PhotonFile Relay
Live handoff
Best when both sides are online and the goal is immediate handoff, not long-term retention. Relay moves file data live through encrypted memory and operates ephemerally by default.
Photon Transfer moves files. Photon Vault keeps them.
Use Photon Vault as a private cloud drive for your complete file collection, without putting everything behind one privacy boundary. Create client-side encrypted Vaults for personal files, projects, clients, teams, and family data, then sync different folders or data sets into different Vaults.
Hosted transfer links are not a file operations model
- Hosted links are useful for simple sends.
- They are not the same as live delivery when both sides are present.
- They are not the same as a private cloud drive for everything.
- They are not the same as isolated external intake.
- They are not the same as per-Vault desktop sync.
- They are not the same as owner-powered team workspaces.
Photon Vault
Private cloud drive with isolated Vaults
Keep your complete file collection available without handing the service the keys to decrypt it. Each Vault is an independent privacy boundary for the files you want to keep separate.
WeTransfer
Encrypted hosted delivery
Best when the priority is a polished hosted delivery page and familiar recipient pickup. WeTransfer uses transfer and storage encryption, but it is not positioned as zero-knowledge Vault storage.
Encryption model
Private cloud storage starts with client-side encryption.
Photon Vault encrypts files client-side, and PhotonFile does not hold the keys needed to decrypt your Vaults. That privacy foundation lets you use Vault as your everyday cloud drive not only for a few files while Relay and Vault Intake handle the times files need to move.
Compare by workflow
| What you need | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Store a complete collection without one privacy boundary | Photon Vault | Vault encryption is client-side, so PhotonFile does not hold the keys needed to decrypt your files. Separate Vaults keep personal, client, project, and team data isolated. |
| Send immediately while both sides are online | PhotonFile Relay | Live relay is built for immediate handoff without turning every send into stored delivery. |
| Collect uploads without exposing existing content | Vault Intake | Vault Intake is built for inbound intake with access codes, expiration, sender notes, instructions, and a controlled public upload surface. |
| Keep files available after upload, including very large files | Photon Vault | Vault is a private cloud drive for the full collection, not just transfer completion or a small set of documents. |
| Use controlled links and light branding without building a full client portal | Photon Vault | Scoped share links, revocation, expirations, and public share or intake branding cover the practical controls many teams need. |
| Prioritize a branded hosted delivery page with preview-first pickup | WeTransfer | That workflow is centered on recipient presentation and later pickup from a hosted transfer page. |
Where PhotonFile is the better fit
- Private cloud drive by design: your full collection can stay client-side encrypted, without PhotonFile holding the keys needed to decrypt it.
- Security beyond TLS: Vault's client-side encryption protects file content after upload, while its independent Vaults keep different data sets from becoming one giant privacy boundary.
- One platform, two distinct paths: Photon Transfer moves files. Photon Vault keeps them, with Vault Intake, controlled sharing, and access later.
- Controlled links and light branding: scoped share links, revocation, expirations, sender instructions, and public share or intake branding cover the practical controls many teams need.
- Better workflow separation: you do not have to force live delivery, private cloud storage, and secure intake into the same stored-transfer model.
Where WeTransfer may still fit better
If your team primarily needs a polished hosted delivery page with a brand-forward recipient experience, WeTransfer may still be the cleaner fit.
PhotonFile is a better fit when you want a private cloud drive for your full collection, with isolated Vaults, controlled links, live delivery, secure intake, web and desktop access, or very large files.
Choose the PhotonFile workflow
Compare file models
Decide whether the job is live delivery, private cloud storage,
external intake, sync, or team access.
Ephemeral transfer
Understand why live Relay is a different model than hosted pickup.
Photon Vault
Keep your complete file collection in isolated Vaults with
client-side encryption and scoped sharing.
Need a WeTransfer alternative with a private cloud drive?
Use Relay when the job is immediate delivery. Use Vault as your private cloud drive, with independent boundaries for the data you want kept apart. PhotonFile gives you both in one platform, with browser and native desktop access.