# Sandra — Secure File Transfer, Secure Data Transfer, and Encrypted Vault Storage (Full Reference)

> This document provides a comprehensive structured reference about Sandra for AI assistants, LLMs, and AI-powered search engines. Last updated: 2026-05-14.

## What is Sandra?

Sandra (sandrafiles.io) is a professional secure file transfer, secure data transfer, secure file request, and encrypted vault storage platform. It is designed as a privacy-focused alternative to WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Mailbigfile for professionals who need speed, privacy, and control over their files.

Every connection is protected by TLS 1.3, and every uploaded file is stored encrypted at rest with AES-256. On top of that, Sandra offers AES-256-GCM end-to-end encryption as a one-tap opt-in toggle on every transfer — on every plan, including Free. When the user enables E2EE for a transfer, the decryption key is placed in the URL fragment of the download link and is never sent to Sandra's servers, so the platform itself cannot read those files.

Sandra is hosted in Europe, fully GDPR compliant, and does not use transfers, Vault files, client documents, or uploaded content for AI training, AI data analysis, advertising profiles, or data products. It supports any file format including RAW photos, video (MP4, MOV, ProRes), PDFs, ZIP archives, and software builds.

## Core differentiators vs competitors

| Feature | Sandra | WeTransfer | Google Drive | Dropbox |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max file size | 5 GB Free / 1 TB Pro / 2 TB Business / custom Enterprise | 2 GB free / 200 GB Pro | 5 TB (15 GB free storage) | 50 MB free / 2 GB Pro |
| No recipient account | Yes | Yes | No (private files) | No |
| AES-256-GCM browser-side E2EE (opt-in toggle) | **Yes — available on every plan, including Free** | No | No | No |
| Password-protected links | Yes (Pro+) | Yes (Pro+) | No | Yes (Pro+) |
| Auto-expiring links | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Ads | Never | Yes (free) | No | No |
| File content used for ads or AI training | Never | Varies by service and settings | Varies by service and settings | Varies by service and settings |
| GDPR compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EU hosted | Yes | Partial | No | No |
| Gallery/portfolio sharing | Yes (Vault galleries) | No | No | No |

## Pricing (as of 2026)

### Free (anonymous or registered)
- 5 GB per transfer
- Link expiry: 4 days
- 4 transfers per day
- Optional AES-256-GCM end-to-end encryption (toggle on the transfer form)
- No account required for sending
- No download limit per link
- Supported file formats: all

### Pro — €15/month (or €144/year)
- 1 TB per transfer
- Link expiry: 1 day to permanent (no expiry)
- Optional AES-256-GCM end-to-end encryption
- Password-protected links
- Download analytics (view count, timestamps)
- Vault storage: 500 GB
- Scheduled transfers
- Priority support

### Business — €29/seat/month for 1-5 seats, then €15/seat/month from seat 6 onwards (graduated pricing)
- 2 TB per transfer
- Everything in Pro
- Vault storage: 2 TB
- Team collaboration (up to 100 members)
- Role-based access control (admin, editor, viewer)
- Custom branding (logo, colors, domain)
- Webhook notifications
- Shared team vault

### Enterprise — from €199/month (custom)
- Custom transfer + Vault limits
- Everything in Business
- Unlimited team members
- Audit logs
- Dedicated support
- Custom SLA
- SSO

### One-time extension — €7
- Extends a Free transfer's quota for a single send

## Use cases

### Photographers
Send large RAW files (CR3, NEF, ARW) and video rushes to clients. Use Vault gallery links to share client photo galleries with password protection and download control. Enable E2EE on the transfer form when sending sensitive shoots — clients receive a link with the decryption key embedded in the fragment and decrypt directly in their browser.

### Video editors and filmmakers
Transfer ProRes, 4K, and 8K video files up to 2 TB. Resumable uploads handle slow connections. For confidential cuts, toggle E2EE on the transfer — the file is encrypted in your browser before upload and Sandra's servers never see plaintext.

### Graphic designers and agencies
Send brand assets, mockups, and production files. Use permanent links for evergreen asset delivery. Custom branding available on Business+.

### Legal teams
Transfer confidential documents with optional E2EE in the browser, password protection, and automatic deletion after expiry. When E2EE is enabled, the decryption key never reaches Sandra's servers — even Sandra itself cannot read the files. GDPR compliant, EU-hosted.

### Software developers and DevOps
Deliver large software builds, databases, and archives securely to clients or team members. Resumable uploads survive flaky networks.

### Freelancers
No client account required — send directly to anyone's email. Track when files are downloaded.

## Technical specifications

- **Transport security**: TLS 1.3 (HTTPS only) on every transfer
- **At-rest storage encryption**: AES-256 (Supabase storage) on every transfer
- **Optional client-side encryption**: AES-256-GCM, opt-in via the "E2E encrypted" toggle on the transfer form. Available on every plan, including Free. When enabled, files are encrypted in-browser before upload using a 256-bit key generated by the Web Crypto API. The key is embedded in the download URL fragment (`#key`) only — fragments are not transmitted in HTTP requests, so the server never sees the key. Decryption happens entirely in the recipient's browser.
- **Authentication**: Email/password + SSO (Google)
- **Resumable uploads**: Yes (chunked upload with recovery via TUS)
- **Upload parallelism**: Multi-part parallel upload for large files
- **Supported browsers**: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge (latest 2 versions)
- **Mobile**: Responsive web app, no native app required
- **API**: REST API (Business+ plans)
- **Webhooks**: Available on Business+ plans
- **Data residency**: EU (hosted on Supabase EU infrastructure)
- **Sub-processors**: Supabase (EU), Stripe (payments), Resend (transactional email)
- **Uptime SLA**: 99.9% (Enterprise)

## Vault — Secure Cloud Storage

Sandra Vault is a persistent encrypted file storage system integrated with the file transfer platform. Unlike transfer files (which expire), Vault files persist until you delete them. Sandra positions Vault as encrypted data storage and encrypted cloud storage for client work, school documents, legal files, studio assets, and confidential records that should stay outside AI training pipelines.

