Firefox Send alternatives are more important than ever since Mozilla discontinued the beloved encrypted file sharing service in 2020. Firefox Send offered something rare: genuinely private file sharing with client-side encryption, no accounts required, and automatic deletion. This guide explores modern alternatives that carry forward Send’s privacy-first philosophy while adding new features Mozilla never built.
Why Firefox Send Mattered
Mozilla launched Firefox Send in 2019 as a privacy-respecting alternative to services like WeTransfer and Dropbox. Its core features made it special:
End-to-end encryption: Files were encrypted in your browser before upload. The encryption key lived in the URL fragment (the part after #) and never reached Mozilla’s servers. Only people with the complete URL could decrypt files.
No accounts required: Upload without signing in. No email, no password, no tracking profile.
Self-destructing links: Files automatically deleted after expiry (up to 7 days) or after a set number of downloads.
Open source: The entire codebase was public on GitHub, allowing security researchers to verify Mozilla’s privacy claims.
Mozilla shut down Send after it became a vector for malware distribution. Attackers abused the service’s privacy features to share malicious files that antivirus couldn’t scan (because they were encrypted). Mozilla couldn’t build adequate abuse controls without compromising the privacy model.
The good news: Send’s core ideas survive in multiple alternatives, some with even better features.
The Best Firefox Send Alternatives in 2025
Wormhole: Direct Peer-to-Peer Transfers
Wormhole (wormhole.app) takes Send’s privacy model further by removing servers entirely from the file transfer process.
How it works:
- Upload files in your browser
- Get shareable link
- When recipient opens link, direct peer-to-peer connection established
- Files transfer directly between browsers
- Nothing stored on servers
Key features:
- End-to-end encryption (ChaCha20-Poly1305)
- Peer-to-peer WebRTC transfers
- Up to 10 GB files (free)
- 24-hour link expiry
- No accounts, no storage
- Open source
Limitations:
- Both parties must be online simultaneously (at least initially)
- Slower speeds than server-based transfers for some connections
- No long-term link persistence
Best for: Maximum privacy paranoia, very large files, when you trust P2P more than any server.
FileGrab: Encrypted Links with Long-Term Hosting
FileGrab brings Firefox Send’s encryption to a modern file sharing platform with features Send never had.
How it works:
- Create encrypted link (encryption key generated in browser)
- Files encrypted client-side with AES-256-GCM
- Encrypted files uploaded to Cloudflare R2
- Encryption key stored in URL fragment (#key), never sent to server
- Recipients download encrypted files, decrypt in browser
Key features:
- End-to-end encryption (Pro plan)
- Collaborative encrypted links (multiple people can upload)
- Forever links option (Pro)
- Real-time file syncing
- Password protection layer (Pro)
- No ads on any tier
- 100 MB free, 10 GB Pro ($10/mo)
Why it improves on Send:
- Collaboration: Multiple people can upload to encrypted links
- Persistence: Links can stay active beyond 7 days
- Password + encryption: Two layers of protection
- Real-time updates: Recipients see new files without refreshing
Best for: Teams sharing encrypted files, long-term encrypted hosting, replacing Send workflows with more features.
Bitwarden Send: From the Password Manager
Bitwarden, the open-source password manager, built their own Send feature (named as a tribute to Firefox Send).
How it works:
- Upload files or text through Bitwarden app/extension
- Content encrypted with user’s Bitwarden key
- Get shareable link
- Optional password protection and expiry
Key features:
- End-to-end encryption
- Text and file sharing
- Deletion after date or access count
- Password protection
- Free with Bitwarden account
- Open source
Limitations:
- Requires Bitwarden account (free)
- 100 MB file limit (free), 500 MB (Premium $10/year)
- Interface less focused than dedicated sharing tools
Best for: Existing Bitwarden users, sharing passwords/notes securely, small files.
Tresorit Send: Business-Grade Privacy
Tresorit offers enterprise-level encrypted file sharing with Swiss privacy laws and zero-knowledge architecture.
Key features:
- End-to-end encryption
- Swiss data protection
- Up to 5 GB per Send (free)
- Access controls and permissions
- Audit trails (Business plans)
- Compliance certifications (HIPAA, GDPR)
Limitations:
- Free tier limited compared to competitors
- Full features require Business plan ($20+/user/mo)
- Interface more complex than Send
Best for: Businesses requiring compliance, maximum legal protection, regulated industries.
Send (self-hosted): Firefox Send Lives On
The original Firefox Send codebase remains open source. Several hosting providers run public instances, and you can self-host.
Public instances:
- send.vis.ee (hosted in Estonia)
- send.zcyph.cc (experimental)
- Various others (search “Firefox Send instances”)
Self-hosting:
- Full source code available on GitHub
- Requires Node.js, Redis, storage (S3-compatible)
- Docker containers available
Limitations:
- No official support from Mozilla
- Public instances can disappear
- Self-hosting requires technical knowledge
- Abuse controls up to instance operator
Best for: Self-hosters, organizations wanting on-premise encrypted sharing, keeping Send alive.
