SharingCastGoogle Drive vs Direct File Transfer: Which Should You Use?
Storage and delivery are different jobs. Here is when each one makes sense.
In this guide
In this guide
The basic difference
Google Drive is storage. You put a file there and it stays until you delete it. Sharing a Drive file means giving someone else access to your stored copy.
A direct transfer, like SharingCast, is delivery. The file goes from your device to the other person’s device, and nothing is stored in between. When it is done, there are two copies: yours and theirs.
Both are useful, and they solve different problems. The mistake many people make is using storage for every delivery, which means waiting for uploads, filling up free storage and leaving private files online long after they were needed.
How sharing with Google Drive works
- You upload the file to your Drive. The whole file must finish uploading first.
- You share it with an email address or create a link.
- The other person opens the link and downloads the file whenever they like.
- The file stays in your Drive, using your storage, until you delete it.
Free Google accounts include 15 GB of storage, shared between Drive, Gmail and Google Photos. Large videos can use that up quickly.
How direct transfer works
- You open SharingCast, choose the files and start sharing. You get a short code.
- The other person opens SharingCast on their device and enters the code.
- The file streams directly from your device to theirs over an encrypted connection, starting immediately.
- When the transfer finishes, nothing is left on any server.
The catch is that both of you need to be online at the same time with the page open. There is no link to open later. You can read more in How WebRTC file transfer works.
Side-by-side comparison
| Google Drive | Direct transfer (SharingCast) | |
|---|---|---|
| Account needed | Yes (sender; receiver for some settings) | No |
| Uses your storage | Yes | No |
| Receiver must be online now | No | Yes |
| Wait for upload first | Yes | No |
| Copy left online | Until you delete it | Never |
| Can be forwarded | Links can be shared on | No link exists |
| Size limit | Storage quota | None |
| Good for collaboration | Yes (comments, versions) | No, delivery only |
Speed: why direct is often faster
With Drive, a file crosses the internet twice: up to Google, then down to the receiver. The receiver cannot start until your upload is complete. For a 5 GB video on a typical home connection where upload is much slower than download, the upload alone can take a long time.
With a direct transfer, the receiver starts getting data immediately and the file only crosses the network once. On the same Wi-Fi network it never leaves your home at all, which is usually much faster than going out to the internet and back.
Privacy and control
A shared Drive link is a key to your stored file. Anyone who receives the link, and has permission under your sharing settings, can open it, and links get forwarded. Files also tend to stay in Drive long after they were needed, simply because people forget to delete them.
A direct transfer has no link and no stored copy. Once the transfer is done, the file only exists on the two devices. With a password on top, only the person who has both the code and the password can receive it. For contracts, ID documents, medical files or personal photos, that is a meaningful difference. See Is peer-to-peer file sharing safe? for more.
When to use which
Use Google Drive when
- The receiver will download later, or you do not know when.
- Several people need the same file at different times.
- You want to keep the file stored as a backup.
- You are collaborating on documents with comments and version history.
Use a direct transfer when
- You and the receiver are both available now, for example on a call.
- The file is large and you do not want to wait for an upload or use storage.
- The file is private and you do not want a copy left online.
- You are moving files between your own devices.
Frequently asked questions
Is SharingCast a replacement for Google Drive?
No. It replaces the “upload, share, download” routine for deliveries, not storage. Many people use both.
Can I send a file that is already in Google Drive?
Download it to your device first, then send it with SharingCast.
Which is more secure?
Both encrypt data in transit. The difference is that a direct transfer leaves no stored copy and no shareable link.
Does SharingCast need the receiver to have an account?
No. Neither person needs an account.