Not every file product is solving the same problem. Some are built for live delivery, some for persistent encrypted storage, and some for stored pickup later. PhotonFile includes both Relay and Vault, so the right choice depends on what you want to happen after the file is sent.
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.
Best when files need to remain available after upload, when you need to receive files safely from outside users, or when the workflow is upload now and access later. Photon Vault is client-side encrypted storage built for long-term retention, collaboration, scoped sharing, versioning, and Secure Inbox.
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 adding persistent encrypted storage.
| 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. |
| Files need to stay available after upload | Photon Vault | Persistent client-side encrypted storage with sharing, versioning, and secure inboxes. |
| Someone needs to upload now and the recipient or team can review or download later from an encrypted destination | Photon Vault | Vault supports async handoff without reducing the workflow to a generic stored transfer page. |
| Recipient will pick up a stored copy later from a hosted link or encrypted destination | Photon Vault | Vault fully supports upload-now, download-later workflows while adding persistent encrypted storage, sharing, and access control. |
| Need stronger privacy over who can decrypt stored files | Photon Vault | Encryption happens on the client before upload and authorized clients decrypt later. |
| Need to safely collect uploads from outside users | Photon Vault | Secure Inbox isolates inbound uploads from existing vault contents. |
What matters most is what happens to the file after upload. Relay is built for live delivery when both sides are online. Vault is built for the broader platform job: secure intake, async handoff, controlled sharing, and long-term encrypted storage. Traditional stored-delivery tools are just one version of that workflow.
Choose the outcome you need: live delivery with Relay, or Vault for upload-now access-later, receiving files, sharing securely, and persistent encrypted storage in one system.
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 persistent encrypted storage.
