Photon Transfer moves files. Photon Vault keeps them. Use Relay for live delivery, then keep your complete file collection in a private cloud drive made of independent Vaults.
Best when both people are online and the goal is delivery, not retention. PhotonFile relays data live through encrypted memory and operates ephemerally by default.
Replace your cloud drive without putting every file behind the same privacy boundary. Store and sync your whole collection in client-side encrypted Vaults, then keep personal, project, client, and team data separate while sharing what belongs together.
A common upload-now, download-later workflow. Photon Vault can handle this too, but traditional transfer tools usually stop at a hosted stored link instead of offering a private cloud drive with isolated Vaults.
PhotonFile separates file movement, intake, storage, desktop sync, team access, billing, and region control instead of collapsing every job into one hosted bucket.
| Workflow | Traditional model | PhotonFile |
|---|---|---|
| Live delivery | Stored pickup link. | Live Relay through encrypted memory. |
| Persistent storage | One broad storage tree and trust boundary. | A private cloud drive divided into isolated Vaults. |
| External intake | Shared-folder workaround risks workspace exposure. | Vault Intake gives ingress-only upload. |
| Desktop sync | Broad synced tree. | Map different local folders and data sets to separate Vaults. |
| Team access | Access can spread too broadly. | Team membership and Vault access are separate. |
| Billing | Per-seat expansion. | Eligible teams run under the owner's plan. |
| Large one-off transfers | Failed attempts may still cost money. | File Pass consumed only after completed delivery. |
| Region control | Region often feels fixed or opaque. | Account Region Move is a documented workflow. |
| Need | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Both users are online and the file should not remain stored by default | PhotonFile Relay | Live, in-memory relay designed for ephemeral delivery. |
| Replace a cloud drive for a complete file collection | Photon Vault | Store and sync everything in client-side encrypted Vaults with sharing, versioning, and Vault Intake. |
| Someone needs to upload now and the recipient or team can review or download later from an encrypted destination | Photon Vault | Vault Intake receives files into the intended Vault without exposing other Vaults or workspace contents. |
| Recipient will pick up a stored copy later from a hosted link or encrypted destination | Photon Vault | Vault supports upload-now, download-later workflows while keeping the destination separate from unrelated data. |
| Need stronger privacy over who can decrypt stored files | Photon Vault | Client-side encryption protects each Vault before upload; separate Vaults keep unrelated data isolated. |
| Need to safely collect uploads from outside users | Photon Vault | Vault Intake isolates inbound uploads from existing vault contents. |
What matters most is what should happen after a file moves. Relay is built for live delivery when both sides are online. Vault is a private cloud drive for the whole collection, with isolated Vaults for secure intake, async handoff, sharing, and sync.
Choose the outcome you need: live delivery with Relay, or Vault for everyday cloud storage with hard privacy boundaries you choose.
In a stored-delivery model, the provider commonly manages the storage layer and retention policy. That may protect the storage media, but it does not automatically mean the provider lacks access to decrypted content.
These pages break down the clearest PhotonFile fit for live delivery, secure intake, async handoff, and a private cloud drive divided into Vaults.