SwissTransfer alternative
Shako vs SwissTransfer: The Flexible File Transfer Alternative
SwissTransfer is free and famously generous on file size. Where it falls short is control: no custom links, no branding, no API, and no way to earn anything back. Here is the honest picture.
Side-by-Side Comparison: Free Tiers, Limits, and Privacy
| Feature | Shako | SwissTransfer |
|---|---|---|
| Free allowance | 15 credits/month (1 credit = 1 day kept), then extra credits from 45p each (bundles of 5) | Unlimited free transfers |
| Free file size | 2 GB per transfer | 50 GB per transfer |
| Paid plans | £60/yr Plus · £150/yr Pro | Bundled with Infomaniak kSuite |
| Retention control | 1 to 30 days, your choice — 1 credit per day | 1 to 30 days |
| Credits for deleting early | Yes — refunded on top of the day-based cost: 0.2 within 24h, 0.1 within 48h, 0.05 within 5 days | No |
| Custom short links | Yes, on every tier | No |
| Page branding | Plus and Pro | No |
| API access | Pro | No public transfer API |
| Receive pages | Yes — people drop files to you | No |
SwissTransfer figures are from their published public plans and may change — check their site before deciding.
The real difference: credit for clearing early
No other service on this list pays you back for taking files off their disks. Shako does, on a sliding scale, whether you delete by hand or let the transfer expire.
0.2 credits
Cleared within 24h
0.1 credits
Cleared within 48h
0.05 credits
Cleared within 5 days
After 5 days a transfer earns nothing — the incentive is short retention and a smaller storage footprint, not archiving.
Features Where SwissTransfer Outperforms Shako
- If raw free size is all you need, SwissTransfer is hard to beat.
- Swiss hosting and no account requirement genuinely suit one-off sends.
Why people switch to Shako
- Per-transfer pricing you can predict, with pay-as-you-go instead of a forced upgrade.
- Retention from 1 to 30 days, chosen at upload — credits are based on the number of days your files are kept.
- Credit back every time you clear a transfer early.
- Custom short links on every tier, and receive pages so people can send files to you.