Built for receiving
Transfer tools and cloud drives are designed to send or store files. Sunset Docs only receives them, so one link, one QR code and one email address cover every sender.
Alternatives
Ways to receive sensitive documents, compared
For short-lived documents such as IDs, payslips and bank statements, a temporary intake inbox with a fixed deletion date fits better than a transfer tool or a shared folder. For large files, long projects, e-signature or a permanent record, one of the other tools on this page is the better choice.
No card required. Up to 10 received files.
How it works
From request to deletion
- Share one link or addressSend your upload link, print it as a QR code for your counter, or give out your workspace's document email address. Senders need no account.
- Review watermarked previewsYour team opens watermarked page images in the browser. The original file is not delivered unless the owner allows a download, and every download is logged.
- Let the deletion date runEvery document gets a date between 1 hour and 90 days, or up to 365 days on Team and Business. Then originals, previews, keys, file names and sender details are deleted.
Deletion is not optional
There is no keep-forever setting. Deletion continues on schedule even if a trial ends, a payment fails or the subscription is cancelled.
Clear about its limits
20 MB per file, no e-signature, no checklists, no archive. If you need any of those, the table below shows which kind of tool does it.
How to choose
Will the document still be needed in a year, or is it larger than 20 MB? If so, use a storage, transfer or client portal tool. If you need a sensitive document for one task and then want it gone, a temporary intake inbox fits better.
Comparison table
| Option | What the sender needs | Where the files end up | Deletion | Better choice when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email attachments | Any email account | Every mailbox in the thread, including Sent folders | Manual, mailbox by mailbox | The documents are not sensitive |
| WhatsApp on their phone | The devices that receive the chat | Manual, device by device | Quick, non-sensitive photos | |
| WeTransfer request | A verified email address | Your Received tab, then your downloads | Transfer expiry set by your plan | Large files and creative work |
| Dropbox file request | Name and email, no account | A Dropbox folder you choose | Your own storage rules | You already keep client files in Dropbox |
| Google Drive or OneDrive | A Google account, or a OneDrive work or school request link | Your Drive or OneDrive folder | Your own storage rules | Long-term collaboration on shared files |
| Tresorit or Zivver | No account | An encrypted folder or secure mailbox | Link expiry or your own rules | End-to-end encryption, large files, secure email both ways |
| Content Snare, FileInvite or ShareFile | A link; client portals may need a login | The tool, often exported to your cloud | Check the vendor's settings | Checklists, reminders, e-signature, client portals |
| Sunset Docs | A link, QR code or email address | Encrypted EU storage, shown as watermarked previews | A fixed date, 1 hour to 365 days | Short-lived sensitive documents up to 20 MB |
Email attachments and WhatsApp
Every sender knows email. The problem is what happens after: the attachment stays in the sender's Sent folder and in every inbox it reaches until someone deletes it. Encryption in transit also depends on both providers. Google explains that TLS protects a message only when the recipient's provider also uses it, and personal Gmail caps attachments at 25 MB.
WhatsApp accepts documents up to 2 GB and protects messaging with end-to-end encryption. Transport is not the issue; the files land on staff phones, outside any business deletion schedule and next to personal chats.
WeTransfer and similar transfer tools
WeTransfer has a Request files option. Uploaders verify their email address, and transfers appear in your Received tab with the size and expiry rules of your plan: up to 3 days on Free and Starter, and up to 30 days on Ultimate or Teams. WeTransfer says expired transfers are removed from its servers.
It is built to deliver files, so the originals end up in your downloads. For video, design work or anything over 20 MB, it is the better choice.
Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive
Dropbox file requests work on all Dropbox plans, need no Dropbox account and land in a private folder you choose (Dropbox Help). We cover the details in our Dropbox file request comparison.
OneDrive for work or school offers file requests too: anyone with the link can upload, and they cannot see the folder's content. Google Drive has no equivalent for outsiders. Uploading to a shared folder needs editor access, and editors can open, edit, delete or move any file in it. File uploads in Google Forms require a Google Account.
In all three, received files become ordinary files in your storage, kept until your own retention rules remove them. For long-term collaboration and permanent storage, they are the better choice.
Tresorit and Zivver
Tresorit file requests let anyone upload without an account. Files are encrypted on the uploader's device, you review each file before accepting it, and you can set an expiry date or revoke the link (Tresorit). Zivver is secure email for Outlook and Microsoft 365. Guests can reply and attach files up to 5 TB without an account, verifying with an access code, SMS or email. For end-to-end encryption, very large files or secure email both ways, both are stronger choices.
Content Snare, FileInvite and ShareFile
Content Snare sends structured requests for files, text and choices, with templates and automatic reminders. Clients open them from an email link without an account, and finished requests export to Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive. Signing is also available, for example through a FuseSign integration. FileInvite offers checklists, reminders and e-signatures where required. ShareFile, part of Progress, combines client portals, built-in e-signatures and workflows. For onboarding with many items and signatures, these tools fit better.
Where Sunset Docs fits
Sunset Docs is for the counter, the shared inbox and the one-off request: an ID for a rental application, three payslips for a mortgage file. Your team sees watermarked previews, every open, print and download is logged, and each document is deleted on its date. Plans start at EUR 12 per workspace per month.
What Sunset Docs does not do
- Receive files over 20 MB, or more than 10 files and 25 MB per submission.
- Sign documents, send checklists or reminders, or act as an archive or document management system.
- Stop screenshots or photos of the screen. The watermark discourages and traces reuse; it does not prevent it.
- Delete copies made outside Sunset Docs, or delete backups instantly.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sunset Docs a WeTransfer alternative?
Only for receiving sensitive documents. It accepts up to 10 files per submission, 20 MB each and 25 MB in total, in PDF and common image formats. For video, design files or anything larger, WeTransfer or a similar transfer tool is the better choice.
What is a good ShareFile alternative for a small firm?
It depends on the job. If you need a client portal, e-signature, workflows and long-term storage in one place, look at suites in the ShareFile category. If you only need to receive documents, check them and delete them on time, a temporary intake inbox like Sunset Docs is simpler and usually cheaper.
When is Content Snare the better choice?
When you send structured requests with many questions, text answers, automatic reminders and signatures, for example during client onboarding. Sunset Docs does not build checklists or chase clients. It receives the documents you asked for in your own message.
Can I use Sunset Docs for health records or HR files?
Ordinary onboarding documents such as IDs, contracts and payslips, yes. Health or other special-category data, criminal records, children's data, full card numbers, passwords and private keys are not supported by default.
Does deletion include backups and copies?
Encrypted database backup residuals expire within 30 days, so backup deletion is not instant. Copies made outside Sunset Docs, such as downloads, printouts or photos of the screen, are not affected.
Set up your sensitive document inbox
Start with a document inbox that accepts files through an upload portal or dedicated email address, with automatic deletion for every new submission.
Start 14-day trial