Quick answer
You can move 1 TB without paying for transfer software if both sides can run a tool such as Syncthing and provide their own storage and internet connection. That is different from a free hosted download link. Hardware, electricity and any internet data charges still count.
HeftySend does not offer a free 1 TB transfer. Our free plan supports up to 20 GB per transfer. For a hosted transfer up to 1 TB, Premium currently costs $9 USD per month. The useful question is whether avoiding that subscription is worth the extra setup and coordination for your particular delivery.
What does “free” mean when you are sending 1 TB?
Start by deciding what the other person needs. An editor who can install software and leave a workstation online has different options from a client who just wants to open a link.
- No software subscription: synchronise between computers you control. You supply the disks, connections and time when both devices are online.
- No new purchase: use storage or a physical drive you already own. An existing subscription is still a cost, even if this delivery adds nothing to the bill.
- A hosted download link: someone pays for the storage and delivery service. Check the actual transfer allowance rather than assuming a free signup includes a terabyte.
A 1 TB cloud storage allowance is not automatically a 1 TB allowance for one file or one transfer. Check all three limits, plus link expiry and available space at the receiving end.
How long does it take to send 1 TB?
For these calculations, 1 TB means 1,000 GB, or 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. The estimates assume a sustained connection speed with no overhead or interruptions. They are theoretical minimums, not HeftySend speed tests.
- 20 Mbps: about 111 hours and 7 minutes, or 4 days and 15 hours.
- 100 Mbps: about 22 hours and 13 minutes.
- 500 Mbps: about 4 hours and 27 minutes.
- 1 Gbps: about 2 hours and 13 minutes.
The calculation is file size in bits divided by bits transferred per second. There are eight bits in a byte. Use your upload speed for sending; the larger download number on your broadband package does not tell you how quickly you can upload.
With a hosted service, budget for both stages. If you upload at 100 Mbps and your editor subsequently downloads at 100 Mbps, the combined minimum is about 44 hours and 27 minutes. Scanning, network overhead, other traffic, disk speed and interruptions can make it longer. A direct transfer happens between the endpoints, so the slower available connection limits that stage.
If your upload is 20 Mbps and the editor needs everything tomorrow, a different website cannot remove that bottleneck. Consider delivering a drive or agreeing which smaller working files they need first.
When is a paid HeftySend link the practical choice?
Choose a hosted link when the recipient needs a straightforward download without installing synchronisation software or arranging a time when your computer is online. Once the upload is complete, they can collect the files while the transfer remains available. Recipients do not need a HeftySend account.
As checked on 29 September 2026, HeftySend Premium supports up to 1 TB per transfer for $9 USD per month, with up to 365 days of availability using included storage. Ultra supports up to 4 TB per transfer for $39 USD per month. Check the current plan and the size shown for your selected files before starting a job close to a limit.
HeftySend does not charge for bandwidth usage. Paid custom download pages let you choose templates, colours, backgrounds and text for a more considered client presentation. Browser previews help recipients inspect supported media and PDFs before downloading; they do not mean every camera format can be played online.
You can create a free account and try the delivery experience with up to 20 GB. Free transfers expire after three days. A full 1 TB hosted transfer needs the appropriate paid plan.
If you connect your own storage, account for its storage, request and any delivery charges separately. The $99 Lifetime option requires your own S3 storage; it is not a purchase of free unlimited hosted storage. Our guide to using your own S3 storage explains that distinction.
Can free synchronisation software handle the handover?
Syncthing is a free, open source option for synchronising folders between computers. Its official Getting Started guide explains the setup on both devices. Its FAQ says devices exchange data when online together, rather than storing a copy in a central cloud account.
This can suit recurring exchanges between editors who agree to configure and maintain the connection. It is not the same recipient experience as sending a browser download link. Allow space on both computers and time for the initial transfer. Syncthing also synchronises changes and deletions, so treat the shared folder carefully and keep a separate backup.
The official FAQ identifies relay connections, network conditions and device performance as possible reasons for slow synchronisation. Free software does not guarantee a faster transfer.
For a visual introduction, this Gary Explains video demonstrates synchronisation and file versioning. The demonstration begins around 9:22. It illustrates the alternative workflow, not a measured 1 TB transfer or a HeftySend tutorial.
How would you deliver 1 TB of footage to another editor?
Imagine a remote editor needs the original camera media for a project, not just a review export. This is a planning example, not a transfer we have tested.
- Confirm what is needed. Agree whether the editor needs every original now or can begin with smaller proxy files. Proxies are working copies, not a replacement for the originals needed for the final workflow.
- Measure the delivery. Check the actual folder size, required project files and available destination space. A disk sold as 1 TB may not have enough usable free space for a full 1 TB payload.
- Choose against the deadline. At a sustained 100 Mbps upload and download, a hosted handover needs almost 45 hours before overhead. Compare that with the full time to copy, transport and verify a drive.
- Agree how the editor will collect it. Use a paid HeftySend link for browser delivery, or an agreed synchronisation setup for recurring exchanges. Do not switch methods after the editor has already prepared a different workflow.
- Keep the folder structure and a delivery note. Record the file count, total size and included folders. Tell the editor when the link expires and ask them to confirm that the originals open correctly.
- Keep your source copy. Wait for confirmation before clearing working storage. Where you use a checksum manifest, compare it after receipt to check that the transferred bytes match.
For a smaller finished export rather than a terabyte of source media, see our guide to sending video without losing quality. That is often a different delivery job with a much smaller payload.
What else should you check before starting?
Is 1 TB the same as 1 TiB?
No. A terabyte is 1,000,000,000,000 bytes. A tebibyte is 1,099,511,627,776 bytes, about 10% larger. Check the actual byte count and the service’s accepted limit rather than relying on a rounded folder label.
Will a ZIP turn 1 TB of footage into a small upload?
Do not plan around that. Video that is already compressed may shrink very little. A ZIP can be useful for packaging, but test a representative sample before assuming any saving.
Does the recipient need extra space to unpack an archive?
Usually, yes. If they retain a 1 TB archive while extracting another 1 TB of files, they need roughly 2 TB available for those two copies, plus working space. Direct delivery of separate files can avoid that particular duplication.
Can I split a terabyte across many free transfers?
Smaller batches may fit a service’s individual limit, but they create more links, expiry dates and opportunities to miss a file. Splitting does not reduce the total data or transfer time. Check usage rules and agree a collection plan rather than treating batching as a guaranteed free substitute for one large delivery.
Is posting a drive faster?
It can be when internet upload is slow, but include copying, travel or courier time and checking the received files. Protect confidential footage appropriately and retain another copy. An existing drive can avoid a new hardware purchase, but transport still has a cost.
Do I need a permanent cloud archive for this transfer?
No. Delivery and long term archiving are separate decisions. Keep your own backup and ask the recipient to store their working copy. A transfer link should not be the only surviving copy of a project.
Try the client experience before your next large delivery. Send a smaller sample with HeftySend for free, then choose Premium or another suitable plan when you need the full terabyte allowance.
Sources checked on 29 September 2026: HeftySend’s live pricing page and help centre; Syncthing’s official website, Getting Started guide and FAQ. Transfer times are calculated estimates using the assumptions above. Prices and allowances can change.