Feature Comparison
| Service | Max File Size | Expiry Options | E2E Encryption | Open Source | Accounts Required | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firefox Send | 2.5 GB | 1-7 days, download limits | Yes | Yes | No | Free (discontinued) |
| Wormhole | 10 GB | 24 hours | Yes (P2P) | Yes | No | Free |
| FileGrab | 2 GB (Pro) | 7 days - Forever | Yes (Pro) | No | No | $10/mo Pro |
| Bitwarden Send | 500 MB | Custom | Yes | Yes | Yes | $10/year Premium |
| Tresorit Send | 5 GB | Custom | Yes | No | Yes (free tier) | $20+/mo Business |
| Self-hosted Send | Configurable | 1-7 days | Yes | Yes | No | Free (self-host) |
Privacy and Security Deep Dive
What “End-to-End” Really Means
True end-to-end encryption means:
- Encryption happens in your browser (client-side)
- Server receives already-encrypted data
- Decryption key never sent to server
- Only recipient with full URL can decrypt
All these services do this correctly. Some (WeTransfer, Dropbox) encrypt files but the service can decrypt them. That’s “encryption at rest,” not end-to-end.
URL Fragment Security
Firefox Send pioneered storing the encryption key in the URL fragment (after #). This works because:
- Fragments don’t get sent to servers in HTTP requests
- They’re not logged in server access logs
- They don’t appear in referrer headers
- They stay in the browser
Example:
https://filegrab.link/ABC123#encryption-key-here
The server sees ABC123 but never sees what comes after #. Only the browser knows the full URL.
Caveat: URL fragments do appear in browser history. If someone has access to your computer, they could potentially see encrypted link keys. This is why download-count limits matter.
Wormhole’s P2P Advantage
Wormhole takes a different approach: no server storage at all. Files transfer directly between browsers via WebRTC. The server only:
- Brokers initial connection between peers
- Handles encryption key exchange (still not seeing decrypted data)
- Provides web interface
This means:
- No server ever has your encrypted files
- No storage to subpoena
- No data retention
The tradeoff: both parties must be online. For Send-style “upload and forget,” server storage is necessary.
Use Case Guide
Replace Firefox Send for One-Off Sharing
Best option: Wormhole
Why: Closest to Send’s UX, no accounts, generous 10 GB limit, maximum privacy via P2P.
Encrypted Team Collaboration
Best option: FileGrab (Pro)
Why: Only service with collaborative encrypted links. Multiple team members can upload to one encrypted link.
Business/Compliance Requirements
Best option: Tresorit Send
Why: Swiss privacy laws, compliance certifications, audit trails, support contracts.
Password Manager Users
Best option: Bitwarden Send
Why: Already integrated into your workflow, great for sharing passwords/notes along with files.
Self-Hosters
Best option: Self-hosted Firefox Send or Nextcloud
Why: Complete control, on-premise, no third parties.
Common Questions
Can encrypted file sharing be truly private?
Yes, but you must trust:
- The encryption implementation (audited code helps)
- Your browser isn’t compromised
- Recipient won’t share the link
- Service doesn’t have browser-level backdoors
Open-source solutions (Wormhole, Bitwarden Send, self-hosted Send) are more auditable than closed-source.
Why not just password-protect a ZIP file?
ZIP encryption (AES-256) is solid, but:
- You still need to share the password separately (same problem)
- Recipients need to know how to extract ZIPs
- No automatic deletion or access controls
- File-sharing service can see filenames
Proper E2E sharing encrypts everything, including metadata.
What happened to other Send alternatives?
Many Firefox Send alternatives launched after Mozilla’s shutdown:
- FileSend (offline)
- ShareDrop (pivoted to P2P only, no encryption)
- Snapdrop (local network only)
- Various forks (most abandoned)
The services in this guide are actively maintained as of 2025.
The Future of Private File Sharing
Firefox Send proved demand exists for privacy-respecting file sharing. Its shutdown taught the industry that abuse controls and privacy can’t be an either/or choice.
Modern alternatives add features Send never had:
- Collaboration (FileGrab)
- Business controls (Tresorit)
- P2P efficiency (Wormhole)
- Integration with other tools (Bitwarden)
The best Send replacement depends on your priorities: maximum privacy (Wormhole), collaboration (FileGrab), compliance (Tresorit), or simplicity (self-hosted Send).
Try End-to-End Encrypted Sharing
FileGrab brings Firefox Send’s privacy model to collaborative file sharing. Create encrypted links where multiple people can upload, with real-time syncing and forever link options. Try it free at filegrab.link and experience client-side encrypted sharing with features Send never had.