Large File Transfer Without Per-GB Fees
Stop paying $0.25/GB to move your own files.
A freelance colorist receiving 2TB/month of raw footage shouldn't lose $500/month to transfer fees.
The Per-GB Problem
Pay-per-GB pricing sounds reasonable at small volumes. A few gigs here and there, a few dollars. But video production doesn't work at small volumes. Raw footage from a single shoot is hundreds of gigabytes. Dailies, VFX pulls, final deliverables — it compounds fast.
At $0.25/GB, every project has a hidden transfer tax. A freelancer receiving 2TB of raw footage per month pays $500 just to receive the files they need to do their job. A mid-sized studio moving 10TB/month pays $2,500. Over a year, that's $30,000 — for a service that moves bits from point A to point B.
Real Cost Savings
| Transfer Volume | Pay-Per-GB Services | Handrive |
|---|---|---|
| 100GB project | $25 | $0 |
| 500GB weekly deliverables | $125 | $0 |
| 2TB/month raw footage | $500/mo | $0 |
| 10TB/month studio volume | $2,500/mo | $0 |
| 10TB/month (annual) | $30,000/yr | $0 |
Why Cloud Relay Costs Money
Pay-per-GB services use a cloud relay architecture: your files upload to the vendor's servers, then the recipient downloads from those servers. This means the vendor pays for cloud bandwidth and storage on every transfer, and those costs get passed directly to you.
The more you transfer, the more you pay — because the vendor's costs scale linearly with your usage. There's no economy of scale to help you.
The Direct Alternative
Handrive eliminates the middleman entirely. Files transfer directly from sender to receiver using a peer-to-peer architecture. No cloud servers in the path means no bandwidth costs to pass on, which is why it's free at any volume.
The satellite-grade protocol is UDP-based, which means it achieves full bandwidth utilization regardless of network latency — the same fundamental advantage that makes enterprise transfer tools fast, but without the vendor infrastructure in the middle.
Before & After
| Feature | Pay-Per-GB Services | Handrive |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer cost | $0.25/GB | $0 — always |
| Architecture | Cloud relay (files on vendor servers) | Direct P2P (no cloud) |
| Privacy | Files transit through third-party infrastructure | E2E encrypted, no intermediary |
| File size limit | No limit | No limit |
| TPN compliance | Yes (some services) | No |
| Watch folders | Built-in | AI agents via MCP (more flexible) |
| Async transfers | Built-in (cloud stores files) | Requires headless server |
| AI automation | Limited | 43 MCP tools for AI agents |
| Network resilience | Standard cloud upload | Satellite-grade protocol |
When This Fits / When It Doesn't
Good fit
- →Freelancers and studios where per-GB fees eat into margins
- →High-volume transfers (10TB+ per month) where costs compound
- →Privacy-conscious workflows (E2E encrypted, no cloud servers)
- →Teams that want AI-powered file automation
- →Unreliable or high-latency networks (satellite-grade protocol)
Not the right fit
- →Contracts that require TPN compliance for major studio delivery
- →Workflows that depend on built-in watch folders (Handrive uses AI agents instead)
- →Need for browser-based uploads from external contributors without software install
- →Native integrations with cloud review platforms or MAM systems
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Handrive really free with no per-GB fees?
Yes. Handrive is completely free with no per-GB fees, no subscriptions, and no seat limits. P2P architecture means no server costs to pass on to users. Transfer 100GB or 100TB — it costs nothing.
Why do cloud transfer services charge per-GB?
Cloud relay services route your files through their server infrastructure, which incurs bandwidth and storage costs. Those costs get passed to you as per-GB fees. Handrive transfers files directly between devices, eliminating the middleman and the cost entirely.
Can Handrive handle the same file sizes as paid services?
Yes. Handrive has no file size limits. Its satellite-grade protocol is designed for extreme conditions and handles large files reliably, whether it's a 500GB DPX sequence or a multi-terabyte dataset.
What about async transfers? Cloud services let me upload and forget.
Handrive requires both parties to be online for direct P2P transfer. For async workflows, run Handrive in headless mode on a NAS or server — it provides 24/7 availability like cloud storage, but without the per-GB fees.
Does Handrive have TPN compliance for studio delivery?
TPN certifies how cloud services store and handle your content. Handrive doesn't store your content — it transfers directly between you and your collaborator via E2E encrypted P2P. There's nothing to certify because there's no third-party data handling. Your content never touches our servers.
How do watch folders work in Handrive?
Handrive doesn't have built-in watch folders, but offers something more powerful: 43 MCP tools for AI agents. An AI agent can monitor folders, create shares, organize files, and manage permissions with context-aware intelligence that rigid watch folders can't match.
Ready to stop paying per-GB?
Download Handrive for free and transfer unlimited files. No credit card. No sign-up. Just download and go.
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