Only works for one transfer and expires after 10 minutes (unless you close the browser sooner). No password option.
• P2PFileShare – No file size limit, but no password option.

ShareDrop.io used to be a good option, but is now owned by LimeWire. You have to upload your file and it is available for a week. You can’t change the limit unless you sign up for an account. There are also a lot of limitations unless you have a free or premium account.

If you need to keep files available for a longer period of time, cloud storage is still a better option. But make sure you don't use cloud storage for more sensitive types of files.