Direct Transfer or Cloud Relay? Here's How to Choose

When you open FastFileLink, you will see two options: P2P direct transfer and cloud relay.

A lot of first-time users get stuck right there: "What's the difference, and which one should I pick?"

This article answers that in about three minutes.

The short version

P2P direct transfer: the file goes straight from your device to the recipient's device without touching any server. Think of it as a direct connection between two computers, just happening over the internet.

Cloud relay: you encrypt the file and upload it to our secure server first, and the recipient downloads it later when convenient. Think of it like leaving something in a secure locker for pickup.

When should you choose P2P direct transfer?

Choose P2P when both you and the recipient can be online at the same time. That is the only real requirement. During the transfer, your device needs to stay on and connected.

If that condition is met, P2P is usually the best option because:

• It is faster: the data goes directly between you and the recipient, so there is no upload-first-then-download delay
• It is completely free: no points are consumed, even for very large files
• It is more private: the file never passes through a third-party server, including ours

Good use cases: delivering files right after a client meeting, handing off design assets between a designer and an engineer, or sending travel photos to friends.

When should you choose cloud relay?

Choose cloud relay if any of these are true:

Your schedules do not line up: you are free to send now, but the recipient is in a meeting, asleep, or in a different time zone.

You need to turn off your computer after sending: P2P requires the sender to stay online, so if you are about to sleep or head out, cloud relay is the safer option.

The recipient needs to download in parts: this is useful when multiple people need the same file or when the recipient has unstable internet and needs resumable downloads.

You want the file to stay available for a while: maybe the recipient downloads part of it today and finishes tomorrow.

How is pricing calculated?

Cloud relay is paid from your account's points balance, not through a monthly subscription. However many points you have is your available cloud transfer budget.

Free accounts include 5 points, or about 5 GB, so you can try it first. If most of your use cases are P2P, those 5 points may last a long time.

One common misunderstanding

Many people assume cloud relay is safer because the file is "backed up on a server."

In practice, the security level is the same. Both modes use end-to-end encryption, and what sits on our server is encrypted ciphertext. Even if we wanted to inspect your content, we could not.

The difference is the transfer path, not the security model.

Quick decision flow

Are you free to send now, and can the recipient receive now?
   ├─ Yes -> Will your computer stay on until the transfer finishes?
   │          ├─ Yes -> P2P direct transfer ✅ (free, fast)
   │          └─ No  -> Cloud relay
   └─ No  -> Cloud relay

For most delivery scenarios, P2P direct transfer works well. Cloud relay is the fallback when P2P is inconvenient, not the default choice.

Still need the tool? Start here. P2P direct transfer is permanently free and does not require a credit card.