Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Handrive is completely free — no per-GB fees, no subscriptions, no seat limits. Because files transfer directly between devices (P2P), there are no server costs to pass on to users.

No. Files transfer directly between devices with end-to-end encryption. Your data never touches a third-party server. There is no cloud storage, no relay server, and no way for anyone — including Handrive — to access your files.

Handrive uses a peer-to-peer (P2P) transfer protocol. When you share files, they go directly from your device to the recipient's device. NAT traversal technology handles firewalls automatically. The only server involved is a lightweight signaling server that helps devices find each other — it never sees your files.

Yes. There are no file size limits. Handrive can transfer a single 100GB video file, a million small files, or anything in between. The satellite-grade protocol handles large transfers reliably with resumable progress.

Both. Handrive works over any network — local Wi-Fi, the internet, VPNs, or even satellite links. The protocol is latency-independent and packet-loss tolerant, so it maintains full speed regardless of network conditions or distance.

Yes. All transfers are end-to-end encrypted — files are encrypted on your device before they leave, and only the intended recipient can decrypt them. No intermediary, including Handrive's servers, can access your data.

Handrive is available on macOS (Universal — Intel and Apple Silicon), Windows (64-bit), and Linux (headless mode for servers and NAS devices, with desktop GUI coming soon). Linux headless supports both x64 and ARM64 (Raspberry Pi 4+).

Windows doesn't allow certain characters in filenames (: < > " | ? *) that are valid on macOS and Linux. When syncing files with these characters, Handrive automatically encodes them (e.g., file:name.txt becomes file%3Aname.txt on disk). The original name displays correctly inside the Handrive app — the encoding only affects how the file appears in Windows Explorer. This ensures cross-platform compatibility without losing any files.

Google Drive and Dropbox store your files on their cloud servers. Handrive never stores files anywhere — they transfer directly between devices. This means: zero storage fees, no upload/download wait times for cloud sync, complete privacy (no one else has your files), and no dependency on a third-party service.

For direct P2P transfers, yes — both devices need to be running Handrive. However, you can run Handrive in headless mode on a NAS or Linux server for always-on availability. This means files are accessible 24/7 without requiring your personal device to be online.

Headless mode lets you run Handrive on a server or NAS without a graphical interface. It exposes a REST API and 43 MCP tools for AI automation. This is ideal for studios, teams, and AI workflows that need always-on file availability.

Yes. Handrive includes a 43-tool MCP (Model Context Protocol) server and a REST API. AI assistants like Claude can fully automate file workflows — monitoring shares, triggering transfers, managing permissions, organizing files, and more.

Paid transfer services charge per-GB fees or annual subscriptions and route files through cloud servers. Handrive is free and transfers files directly between devices with end-to-end encryption. Paid tools may offer TPN compliance and built-in watch folders; Handrive offers AI-native automation via 43 MCP tools and zero cost at any scale.