Is Handrive really free?

Yes. Files go straight between machines with no cloud relay, so there are no per-GB egress fees. No egress fees means free forever.

How does Handrive keep files private?

Files are encrypted on the sender's machine and decrypted on the receiver's. No cloud server in the middle ever sees your data. End-to-end encrypted, peer-to-peer.

Is there a file size limit?

No. Since files transfer directly between machines with no cloud storage involved, there is no file size limit. Transfer 100GB+ files without issue.

What platforms does Handrive support?

Handrive is available for macOS (Apple Silicon), Windows, and Linux. It offers desktop, CLI, REST API, and MCP interfaces.

How does the sharing permission model work?

Like OS network sharing — the sharing side adds an email as a member to grant access, and the receiving side adds them as a contact to browse and download. Neither side alone is enough — both sides must consent.

For Media & Entertainment

Free file transfer for video production

Transfer dailies, raw footage, and large media files without per-GB fees. Satellite-grade P2P protocol. No file size limits. End-to-end encrypted. Built for filmmakers and small studios who need speed without overhead.

Download for Free Compare pricing models

1TB+

Daily footage from 4K shoots

152%

More data in 4K vs HD

Transfer cost with Handrive

500GB

In ~2 hours at full speed

Fits Your Production Pipeline

From set to delivery, Handrive handles every handoff in post-production.

Set / DIT→Editor→Colorist→VFX→Sound→Delivery

Freelancer / Editor

Pain: Per-GB costs eating into project margins

Handrive: Transfer unlimited footage for $0

DIT (On-Set)

Pain: Need fast, reliable transfer off set

Handrive: Satellite-grade protocol handles any network

Colorist

Pain: Receiving/sending large ProRes and DPX files

Handrive: Any format, any size, zero cost

VFX Artist

Pain: Exchanging large image sequences

Handrive: No per-GB cost on terabytes of EXR

Small Studio

Pain: Per-seat fees, per-GB costs add up

Handrive: No fees at all, role-based permissions

Indie Filmmaker

Pain: Can't afford paid transfer tools

Handrive: Completely free, professional grade

Built for Extreme Conditions

Satellite-grade protocol designed for the harshest network environments. Reliable transfers even over spotty on-set WiFi or remote locations.

Latency-independent — works over high-latency connections
Packet-loss tolerant — handles unreliable networks gracefully
NAT traversal — works through firewalls automatically
Resumable transfers — restart from where you left off

Any File Format, Any Size

File-type agnostic. No special handling, no compression, no transcoding. Your files transfer exactly as they are.

ProResDNxHRDPXEXRMXFAAFWAVAIFFDCPR3DBRAWARRIRAW

Transfer a single 100GB video or a million small files. No limits.

AI-Native Orchestration

40+ MCP tools let AI agents automate the repetitive parts of your post-production pipeline — no watch folders, no manual handoffs.

Auto-ingest dailies and create shares for the edit team
Notify editors and colorists when new files arrive
Manage permissions across projects and roles
Integrate with Premiere, Resolve, and Nuke pipelines via API

Your Content Stays Private

Cloud transfer services route files through third-party servers as part of their architecture. With Handrive, files move directly between your devices via P2P. No intermediate servers. No third-party access to your content.

Direct P2P — files never touch a third-party server
End-to-end encrypted — only sender and receiver can read the data
No account data mining — Handrive doesn't monetize your usage
NDA-safe — unreleased footage never leaves your control

Cloud Transfer vs Direct P2P

✗

Cloud relay services

Files uploaded to cloud → stored on their servers → downloaded by recipient. Three points of exposure.

✓

Handrive (direct P2P)

Files transfer directly between devices. Zero points of exposure. E2E encrypted in transit.

Always-On with Headless Mode

P2P requires both parties online. Run Handrive in headless mode on a NAS or Linux server for 24/7 availability — your shares are always accessible, just like cloud storage, but without giving up your data.

→Run on Synology, QNAP, or any Linux server
→REST API for custom integrations
→AI agents manage it 24/7 via MCP

# Run as systemd service

$ hand serve --port 4263

# AI agent automates ingest

claude: "Monitor /ingest for new dailies,

create shares, notify the editor"

How Much Are You Spending on File Transfer?

A colorist receiving 2TB/month of raw footage pays $500/mo with pay-per-GB services. With Handrive: $0.

Tool	Pricing Model	Example Cost	Handrive
Pay-per-GB Services	Pay-per-GB ($0.25/GB)	$125 per 500GB	Free
Annual Subscription Tools	Annual license	$7,500–$50,000+/yr	Free
Enterprise Transfer Tools	Enterprise + hardware	$10,000+/yr + infrastructure	Free
Cloud Sharing Services	Subscription, 200GB cap	$15/mo, can't send 500GB	Free, no limit
Shipping Hard Drives	Physical media	$50–$200+ per shipment	Free

See full pricing comparison →

When to Use Handrive

Best For

✓ Freelancers and small studios
✓ Indie filmmakers on tight budgets
✓ Teams who value privacy
✓ AI-augmented production workflows
✓ Studios with NAS/server infrastructure
✓ Anyone tired of per-GB pricing

A Different Security Model

Security certifications exist for services that store your content. Handrive doesn't store anything.

✓ No servers = no breach surface
✓ Direct P2P = content never touches third parties
✓ E2E encrypted = we can't access your footage

Certifications protect against cloud provider breaches. P2P works differently — your content stays between you and your collaborators, with no middleman to secure.

Deep Dives

Industry

Free file transfer — no per-GB fees

Download Handrive for free. Transfer unlimited dailies, footage, and media files. Satellite-grade protocol. End-to-end encrypted. Zero cost.

Download Handrive See how it compares