Free Dropbox alternative: 7 free plans compared (2026)
Seven free Dropbox alternatives compared by storage, biggest file and client sharing, with one real limit for each tool.
Looking for a free Dropbox alternative? Tarkle Free gives one person 5 GB of storage, uploads of up to 1 GB each, file requests, password-protected links and a custom domain. Dropbox Basic gives you 2 GB to store and share your files (Dropbox plans), so Google Drive, OneDrive and Proton Drive all give you more room to start with.
Best for sending files to clients from your own domain: Tarkle Free, if one person and 1 GB per file is enough.
Best for the most free storage in this table: Google Drive, if you accept the pool it shares with Gmail and Google Photos.
Best for links with a password and an expiry date: Proton Drive.
Best for clients who already use Dropbox: Dropbox Basic, if 2 GB is enough.
We make Tarkle, so read this as one vendor's view, and check the sources. Every competitor number below comes from the vendor's own pages, linked next to the claim, and carries the month we read it.
Last checked: November 2026.
How to choose a free Dropbox alternative
A free plan has three numbers that matter to a freelancer or a small business: how much storage you get, how big one file can be, and what the person on the other end of a link can do. A tool with plenty of storage is no help if clients cannot open your links without creating an account, and a tool with a clean sharing page is no help if your project files are bigger than the cap.
So we compared the same four things for each tool: free storage, the biggest file, how client sharing works on the free plan, and one limit worth knowing before you move. Where a vendor's own page does not state a number, the table shows "Not listed here" instead of guessing.
Free plans at a glance
All competitor figures are as published in November 2026 on the pages linked in the next section.
Tool | Free storage | Biggest file | Client sharing on free | A limit to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Tarkle Free | 5 GB | 1 GB per file | Recipients open or download without a Tarkle account; passwords | One person, one workspace, Powered by Tarkle always shows |
Dropbox Basic | 2 GB | 2 GB per transfer | Transfer link, no Dropbox account needed | Transfers expire after 7 days |
Google Drive | 15 GB, shared with Gmail and Google Photos | Not listed here | Not listed here | Storage is shared with Gmail and Google Photos |
OneDrive | 5 GB, shared with Outlook and Microsoft 365 apps | Not listed here | Not listed here | Outlook attachments use the same allowance |
pCloud | Free plan | Not listed here | Shared links | 50 GB of shared link traffic a month on Basic |
MEGA | Free plan | Not listed here | Password links are on paid plans | Limited transfer on the free plan |
Proton Drive | 5 GB, photos and documents included | Any size or type, per Proton | Public links with passwords and expiry dates | Photos and documents use the same 5 GB |
The free plans, one by one
Tarkle Free: built for sending files to clients
Tarkle Free is $0 forever, with no credit card required. It includes 1 workspace, 5 GB of storage and uploads of up to 1 GB each. Recipients can open or download shared files without creating a Tarkle account. You can also protect shared files with passwords, and use a custom domain with branding. Clients can send you files through file requests. Free also includes client feedback and approval.
Recipients need no account to download, and you can share files by link to send them one.
On Free, the Powered by Tarkle line stays on your pages. Pro can switch it off, and Agency can replace it with its own brand.
Free is for one person. Uploads are capped at 1 GB each, and deleted items stay in the recovery bin for 30 days. The client portal is listed under Pro and Agency, not Free.
Before you pick any plan, sort your Dropbox folder by size. If most client deliveries are under 1 GB, Tarkle Free covers them. If you send raw video or large design files, check the biggest-file column first.
Dropbox Basic: the baseline
Dropbox Transfer sends files of up to 2 GB on Basic (Dropbox Transfer help). The recipient doesn’t need a Dropbox account to access or download a transfer. On Basic a transfer expires after 7 days. Stay with Dropbox if your clients already use it and 2 GB is enough.
Google Drive: 15 GB, shared with Gmail
Google gives you up to 15 GB of cloud storage at no charge (Google Drive help). That space is shared across Google Drive, Gmail and Google Photos, so a full inbox or a photo backup uses the space you wanted for client files. Drive is a good fit if your team already works in Google accounts. Before you rely on password or expiry links for a client, check Google's sharing settings for your account.
OneDrive: 5 GB, shared with Outlook
You get 5 GB of free cloud storage with your Microsoft account, shared across your files and photos in OneDrive, attachments in Outlook.com, and Microsoft 365 apps (Microsoft storage FAQ). A busy inbox leaves less room for client files.
pCloud: free plan with a shared-link traffic limit
pCloud's free Basic plan includes 50 GB of shared link traffic a month (pCloud help). Past that limit, only paid pCloud users can access and download from your links, and free visitors see a message indicating the traffic limit has been exceeded. A video that many clients download can reach that limit quickly. Tarkle also has direct download links, which start the download the moment someone opens the link. You can compare pCloud's plans on its pricing page.
MEGA: free plan with a limited transfer
MEGA's free plan includes limited transfer (MEGA storage). Password-protected links and links with expiry dates are listed under MEGA's paid plans, under "Everything in MEGA free, plus:", so check what a free link can do before you send it to a client.
Proton Drive: 5 GB, with password-protected links
Proton Drive's free plan includes 5 GB of storage, photos and documents (Proton Drive pricing). Proton says you can set your own rules with passwords, expiration dates on the files you share, and that you can send files of any size or type with confidence. Your photos and documents count toward the same 5 GB.
Where Tarkle Free stops and what the paid plans add
When you need more storage, teammates or a client portal, the paid plans are Pro and Agency. Pro is $29 a month, or $19 a month billed yearly ($228 a year). It adds 3 TB of cloud storage and uploads of up to 200 GB. It also adds 2 workspaces, unlimited team members, file versioning, 90-day file recovery and a fully branded client portal.
Agency is $59 a month, or $49 a month billed yearly ($588 a year). It includes everything in Pro, plus 20 workspaces for your clients, 6 TB of cloud storage and a 100% white-label platform. On Agency, the Powered by Tarkle line can be replaced with your agency's own brand. The latest prices are on the pricing page.
Which free plan fits which job
You send files to clients from your own domain: Tarkle Free, if one person and 1 GB per file is enough.
You need links with a password and an expiry date: Proton Drive.
You need the most free storage in this table: Google Drive, if you accept the pool it shares with Gmail and Google Photos.
Your clients live in Microsoft: OneDrive, if its 5 GB shared with Outlook is enough.
Your clients already use Dropbox and 2 GB is enough: stay on Dropbox Basic.
Several people work on the same client files: Pro and Agency include unlimited team members. Free is for one person.
Moving files off Dropbox
You do not have to download everything first. Tarkle's pricing page lists "Import file from Dropbox or Google Drive" on Free. Connect Dropbox, pick a file, and Tarkle copies it into your library.
Move one active client project first and send that client a link from the new tool. If it works for them, move the rest. Keep your Dropbox account until every shared link you sent has been replaced.
What to remember about Tarkle
Tarkle Free is $0 forever, with no credit card required. It gives one person 5 GB, uploads of up to 1 GB each, file requests, password-protected links and a custom domain. Recipients can open shared files without a Tarkle account. Pro and Agency include unlimited team members. Pro and Agency also add a branded client portal, and Agency adds a 100% white-label platform. Start for free and test it with one real client file.