How to send large files by email?

Email limits: 25 MB maximum. Methods to bypass this constraint and FileVert alternatives.

25 MB
Gmail limit
2 GB
FileVert free
1 link
In email
48h
Available

Context

Email servers limit to 25 MB. This constraint pushes towards permanent cloud services. FileVert: ephemeral transfer up to 200 GB, hosted in Europe, renewable energy.

Learn more: Reduce email file size and heavy email: Attachment optimization guide

FileVert transfer

Transfer interface without email constraints.

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Envoi terminé !

16/02/2026 à 23h59
Lien de partage sécurisé
Impact écologique
16 gCO₂
Impact de ce transfert
Équivalent à 72 mètres en voiture
Mail

Nouveau message

Partage FileVert

À:client@entreprise.com
Objet:Fichiers partagés via FileVert

Bonjour,

Je vous partage les fichiers suivants via FileVert :

FileVert - Fichiers partagés
📁 0 fichiers📊 0 BExpire le 16/02/2026

Ces fichiers seront disponibles pendant 15 jours.

Cordialement

Popular email service limits

Each email provider imposes its own restrictions

Gmail

25 MB18 MB useful

Contournements :

  • Integrated Google Drive
  • ZIP compression
  • Split into parts

Problèmes de sécurité :

  • Advertising scanning
  • Exposed metadata
  • No secure encryption

Outlook

20 MB (Exchange)15 MB useful

Contournements :

  • Integrated OneDrive
  • Mandatory compression
  • Forced cloud upload

Problèmes de sécurité :

  • Forced synchronization
  • Microsoft lock-in
  • Limited control

Yahoo

25 MB18 MB useful

Contournements :

  • External links
  • Third-party services
  • Personal hosting

Problèmes de sécurité :

  • Unsecured links
  • No access control
  • Random expiration

Why email is not made for large files

Email protocols date from the 80s, well before the era of large files

Automatic rejection

Mail servers block large files

Silent failure, lost email

Slow transmission

Very slow upload/download

Frequent timeouts, frustration

Possible corruption

Files altered during transmission

Unusable files on arrival

Compromised security

Unencrypted email, exposed metadata

Risk of data leak

FileVert for email

Native integration in email workflow. Ephemeral transfers, no permanent storage. Alternative to cloud solutions requiring manual process and residual storage.

Outlook Extension

  • Automatic detection

    Detects files > 25 MB and suggests FileVert

  • Transparent replacement

    Replaces attachment with secure link

  • Preserved workflow

    Compose your emails as usual

FileVert vs Email and cloud solutions

sizeLabelMax size
sizeValue200 GB
securityLabelSecurity
securityValueEncryption
locationLabelHosting
locationValueFrance
registrationLabelRegistration
registrationValueNot required (up to 2 GB)
trackingLabelTracking
trackingValueNotifications and history

FileVert benefits for email

Why FileVert is superior to cloud solutions for email sending

Native email integration

Automatic Outlook/Gmail extension, unlike cloud solutions that require a manual process

Ephemeral storage

Automatic deletion after 48h-15d, no permanent storage like Dropbox or Google Drive

Security and sovereignty

French hosting, encryption, access control, unlike solutions hosted abroad

Eco-responsible

Avoids inbox clutter and permanent storage, reducing carbon footprint

Guaranteed reliability

No more rejections, timeouts, or corruption, unlike email attachments

Recipient experience

Simple download, no registration required, no cloud account needed

Compression

Reduce file size to send by email

When compression is necessary and how to effectively reduce file size to respect email limits

Why reduce file size before sending by email?

Strict email limits (25 MB Gmail, 20 MB Outlook) often require compressing your files. Here are effective methods by file type.

