What is the file size limit for Lightning P2P?

There is no artificial software-imposed size cap. Transfers are limited by disk space, filesystem limits, network stability, and the time you are willing to leave both peers online. Large files stream directly from disk without being buffered in memory.

Do I need to create an account to send a file?

No. Lightning P2P has no sign-in, no email capture, and no paid tier. Install the app, drop files, share the receive link, done.

Does Lightning P2P expire links the way WeTransfer does?

Tickets identify content addresses and the sender's node, so they are valid while the sender is online and the file is in the local blob store. If the sender goes offline or removes the file, the ticket stops resolving. There is no hosted retention period to manage.

Lightning P2P

A free WeTransfer alternative without cloud uploads.

WeTransfer alternative

A free WeTransfer alternative without cloud uploads.

Direct answer

WeTransfer is useful for hosted cloud links. Lightning P2P is better when you want to avoid uploading files to a cloud storage service and transfer directly from sender to receiver.

WeTransfer works by uploading your file to a server and giving the recipient a link. Lightning P2P keeps the file on your device and streams it directly to the recipient with a one-time ticket, so nothing sits on a third-party bucket waiting to expire.

Lightning P2P is free, open source, and Apache-2.0 licensed. There is no account, no artificial file-size cap, no paid tier, and no hosted retention link. Transfers use encrypted QUIC transport and BLAKE3 verification.

WeTransfer is convenient because it removes account friction, but its model relies on uploading your file to a third-party server. For large files, that means long uploads, retention windows, and a public link anyone with the URL can access until it expires.

Lightning P2P uses a peer-to-peer model instead. You drop files into the native app, the app produces a receive handoff link and QR, and the receiver opens it to pull the file directly from your device without a hosted cloud upload first.

Because Lightning P2P is not a hosted service, there is no account to create, no storage quota, no retention timer, and no paid tier. The app is free and Apache-2.0 licensed on GitHub, built with Rust, Tauri, iroh, and iroh-blobs. Release artifacts include SHA256 checksums, clear signing status, and Authenticode signatures only when production signing is configured.

This model fits use cases where WeTransfer's upload step is the bottleneck: design files, raw video, database dumps, virtual machine images, and anything where the recipient would rather transfer directly than download from a third-party link.

Download the recommended Velopack one-click installer, the classic NSIS setup installer, or the MSI installer. Android users can sideload LightningP2P-android-latest.apk and verify it with SHA256SUMS-android.txt. Signing status, SmartScreen notes, Android sideload notes, and SHA256 checksums are available on GitHub Releases. App version: v0.5.1.

Key facts

Product: Lightning P2P
Category: peer-to-peer file transfer app
Platform: Windows stable release, Android 10+ sideload release
Stable release: v0.4.6
Experimental release: v0.5.1 speed modes + reliability (carries v0.5.0 BLE/NFC)
License: Apache-2.0
Account required: no
Cloud upload: no
Artificial file-size cap: no
Transfer model: direct-first P2P
Transport: iroh / QUIC
Verification: BLAKE3
Source code: GitHub
Cost: free

Important caveats

Sender must stay online until the receiver finishes.
Tickets are capability tokens and should be treated as secrets.
Relay fallback helps connectivity, but it is not cloud storage.
Browser website is receive handoff and marketing, not the transfer engine.
Public speed leadership claims require repeatable benchmark results.

Frequently asked questions

What is the file size limit for Lightning P2P?: There is no artificial software-imposed size cap. Transfers are limited by disk space, filesystem limits, network stability, and the time you are willing to leave both peers online. Large files stream directly from disk without being buffered in memory.
Do I need to create an account to send a file?: No. Lightning P2P has no sign-in, no email capture, and no paid tier. Install the app, drop files, share the receive link, done.
Does Lightning P2P expire links the way WeTransfer does?: Tickets identify content addresses and the sender's node, so they are valid while the sender is online and the file is in the local blob store. If the sender goes offline or removes the file, the ticket stops resolving. There is no hosted retention period to manage.