How to transfer large files between two computers

It depends on where the two computers are. On the same desk, a USB drive or external disk is simple. On the same network, the computers can share a folder. Anywhere else, a direct transfer app sends the files straight from one computer to the other, without uploading them to a cloud first.

The four ways, compared

	Computers can be apart	Copy kept on a server	Size limited by
USB drive or external disk	No, you carry the drive	No	The drive
Cloud storage	Yes	Yes, until you delete it	Your storage plan
Network file sharing	Same network only	No	The receiving disk
Direct transfer app	Yes	No	The app's plan

A USB drive or external disk

Copy the files onto the drive, carry it over, and copy them off. Nothing needs a network, but the files are copied twice, the drive has to be big enough, and a drive formatted for one system may not be writable on another. Formats such as exFAT work on Mac, Windows and Linux.

Cloud storage

Upload the files to a service such as Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive from one computer, then download them on the other. It works from anywhere, but the files travel twice (up, then down), the whole upload has to finish first, it counts against your storage, and a copy stays on someone else's server until you delete it.

Network file sharing

When both computers are on the same network, one can share a folder that the other opens, with File Sharing on a Mac, Network sharing on Windows, or Samba on Linux. It's fast and keeps no copy anywhere else, but it only works on the same network, and the setup differs on each system.

A direct transfer app

A direct transfer app connects the two computers to each other, even on different networks, and streams the files straight across. Here is how it works with Supa Transfer, which runs on Mac, Windows and Linux:

Install it on both computers and sign in. Moving files between your own computers? Sign in with the same account on both.
Drop the file or folder on the first computer, then Copy ticket.
Paste the ticket on the second computer under Receive, and click Receive. Files go to Downloads unless you pick another folder.
Wait for the check. Every byte is verified against a BLAKE3 hash on arrival, and existing files are never overwritten.

The first computer sends directly, so keep it on and sharing until the other one is done. If the connection drops, it retries and carries on by itself; if a download stops, receive the same ticket again to pick up where it stopped. Every download also includes supa, the command line:

$ supa send "My Folder"     # on the first computer: prints a ticket$ supa receive blobacbsd4…  # on the second computer

Free accounts can send 50 GB and receive 50 GB a month; Pro is $2.99 a month for unlimited. Download Supa Transfer.

Which one to use

Same desk, one big copy: a USB drive or external disk.
Same network, often: network file sharing.
Want a copy kept online anyway: cloud storage.
Different places, or too big for your cloud plan: a direct transfer app.

More guides: how to send a 50 GB file and WeTransfer alternatives compared.