WeTransfer alternative
Shako vs WeTransfer: The Pay-As-You-Go Alternative
WeTransfer is the default choice for sending big files, but the free tier has tightened over the years and paid plans start well above what most people need. Here is a straight comparison with Shako.
Side-by-Side Comparison: Free Tiers, Limits, and Pricing
| Feature | Shako | WeTransfer |
|---|---|---|
| Free allowance | 15 credits/month (1 credit = 1 day kept), then extra credits from 45p each (bundles of 5) | 3 sends/day, 2 GB per send |
| Free file size | 2 GB per transfer | 2 GB per transfer |
| Paid plans | £60/yr Plus · £150/yr Pro | From roughly £10–£23/month |
| Pay-as-you-go | Credit bundles from 45p per credit | Not offered — upgrade only |
| Retention control | 1 to 30 days, your choice — 1 credit per day | 3 days free, up to 1 year on paid |
| 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 | Paid plans only |
| Page branding | Plus and Pro | Paid plans only |
| API access | Pro | Enterprise only |
WeTransfer 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 WeTransfer Outperforms Shako
- WeTransfer has years of brand trust and a polished mobile app.
- Its top plans include 1 TB of long-term storage — Shako is deliberately not a storage locker.
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.