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PhotonFile

Plans

Relay is for moving files live. Vault is for keeping files securely. This page shows how the current PhotonFile plan families fit together.

Ephemeral by default. Persistent by choice.

Choose by intent

Start with the product model that matches what you want to happen to the file.

Relay plans Vault plans File Passes
Need live delivery

Choose a Relay plan when both sides are online and you want PhotonFile's live, encrypted relay.

Need persistent encrypted storage

Choose a Vault plan when you want to keep files, organize them into vaults, share selectively, or collect uploads.

Relay plans

All Relay plans use the same live, in-memory relay architecture. The main differences are scale, concurrency, queue priority, collaboration, and resume behavior.

Feature Lite Pro Studio
Intended use Daily, frequent transfers Team workflows and large projects Production and high-throughput workflows
Monthly relay bandwidth 250 GiB 1 TiB 3 TiB
Max file size 250 GiB 400 GiB 400 GiB
Concurrent uploads (shared) 1 Up to 3 10+
Queue priority Standard Priority Never queued
Teams (count) — 1 team Unlimited teams
Team members (per team) — Up to 25 Unlimited
Desktop app Download desktop app Lite mode available Pro+ mode available Pro+ mode available
Resume support Session-based Durable Durable
Vault included Yes, 50 GiB Yes, 150 GiB Yes, 350 GiB

Vault plans

Photon Vault is persistent encrypted storage for files you want to keep. It starts free, expands with eligible Relay subscriptions, or can be purchased as a standalone offering.

Secure inboxes and Desktop Vault Sync are included with Relay Pro, Relay Studio, and Vault Standalone.

Vault Free

Included

$0 / month

Available to every PhotonFile account.

Vaults 1 included
Storage Up to 3 GiB
Cleanup window 3 days
Secure inboxes Not included
Desktop Vault Sync Not included

Best for trying Vault or keeping a small amount of encrypted storage without a subscription.

Vault for Relay subscribers

Best fit

$0 base / month

Available with an active Relay Lite, Pro, or Studio subscription.

Relay Lite
Vault included
50 GiB
No secure inboxes or Vault Sync
Relay Pro
Vault included
150 GiB
Secure inboxes + Vault Sync
Relay Studio
Vault included
350 GiB
Secure inboxes + Vault Sync
Additional storage $0.04 / GiB-month

Best for Relay subscribers who want Vault included with storage by plan, plus secure inboxes and Desktop Vault Sync on Pro or Studio.

Vault Standalone

Standalone

$9.99 / month

Full Vault access without needing a Relay subscription first.

Included storage 350 GiB
Secure inboxes Included
Desktop Vault Sync Included
Additional storage $0.04 / GiB-month
Access Full Vault features

Best for users who want persistent encrypted storage, secure intake, desktop sync, and full Vault access without a Relay subscription.

Feature Vault Free Vault with Relay Vault Standalone
Monthly price $0 $0 base with Relay $9.99 / month
Included storage Up to 3 GiB 50 GiB, 150 GiB, or 350 GiB by Relay plan 350 GiB
Vault count 1 vault Unlimited vaults Full Vault access
Secure inboxes No Lite: No
Pro and Studio: Yes		 Yes
Desktop Vault Sync No Lite: No
Pro and Studio: Yes		 Yes
Cleanup window 3 days Persistent storage Persistent storage
Additional storage Not applicable $0.04 / GiB-month $0.04 / GiB-month

Vault storage by plan

Free

1 vault and up to 3 GiB. Files are automatically marked for deletion after 3 days. Secure inboxes and Vault Sync are not included.

Relay Lite

Includes 50 GiB across unlimited vaults. Secure inboxes are not included, and Vault Sync is not included.

Relay Pro

Includes 150 GiB, secure inboxes, and Desktop Vault Sync.

Relay Studio / Vault Standalone

Includes 350 GiB and full Vault access, including secure inboxes and Desktop Vault Sync.

Vault storage is billed over time at $0.04/GiB-month once you go beyond the included amount for your plan. Charges are based on the average amount stored during the billing period, not just month-end usage.

Vault storage is based on stored capacity. Large retained files count toward included storage or overage instead of being handled as Relay transfer tiers.

About resume support

Resume behavior depends on both your plan and the environment used for the transfer.

Session-based resumes allow transfers to continue through temporary disconnects while the relay session remains active. This is ideal for quick interruptions like network drops or tab suspensions.

Durable resumes persist transfer progress and use heroic measures to continue transfers across disconnects and client restarts in supported environments. Browser-based transfers resume on a best-effort basis.

Teams without the per-seat tax

Most collaboration platforms charge more every time work involves another person. PhotonFile does not turn every collaborator into another seat inside eligible team workspaces.

A team is a shared workspace where members operate under the team owner's entitlements while working inside that team. The owner's plan determines capabilities like concurrency, priority, and durable resume behavior.

There is no per-seat billing. You can invite teammates, contractors, or collaborators without your cost increasing for every additional person.

For contractor access, read the Teams guide for owner-powered team workspaces and Vault-by-Vault access.

  • • Team members inherit the owner's plan benefits while working in that team
  • • The team owner is the only paid account required for team benefits
  • • Members can still use PhotonFile outside the team under their own limits
  • • Creating teams is reserved for eligible plans, but joining a team does not require an upgrade
Team limits by plan
  • Pro: 1 team up to 25 members
  • Studio: unlimited teams and unlimited members

Teams are a collaboration feature, not a meter running in the background.

Desktop app access

PhotonFile provides a single native desktop app that adapts to your entitlements. Use it for the same secure send, receive, and Vault workflows in a richer desktop surface with added capabilities.

Desktop sync is Vault-scoped, so separate clients, projects, teams, or sensitivity levels can stay mapped to separate local folders.

Download desktop app

File Passes

File Passes are per-file purchases designed for occasional large transfers. They provide full priority and reusability for the specific file size purchased, without requiring a subscription.

File Passes and Relay plans are transfer workflows with transfer-size rules. Photon Vault is the storage workflow for files that should stay encrypted and available.

File Passes are completion-gated: incomplete transfers do not consume the pass.

Using File Passes with subscriptions

File Passes can be used alongside any subscription to send files that exceed your plan's per-file size limit.

This lets you stay on the right subscription tier for your regular workflow while still handling occasional oversized transfers without upgrading.

Queue priority and routing

Queue priority determines how transfers are admitted and routed when relay capacity is constrained.

Standard priority transfers may be queued during periods of high demand. This ensures fair access across all users while protecting overall system stability.

Priority transfers are admitted ahead of standard traffic and are less likely to be queued during peak usage.

Never queued transfers are admitted immediately and are not placed behind other traffic. Studio plans are designed to avoid queueing even during periods of high demand, making them suitable for production and time-critical workflows.

Queue priority affects admission and routing order, not file inspection or data handling. All transfers use the same encrypted, in-memory relay architecture.

View pricing Vault overview