- Built in C++
- The core engine is native C++, giving PhotonFile direct control over streaming I/O, memory lifecycle, and how bytes move through the system. There is no interpreter or heavyweight application framework between your file and the wire.
- Live relay, short-lived state
- Relay streams encrypted chunks from sender to receiver while both sides are connected. It is designed for real-time forwarding, not stored delivery, background queues, or retained transfer buckets.
- Vault is persistence by choice
- Vault is the private cloud-drive path for everything you keep. Its isolated Vaults let you choose the privacy boundaries for personal, work, project, client, and shared data; capacity is governed by how much you keep rather than transfer size.
- Performance narrows the exposure window
- Relay I/O is tuned for sustained, multi-gigabyte throughput. Faster completion means transfers spend less time in flight, with fewer moving parts between sender and receiver.
- Why we use relays instead of WebRTC
-
WebRTC is excellent for real-time audio and video, but
PhotonFile uses purpose-built relays for file transfer.
- Predictable connections. Relay traffic follows a single controlled path instead of negotiating many peer-to-peer candidates.
- No peer IP exchange. Sender and receiver do not need to expose network addresses to each other.
- Large-transfer tuning. PhotonFile relays are built for sustained file streams, not generic media sessions.
- Broad network compatibility. HTTPS and WSS work more reliably across corporate networks, firewalls, and mobile carriers.
The result is a consistent, private, high-throughput path designed specifically for moving files.
- Client-side encryption by default
-
PhotonFile applies a client-side encryption layer on top of
TLS before a file reaches the relay. Users can turn this layer
off for extra browser compatibility.
- A random symmetric key is generated per transfer with the browser's Web Crypto API.
- File chunks are encrypted with AES-GCM before upload, so relays only see ciphertext.
-
The key is kept in the link fragment (
#...), outside HTTP requests and server logs.
Anyone with the full link can decrypt in their browser. Without the key material, relay traffic is not useful on its own.
- Engineered to forget
- Relay minimizes surface area and lifetime: live transfer, short-lived state, no retained plaintext files, and no server-side decryption keys for client-side encrypted transfers. Vault is the opposite path: a private cloud drive for the complete file collection you choose to keep.
- What we don't publish
- For security and competitive reasons, we do not publish internal network layout, server images, or detailed deployment maps. This page focuses on product behavior: Relay is short-lived by default, Vault is a private cloud drive by choice, and client-side encrypted transfers do not leave server-side keys to recover.
Public product overview for a private cloud drive with isolated Vaults, sharing, versioning, and Vault Intake.
Public technical security overview covering client-side encryption, vault isolation, scoped sharing, and post-quantum-ready key management.
Want the transfer comparison? View the comparison or read the FAQ.