Privacy & Architecture
Sharing files without using the cloud (long term)
Cloud storage is convenient, but it is not the only way to share files. In this article we explore how you can share files without using the cloud in the long term, using a mix of local storage, private P2P file sharing and simple habits that keep you in control of your data while still letting you transfer files quickly and send files secure.
Why some people want a no‑cloud workflow
Cloud platforms have made it trivially easy to sync and back up data, but they also raise important questions. Who can access your files? What happens if a provider changes their terms or suffers a breach? For journalists, researchers, healthcare professionals and privacy‑conscious individuals, trusting every document to a third‑party account may feel uncomfortable or even impossible for regulatory reasons.
Even for everyday users, storing everything in the cloud can create a sense of dependency. If a subscription lapses or an account is locked, access to critical data might suddenly disappear. That is why many people look for long‑term strategies that combine the convenience of modern tools with the control of local storage. Private file sharing based on P2P is a natural ally in this effort.
Understanding what “without the cloud” really means
In practice it is difficult to avoid every cloud‑based component on the modern internet. DNS resolvers, routing infrastructure and even software updates often rely on remote services. When we talk about sharing files without using the cloud, we are not claiming that no remote server ever sees a single packet. Instead, we aim to avoid storing file contents on long‑term cloud storage controlled by third parties.
With Free Transfer, this is exactly how P2P sessions work. The signalling server helps browsers discover each other, but the actual file data travels directly between peers using an encrypted WebRTC channel. No permanent copy of your files lives on our infrastructure. As soon as both sides close their tabs, the connection disappears and there is nothing left to retrieve.
Building a long‑term no‑cloud strategy
If you want to share files without using the cloud in the long term, think of it as a combination of three layers: where your data lives (storage), how it moves (transfer) and how it is protected (security). At the storage layer, you choose devices you control: laptops, external drives or network‑attached storage in your home or office. At the transfer layer, you use P2P tools like Free Transfer to send files directly between those devices and other people’s machines.
At the security layer, you ensure that everything is encrypted in transit and, when reasonable, at rest. For transit encryption, Free Transfer uses WebRTC with DTLS/SRTP under the hood so you can send files secure without configuring VPNs or manual tunnels. For at‑rest protection, you can enable full‑disk encryption on your machines and keep backups in physically separate but still self‑controlled locations.
Using P2P as your default sharing channel
The more consistently you rely on P2P, the less you have to fall back to cloud storage as a transfer mechanism. Instead of uploading to a remote drive every time you want to share files, you open Free Transfer, drop the files in and send the generated link to the recipient. They open it in their browser and the P2P session takes care of the rest.
Because there is no file size limit imposed by the service, you do not have to decide which files are “too big” for this workflow. The same method works for small documents and massive archives. Over time this routine can replace many of the ad‑hoc cloud uploads you might otherwise perform, keeping more of your data on your own disks and fewer copies scattered across third‑party servers.
Planning for availability and backups
A no‑cloud strategy does not mean refusing any form of redundancy. In fact, redundancy is essential. The key difference is that you decide where backup copies live and who controls them. You might keep one encrypted external drive at home and another in a secure location such as a safe deposit box or a trusted family member’s house. Tools like Free Transfer can help you refresh these backups over time by letting you transfer files directly between devices that are not in the same location.
The important point is that none of these backups have to be part of an always‑online cloud account. They can remain offline most of the time, reducing your exposure to remote attacks. When you need to synchronise, you temporarily bring the devices online, use a secure channel to share files and then disconnect again.
Dealing with collaboration and remote work
One of the strongest arguments for cloud storage is easy collaboration. Multiple people can edit or comment on documents at the same time. If your priority is to avoid cloud storage altogether, you may need to revisit how collaboration is done. For many workflows, asynchronous file exchange is enough: one person works on a file, sends it via private file sharing, and the other continues from there.
In this model, Free Transfer acts as a secure, link‑based courier. You do not share a permanent folder; you share concrete file versions. This can even improve clarity, because each transfer represents a deliberate snapshot. Combined with simple version naming or a changelog, teams can coordinate without needing a constant live connection to a cloud drive.
Combining local networks and P2P
If collaborators are on the same local network, you can benefit from both local speed and P2P privacy. Features like Nearby Devices make it easier to discover peers on a LAN without broadcasting sensitive details. Instead of plugging in a USB stick every time you want to move data between machines, you can point both browsers to Free Transfer and let them transfer files directly over the network you control.
This approach reduces the need for ad‑hoc SMB shares or temporary cloud uploads. It also stays within the design constraints of a no‑cloud workflow: you are using the network purely as a transport, not as a place to store long‑term copies.
When limited cloud use still makes sense
For some scenarios, a strict "never touch the cloud" stance can be impractical. Long‑term off‑site backups, for example, are difficult to achieve without some form of remote storage. In those cases, you can still keep your principles by encrypting data client‑side before uploading and by choosing providers that respect strong privacy settings.
The key idea is that cloud storage becomes one tool in a broader toolbox, not the default way to share files with other people. Day‑to‑day collaboration and ad‑hoc sending of files can go through P2P private file sharing, while cloud buckets serve as encrypted safes of last resort rather than constantly updated mirrors of your machines.