Why short-term file transfers do not need a subscription
You need to send one file. If you post it today and the other person receives it, the work is done.
However, if you look for a service to send large files, you will come across monthly plans. You need to choose the storage space you need, register your card, and pay the same amount every month. File delivery was completed in one day, but payment may continue next month.
There is a simple but long-standing problem here. Storing files and delivering files are two different things, but so far both have been charged in roughly the same way.
Buying storage space and sending files are different
Cloud drives are designed to store files long-term and sync them across multiple devices. If you back up photos, edit documents constantly, and share folders with team members, it makes sense to reserve a certain amount of storage space each month.
However, the purpose of file delivery is different.
- Send the original video shot today to the client.
- Deliver the completed design file to the print shop.
- Move one backup file to another location.
- Share large results briefly with multiple people.
What these operations require is not long-term storage, but a short path for files to travel from sender to recipient.
For example, if you share a 100 GB file today and finish work on it tomorrow, the actual usage time of the service is close to one day. Still, if you choose a monthly storage plan, you'll also pay for space you won't use for the remaining 29 days. Even if you don't send another file, the next payment may continue until you cancel your subscription.
There is nothing wrong with subscribing. However, the problem is that the charging method that suits people who want to keep it for a long time has also been applied to people who want to deliver it briefly.
Why suitable charging methods for file transfer are rare
Existing services made it easy to design products based on storage capacity and usage period. Users rent a set amount of space, such as 100GB or 1TB, on a monthly basis, and the service charges the same amount every month. It is a structure that is easy for business owners to understand and operate.
File transfers, on the other hand, have irregular usage patterns. Some months you might not use it at all, and then one day you might send hundreds of GB at once. One person can receive a file, or multiple people can receive it. The timing of upload and download completion also varies from user to user.
By cramming these fluctuating usage amounts into a monthly subscription, users end up purchasing much larger amounts or longer terms than they actually transfer. In the end, it is not a product for file transfer, but rather a storage product that is rented and used for file transfer.
file.kiwi Web Folder+ is calculated based on Upload-GB
file.kiwi's Web Folder+ uses Upload-GB instead of monthly storage. Buy the amount of Upload-GB you need once. When you upload a file, Upload-GB is deducted according to the file size and the file validity period you set.
If you share a 100 GB file with a seven-day validity period, 100 Upload-GB is deducted. There is no charge for the following month, and you do not need to remember to cancel a subscription. Any Upload-GB left after purchase can be used later with another Web Folder+.
It is also important to note that the basis for charging is the size of the uploaded file, not the number of downloads. Even if multiple people download the same file, Upload-GB is not deducted again for that number of times. This is why it is easy to estimate the costs when a single uploaded file needs to be delivered to multiple recipients.
Extending a file's expiration date by seven days deducts Upload-GB equal to the file size. If you do not need to keep the file longer, you can simply let it expire without extending it.
Upload-GB charging only applies to Web Folder+
The upload capacity-based charging described here applies only to Web Folder+. file.kiwi's free service, Web Folder Basic, can be used without file size restrictions, and there is no need to purchase Upload-GB.
Web Folder+ is a paid way to manage file retention time and extend it when necessary. Web Folder Basic and Web Folder+ have different file maintenance methods and provided functions, so you can choose the service that suits your purpose. Detailed differences can be found in Comparison of Web Folder Basic and Web Folder+.
Advantages of upload volume-based charging
1. Do not purchase a month of unused
If the file delivery is completed in one day, it is a one-day job. There are no subscription fees for next month or no unused storage space left over.
2. Cost and actual workload are linked
If the sent file is small, use less, and if it is large, use more. There's less reason to choose a larger plan than necessary just to meet your monthly limit.
3. Well suited for irregular large-capacity transfers
This is beneficial for people like videographers, designers, and researchers who don't send large files every day but definitely need to send them when needed. There are no costs for months when you don't use it.
4. Easy to predict costs even with multiple downloads
Costs are calculated based on the size of the uploaded file, not the number of recipients. It's easy to set a budget even in situations where it's difficult to determine in advance how many people you will forward the link to.
5. No need to manage regular payments
There's no need to keep track of the end date of your free trial or your next payment date. You can purchase the capacity you need once and use it when you need it.
From short-term transfers to collaborations, we'll keep you going for as long as you need
Web Folder+ is not just a service for short-term file transfers. Files are kept for one week by default, but if you need longer, you can extend the retention time in one-week increments. (You can extend it for up to 1 year at a time.)
Even if a folder is initially created to deliver a single file, the situation may change as the work continues. The same files may be needed over and over again while multiple people are reviewing them or communicating with each other. At this point, you don't have to switch to a new monthly plan, just increase the retention time by the number of weeks you need until the collaboration ends.
Each time you extend the retention time by one week, Upload-GB equivalent to the file size is used. If you keep a 100GB file for another week, you'll use 100GB of Upload-GB. Instead of pre-purchasing time periods you don't need, you can select only the time period you actually need the files for.
Ultimately, with file.kiwi, you can use the capacity you really need and for as long as you really need it. If it's a one-day delivery, keep it short, but if collaboration continues, extend it by a week as needed.
File transfer requires a charging method appropriate for file transfer. Upload as much as you need, keep it for as long as you need, and pay only for what you use.