TL;DR
Most "free file hosting" services delete your file after a download, after a few days, or hide ads behind a fake "direct" link. FileToUrl's free tier plays by the same rules — its links also expire, but after 30 days, much like several tools on this list. Where FileToUrl stands out is what a small upgrade unlocks: £24/year gets permanent links with no file size limit, and £48/year adds a REST API and MCP server for AI agents — something none of the free tools on this list offer at any price. That permanence lasts as long as the subscription does — cancel, and files get a 30-day grace period before reverting to free-tier expiry rules. Catbox remains the best genuinely free, permanent option if you don't need an API.
Why people go looking for a "file to URL" tool
Usually one of these:
- You need to paste a link somewhere (a form, a chat, a ticket) that only accepts URLs, not attachments.
- You're building something — a script, an app, an automation — and need a public URL back from an API call, not a UI you have to click through.
- You tried Google Drive or Dropbox sharing and hit a wall: signed-in-only access, expiring share links, or a "request access" screen instead of the file.
- You tried a free host and the link died a week later.
The right tool depends on which of these you actually have.
What to look for
- Does the link expire? Many "free" hosts delete on first download or after N days. Read the fine print — "free forever" often just means the service is free, not that your link survives.
- Is there an API? If you're automating anything, a curl-friendly upload endpoint matters more than a nice upload page.
- What's the real file size limit, and is it enforced quietly? Some limits are per-file; some are hidden behind rate limits that only bite once you're mid-project.
- Are "direct" links actually direct? Several popular free hosts redirect through an ad or landing page first — which breaks anything that expects to fetch the raw file (image tags, video players, automation tools).
The list
1. FileToUrl — best for developers and automations
FileToUrl.org converts any uploaded file into a permanent, publicly accessible URL via a simple REST API — POST a file with a bearer token, get back a stable HTTPS link. It also ships an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, so AI agents and LLM tooling can upload and retrieve files as part of a broader workflow — something none of the other tools on this list offer.
- Free tier: 49MB per file, 3 uploads/day, links expire after 30 days, no signup required
- Pro (£24/year): permanent links (while subscribed — see note below), unlimited uploads, no file size limit
- Developer (£48/year): everything in Pro, plus REST API and MCP server, 2,000 calls/month, 25GB/month
- Note: "permanent" means for the life of the subscription. If you cancel, files get a 30-day grace period, then revert to free-tier expiry rules.
- Pro and Developer also add a file management dashboard — tagging, search, and deletion — something none of the anonymous competitors on this list offer at all.
- Best for: developers and automations who need an API — via the paid Developer plan, not free
- Limitation: the free tier itself is not differentiated from competitors on permanence; you need Pro or Developer for that
2. Catbox — best minimalist option with no account
Catbox.moe is a long-running, donation-funded file host with a simple upload flow: drop a file, get a direct link, no account required.
- Free tier: 200MB per file
- Permanence: Yes, files stay up indefinitely, no forced expiry
- API: Basic upload API exists, no SDK or MCP support
- Best for: quick anonymous shares of images, audio, and video under 200MB
- Limitation: 200MB cap is restrictive for anything beyond small media files, and there's no way to programmatically manage or organize uploads at scale
3. file.io — best for one-time, self-destructing transfers
file.io is API-first and well known in the dev community, but it's built around the opposite goal of permanence: by default, files are deleted after a single download, and even paid plans only extend expiry rather than removing it.
- Free tier: 2GB max file size, 14-day expiry cap
- Permanence: No — files expire even on paid plans (up to 1 year on the highest tier)
- API: Yes, well documented
- Best for: sending a file to one person once — think "one-time secure transfer," not hosting
- Limitation: wrong tool entirely if you need the link to still work in a month
4. 0x0.st — best for terminal/CLI workflows
0x0.st is a minimal, no-frills host popular with people who live in the terminal — upload via curl, get a link back, done.
- Free tier: 512MB per file
- Permanence: No — retention is calculated by file size, ranging roughly 30 days to a year
- API: Yes, but no SDK, docs are sparse
- Best for: quick CLI uploads for personal/technical use
- Limitation: temporary by design, and the retention formula isn't always obvious upfront
5. GoFile — best for large files you'll keep re-downloading
GoFile offers generous size limits and unlimited bandwidth, but free files are deleted after 10 days of inactivity — meaning the file has to keep getting downloaded to survive.
- Free tier: Very large size limits, unlimited bandwidth
- Permanence: No — 10-day inactivity deletion
- API: Beta REST API available
- Limitation: "direct" links on GoFile actually redirect through an ad page first, which breaks tools (like curl, image embeds, or automations) expecting a true direct file URL on the first request
Comparison table
| Service | Price | Free size limit | Link expires? | API | MCP support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FileToUrl | Free / £24/yr / £48/yr | 49MB / unlimited / unlimited | Free: yes (30d) — Paid: no | Developer plan only (£48/yr) | Developer plan only |
| Catbox | Free | 200MB | No | Basic | No |
| file.io | Free | 2GB | Yes (14 days) | Yes | No |
| 0x0.st | Free | 512MB | Yes (30d–1yr) | Yes | No |
| GoFile | Free | Very high | Yes (10 days inactive) | Beta | No |
Which one should you actually use?
- Building an app, bot, or automation that needs a permanent URL back from an API call, and don't mind paying £48/yr for it → FileToUrl Developer plan
- Quick anonymous share of a small image/audio/video file, no account, no automation needed → Catbox
- Sending a file to one person, one time, and you want it gone after → file.io
- You live in the terminal and don't mind the link eventually expiring → 0x0.st
- You have a huge file and don't mind keeping it "alive" by re-downloading periodically → GoFile
- Managing many uploaded files and need to search/tag/organize them → FileToUrl Pro or Developer (the only option on this list with an account dashboard at all)
Ready to try it? Upload a file or see pricing.