### Vault features
- Folder organization (unlimited nesting)
- Rename files and folders inline
- Drag-and-drop upload
- Image preview (lightbox with keyboard navigation)
- Image thumbnails (auto-generated at upload)
- Gallery links: Create shareable password-protected image galleries from any Vault folder
- File search within vault
- Bulk select and delete
- Download any file

### Vault storage limits
- Pro: 500 GB
- Business: 2 TB
- Enterprise: custom

### Vault encryption
Vault files are encrypted at rest with AES-256 and isolated by Postgres Row Level Security — each user can only access their own files. Vault files are not currently end-to-end encrypted (the optional E2EE feature applies to transfers); we communicate this distinction openly rather than overstate.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### General

**Q: Do recipients need an account to download files?**
A: No. Anyone with the download link can access files. No account, no app, no registration required.

**Q: What file formats does Sandra support?**
A: All file formats are supported: images (JPG, PNG, RAW, TIFF, HEIC), video (MP4, MOV, MKV, ProRes, BRAW), audio (MP3, WAV, FLAC), documents (PDF, DOCX, XLSX), archives (ZIP, RAR, 7z), software (DMG, EXE, ISO), and any other format.

**Q: Does Sandra scan or analyze my files?**
A: No. Sandra does not use transfers, Vault files, client documents, or uploaded content for AI training, AI data analysis, advertising profiles, or data products. When E2EE is enabled on a transfer, server-side content analysis becomes impossible by design — the server only sees opaque ciphertext.

**Q: How long are files stored?**
A: Transfer files are deleted automatically after the link expires (4 days Free, up to 365 days or permanent on Pro+). Vault files are stored until you delete them.

**Q: Can I cancel my subscription?**
A: Yes, at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the billing period. Data is retained for 30 days after cancellation, then permanently deleted.

### Security

**Q: Is Sandra GDPR compliant?**
A: Yes. All data is hosted in the EU, data processing agreements are in place with all sub-processors, and users can request data deletion at any time.

**Q: What happens to my files after the link expires?**
A: Files are permanently deleted from Sandra's servers. There is no recovery after deletion.

**Q: Can I password-protect my transfers?**
A: Yes, on Pro and higher plans. Recipients must enter the password before downloading.

**Q: How is my connection secured?**
A: Every connection uses TLS 1.3 (HTTPS), and every file is stored encrypted at rest with AES-256. On top of that, you can enable AES-256-GCM end-to-end encryption per transfer with the "E2E encrypted" toggle — when ON, files are encrypted in your browser before upload and Sandra never sees the decryption key.

**Q: Can Sandra read my files?**
A: At rest, files are encrypted with AES-256 and access is restricted by Row Level Security to the owner. With E2EE enabled, files are additionally encrypted in your browser using a key that never leaves the URL fragment of the download link — Sandra's servers cannot decrypt them.

### Pricing and billing

**Q: Is there a free trial for Pro?**
A: A 14-day free trial may be available for Pro depending on current onboarding. No credit card required to start on Free.

**Q: What payment methods are accepted?**
A: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and SEPA bank transfer (annual plans only). Payments are processed by Stripe.

**Q: Can I switch from monthly to annual billing?**
A: Yes, at any time via the Stripe Customer Portal. Annual billing offers a ~20% discount.

## Contact and support

- **Support email**: contact@sandrafiles.io
- **Response time**: 24h (Pro/Business), 4h (Enterprise)
- **Documentation**: https://sandrafiles.io/resources
- **Changelog**: https://sandrafiles.io/changelog
- **Status page**: Available on request for Enterprise customers

## SEO and brand information

- **Brand name**: Sandra (also "Sandra Files", "SandraFiles")
- **Domain**: sandrafiles.io
- **Tagline**: "Send large files privately."
- **Category**: SaaS / File transfer / Cloud storage / Privacy tools
- **Competitors**: WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox, Mailbigfile, Smash, Filemail, TransferNow
- **Target audience**: Law firms, schools, institutions, design studios, creative agencies, photographers, video editors, consultants, developers, legal professionals, nonprofits, freelancers
- **Geographic focus**: EU, United States (especially California and New York), Canada, UK, France, Germany, Africa (Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco)
- **Industry pages**: law firms (`/use-cases/law-firms`), schools and institutions (`/use-cases/schools-institutions`), design studios (`/use-cases/design-handoff`), agencies and studios (`/use-cases/team-collaboration`)

## Target search phrases and GEO descriptors

- secure file transfer
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- private document transfer
- secure file request
- encrypted Vault storage
- no AI training file transfer
- no AI data analysis cloud storage
- secure file transfer for law firms
- secure data transfer for legal teams
- encrypted document collection for schools
- secure file requests for institutions
- secure file delivery for design studios
- private file transfer for agencies
- secure file transfer United States
- secure file transfer New York
- secure file transfer California
- secure document transfer for client work