PairOnce

ALTERNATIVE · DEVICE-TO-DEVICE TRANSFER

A free Send Anywhere alternative with no ads and no app

PairOnce works like Send Anywhere’s six-digit key, but in the browser with nothing to install: open paironce.com on both devices, enter the code or scan the QR code, and send.

It is free with no ads and no account; files go directly between the two devices, encrypted end to end, up to 2 GB per file when the receiving browser is Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari on iOS 26 or later.

The difference: both devices must be open at the same time. To leave a download link for later, a link service such as Send Anywhere’s 48-hour links fits better.

Step by step

  1. Open PairOnce on both devices. paironce.com in any current browser on a phone or computer.
  2. Connect with the code. Scan the QR code or type the six-digit code, compare the safety code and click Approve device. A page opened from a QR code or link asks you to confirm first: tap Connect.
  3. Send. Tap Choose files or Message or link; the other side accepts and saves.
  4. Next time, skip the code. Both browsers remember each other: tap Connect next to the device.

Side by side

Send Anywhere: six-digit key or share links (valid 48 hours on the free plan), apps for phone and computer, advertising in the app, a paid plan for links without expiry and passwords.

PairOnce: six-digit code or QR code, in the browser on every device, no ads, no account, end-to-end encryption with a safety code, remembered devices. No links for later: the other device has to be open.

Limits, and when this is not the right tool

  • A file can be up to 2 GB over a direct connection when the receiving browser saves straight to disk (Chrome or Edge on a computer or Android, Firefox on a computer, Safari on iOS 26 or later). Other browsers take up to 50 MB per file and hold 100 MB of received files at a time.
  • Files over 2 GB need PairOnce Pro on one of the two devices. Then a file can be up to 10 GB, received the same way, and the relay carries 5 GB a month.
  • When the two devices cannot reach each other directly, an encrypted relay carries the data. Each device can send and receive 200 MB a month that way, counted together; a direct connection has no monthly limit.
  • Both pages must stay open until everything has arrived: keep the phone’s screen on and the browser in front.
  • PairOnce moves things between two devices that are open at the same time. It is not cloud storage: nothing waits on a server for later.

Other ways to do it

  • Send Anywhere. Still the better fit when the receiver will download later from a link.
  • WeTransfer. Upload once, share a link by email; files stay online until they expire.
  • LocalSend. Free and open source, very fast on one network; mainly used through its app on both devices. The web version also works only on one network and not with the app yet.
  • PairDrop. Free and open source in the browser; finds devices on the same network and pairs them across networks.

Common questions

Is PairOnce really free?

Yes. Sending files and text is free, with no sign-up and no ads; direct files go up to 2 GB each when the receiving browser is Chrome, Edge or Firefox.

Are my files uploaded to a server?

No. They go directly between the two browsers. If the networks block that, an encrypted relay forwards them without being able to read them (200 MB per device a month).

Can I send to someone who is not online right now?

No. PairOnce is for two devices open at the same time. For later, use a link service.