FileTransfer.io is a classic upload-and-link service: your files go up to their servers, sit there for up to 21 days, and the other person downloads them from a link — up to 6 GB and 50 downloads on the free tier. That model is genuinely useful when the receiver isn't around. But if both of you are online right now, uploading a file to an Estonian server just to download it again is a detour. Beamaroo skips the middle entirely: files stream straight from your device to theirs over an encrypted peer-to-peer connection, verified with a one-time pairing code, confirmed with a delivery receipt — and nothing is ever uploaded or stored anywhere.
Beamaroo vs FileTransfer.io
An honest, side-by-side look — including where they beat us.
| Feature | Beamaroo | FileTransfer.io |
|---|---|---|
| Files uploaded to or stored on a server | Never — the server only introduces the two devices | Yes — files are uploaded and kept for up to 21 days |
| File size limit | No fixed limit — very large multi-GB transfers constrained by tab memory today (stream-to-disk planned) | 6 GB free; more on a paid plan |
| Download / usage caps | None — one beam, one receiver, no quotas | Up to 50 downloads per package; daily package limits, IP-based enforcement |
| End-to-end encryption | Yes — DTLS on every transfer, always | No end-to-end encryption claim published on its site |
| Could change terms to scan or AI-train on your files | Impossible by design — files never reach a server | Files sit on their servers for up to 21 days, so policy is what protects them |
| Account to send or receive | None | None for basic sends; login and paid plan for more |
| Verified-delivery receipt | Yes — receiving device hash-checks files, confirms back to sender | No — a link is live, but you don't get verified proof of arrival |
| Receiver can download later (async) | No — both devices online at the same time | Yes — up to 21 days, a genuine advantage |
| One link, many downloaders | No — a single paired one-to-one beam | Yes — up to 50 downloads of one package |
| Cost | Free | Free tier with caps; paid plans lift them |
FileTransfer.io (run by Estonia's LMWR Technology OÜ) does what it says: park a package on their servers, share a link, receiver grabs it within 21 days. People go looking for an alternative for three reasons — the 6 GB free cap, the quota walls (download counts, daily package limits, IP enforcement), and the simple fact that private files spend three weeks on a stranger's server.
Beamaroo removes the storage question instead of answering it. There's nothing to cap because there's no upload; there's no retention policy because there's no copy. The two browsers connect directly over WebRTC, encrypted end-to-end with DTLS, and the file exists in exactly two places: your device and theirs.
The trade is honest and worth knowing: because nothing is stored, both devices must be online at the same time, and one beam serves one receiver. If you need a link that fifty people can download over three weeks, an upload service is the right shape. If you need one file to reach one person, now, with proof it landed — that's the beam.
Delivery receipt built in — you'll know it landed
Every file is hash-checked on the receiving device over an encrypted WebRTC connection (DTLS), and the confirmation beams back to you: “Delivered — verified on their device.” Like a boomerang, it comes back. Most tools say “sent” the moment a file leaves your hands; Beamaroo waits until it's proven to arrive.
A verified pairing code, not a shareable link
A share link works for anyone who gets it. A Beamaroo verified pairing code cryptographically checks you're connected to the right device — and the channel burns after one wrong guess, so a leaked or mistyped code can't quietly reach the wrong person.
When to choose FileTransfer.io instead
FileTransfer.io is the better choice when the receiver isn't online right now — park the files and they can download any time within 21 days, while Beamaroo needs both devices connected at once. It also wins for one-to-many distribution: a single package link serves up to 50 downloads, where Beamaroo is one paired beam to one receiver. And if you want the sender to be able to close the laptop the moment the upload finishes, an upload-and-link service is built for exactly that.
Questions
Is Beamaroo a drop-in replacement for FileTransfer.io?
For live one-to-one sends, yes — and with no 6 GB cap, no download quotas and no account. The difference: Beamaroo is peer-to-peer, so both devices need to be online at the same time. FileTransfer.io wins when the receiver will pick the files up later or many people need the same link.
Does Beamaroo really have no file size limit?
There's no fixed cap — nothing is uploaded, so there's no server quota to hit. The honest caveat: today, received files are held in the browser tab's memory before saving, so very large multi-gigabyte transfers can strain the receiving device. Stream-to-disk is planned. For anything under a few GB it's quick and reliable.
Are my files encrypted?
Yes — every Beamaroo transfer is end-to-end encrypted with DTLS, the pairing is verified with a one-time code, and delivery is confirmed with a hash check on the receiving device. FileTransfer.io publishes no end-to-end encryption claim for stored packages on its site.
What happens to my files after I send them?
Nothing — because they never left your two devices. There's no server copy to expire, delete, or worry about. With upload services, your files sit on infrastructure you don't control (21 days in FileTransfer.io's case), protected by policy rather than by design.
Can several people download my files like a FileTransfer.io link?
No — a Beamaroo beam is one sender to one receiver, verified with a pairing code. That's a deliberate privacy property, not a missing feature: no link exists that could be forwarded, scraped, or opened by the wrong person. If you genuinely need one-to-many, an upload service fits better.
Do I need an account or a paid plan?
No account, no tiers, no daily package limits — Beamaroo is free. FileTransfer.io's free tier caps size at 6 GB and enforces download and daily-package quotas, with paid plans to lift them.