Peer-to-peer file transfer between two browsers
If both people can keep a browser open, there’s no need to upload a file and leave it waiting on a server. A direct transfer sends it to the other person as it goes.
By Ferndrop · Reviewed
A peer-to-peer file transfer sends data between the sender’s and recipient’s devices. Ferndrop uses WebRTC to try this in the browser, without an app to install. A successful direct connection has no fixed file-size or daily byte limit. Both devices need to stay connected for the transfer to finish.
Send a file directly
- Open Ferndrop and choose your files or folder. Direct sending supports up to 1,000 files. Complete email verification if requested.
- Choose Send directly.
- Copy the private room link and send it to the intended recipient.
- They open it and click Download. Some browsers also ask where to save the file.
- Keep both pages open and both devices awake until it finishes.
Opening the receiving page alone does not start the connection. The recipient’s Download action starts it. Anyone with the room link can request the files while the sender is there, so treat it as a private invitation.
Direct first, relay when necessary
Browser-to-browser does not mean the two devices can always reach each other. Office firewalls, network address translation and some mobile networks can block the connection.
Ferndrop gives the direct attempt about eight seconds. If it fails, eligible transfers retry using Cloudflare TURN, a relay that forwards encrypted WebRTC traffic. The relay does not store a downloadable copy of the file. Both pages still need to stay open.
Relay fallback is available for transfers up to 10 GB, subject to the daily sending allowance and relay availability. A larger transfer must connect directly. If it cannot, try another network or use a service with a suitable stored-transfer limit.
What “no fixed size limit” means here
It applies to successful direct connections. It does not promise that any file will work on any device, and it does not apply to stored links or relayed transfers.
| Route | File-size rule | Both pages open? |
|---|---|---|
| Direct connection | No fixed file-size or daily byte limit; hourly start limits still apply. | Yes |
| TURN fallback | Up to 10 GB; shares a 25 GB daily allowance with stored links. | Yes |
| Stored link | Up to 10 GB; uses the same daily allowance. | No, once upload finishes |
Very large files need enough disk space, browser streaming support and a connection that stays alive. Chrome or Edge with native save support are practical choices for a large desktop handover. Other supported browsers can stream through our download worker. If a streaming save is unavailable, the browser cannot save a very large transfer.
Will it be faster than uploading?
It can avoid the separate “upload first, download later” wait, but it cannot make your internet connection faster. The sender’s upload, recipient’s download, network route and disk speed all matter.
For scale, a 5 GB file over a sustained 20 Mbps upload takes about 33 minutes before overhead. That is a calculation, not a Ferndrop speed test. A wired connection and preventing the computer from sleeping often matter more than switching services.
What stays private?
WebRTC encrypts the file data. A successful direct route does not upload the file to Ferndrop storage; a TURN route forwards encrypted traffic. Our servers still help coordinate the room, and direct peers can learn each other’s IP address. This is not an anonymous transfer.
The sender’s browser reports only whether the observed route was direct, TURN or unknown, for aggregate reliability counts. Those reports do not establish that a file finished. Read the privacy policy for the data retained around a transfer.
If one of you has to leave
Use Get a link for a transfer up to 10 GB. Once that upload finishes, the recipient can download before the selected expiry without the sender remaining online. Direct transfers do not resume after an interruption, so choose the stored route before starting if you expect either device to disconnect.