Strict limits

25 MB max for Gmail, 20 MB for Outlook

Faster transmission

Compressed files = faster upload/download

Avoid rejections

Reduce risk of sending failure

Compression methods by file type

Images (JPEG, PNG, GIF)

  • Reduce resolution (1920x1080 instead of 4K)
  • JPEG compression quality 80-85%
  • PNG → JPEG conversion for photos
  • Tools: TinyPNG, Squoosh, ImageOptim
Up to 70-90% reduction

PDF

  • PDF compression (Adobe Acrobat, PDF24)
  • Reduce image quality in PDF
  • Remove metadata
  • Tools: SmallPDF, ILovePDF, PDF Compressor
Up to 50-80% reduction

Videos (MP4, MOV)

  • Reduce resolution (1080p instead of 4K)
  • H.264 codec compression
  • Reduce bitrate
  • Tools: HandBrake, VLC, FFmpeg
Up to 60-85% reduction

Documents (DOC, DOCX)

  • Compress embedded images
  • Remove metadata
  • Convert to PDF then compress
  • Tools: Microsoft Word (Save As → Options → Compress images)
Up to 40-60% reduction

Compression limitations

Compression is not always the best solution

Quality loss

Compression = possible visual degradation

Processing time

Compression/decompression add steps

Recipient friction

Recipient must know how to decompress

Alternative: FileVert without compression

With FileVert, send your files in their original format up to 200 GB. No compression needed, no quality loss.

Discover FileVert

Optimization

Reduce your email weight

Tips to optimize email size and avoid transmission problems

Optimize images in email

Compress images before inserting in email

  • Max resolution 1920px wide
  • JPEG format quality 80%
  • Target weight: < 200 KB per image
  • Avoid multiple image attachments

Avoid multiple attachments

Multiple files = cumulative size often exceeds limit

  • Use a single download link
  • Group in ZIP if really necessary
  • Prefer FileVert for files > 10 MB

Optimize HTML content

Reduce email HTML code

  • Remove unnecessary inline CSS
  • Minify HTML
  • Avoid complex tables

FileVert: modern alternative to heavy attachments

Instead of compressing and reducing quality, use FileVert to send your original files via a secure link in the email.

  • No compression = preserved quality
  • Up to 200 GB per transfer
  • Secure link in email
  • No registration for recipient

Alternative

Why send large files via link in your emails?

Replace heavy attachments with secure download links

Respect email limits

No more size problem, link replaces attachment

Enhanced security

Encryption, access control, automatic expiration

Guaranteed reliability

No rejection, no timeout, reliable transmission

User experience

Simple download, no registration required

FileVert: secure links for your emails

Generate secure download links directly from your email (Outlook, Gmail) with the FileVert extension.

  • Automatic detection of heavy files
  • Transparent replacement with link
  • Configurable expiration (1-30 days)
  • Encryption and access control

Free

Free solutions to send large files by email

Comparison of available free solutions and their hidden limits

Traditional email (Gmail, Outlook)

25 MB (Gmail) / 20 MB (Outlook)

Coûts cachés :

  • Mandatory compression
  • Quality loss
  • Processing time

Google Drive / OneDrive

15 GB shared with account

Coûts cachés :

  • Mandatory recipient registration
  • Permanent storage
  • Data mining

FileVert

2 GB free, up to 200 GB premium

Coûts cachés :

  • None

French solution, no registration, no ads, 100% renewable hosting

Frequently asked questions email

Gmail limits to 25 MB, Outlook to 20 MB (Exchange) or 34 MB (Outlook.com), Yahoo to 25 MB. These limits include encoding which increases size by 33%, so in reality 18-19 MB usable maximum.
Compression only helps for certain file types (text documents). Videos, JPEG photos and PDFs are already optimized. Plus, it adds processing time and friction for the recipient who must decompress.
They create public or semi-public links, often indexable by search engines. No control over access duration, data leak risk, and forced synchronization in your personal spaces.
Impossible directly via traditional email. Use FileVert which generates a secure link that you insert in your email. The recipient downloads without size limit, up to 200 GB.
Technically possible but very constraining: each part must be sent separately, the recipient must download everything and reconstruct. Risk of error, loss of parts, and degraded user experience.
Yes! FileVert offers an official Outlook extension that automatically replaces heavy attachments with secure links. Transparent workflow for the user.
Yes, heavy emails are more often classified as spam, blocked by servers, or fail during transmission. FileVert eliminates this problem with light emails containing just a link.
FileVert: French hosting, no ads, no tracking, clean link, configurable duration. WeTransfer: foreign servers, advertisements, tracking, overloaded interface, frequent limits.

Integrate FileVert to your Outlook or use our interface directly

Free extension · Transparent integration · Guaranteed security