Hightail vs ShareFile (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hightail grades higher than ShareFile: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Hightail grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Hightail
Large-file sharing with creative review and project tracking
ShareFile
Secure file sharing and client portals for business teams
Which one is for you
Pick Hightail if
- Fits if you send big creative files and want comments on them
- Works for freelancers who can live with 2 GB free
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you send big files free: Lite stops at 100 MB a file and links expire in 7 days
- Pricey if you pay monthly: Pro is $15 against $144 for the year
- Watch out: custom branding and Uplink are add-ons, not included on Pro, Teams or Business
- Watch out: Teams covers 1 to 30 users and Business starts at 3, so larger groups go to sales
Pick ShareFile if
- Fits if you send documents to clients and want portals and tracking
- Works for a firm of 3 or more with a compliance need on the Premium plan
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you're alone: every plan needs at least 3 users
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there is none
- Tight if you need e-signatures or forms, which start at Premium at $26 a user
- Watch out: storage starts at 3 TB for the whole account, with more in 3 TB packs
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAHightailFair | 1.8GPAShareFileWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro at $12 a month billed annually ($15 monthly) sits in the dearer quarter of the category but under its $16.50 dearest-tenth line. | D$16.50 a user billed annually is the category's dearest-tenth line, and 3 users minimum makes it $49.50 a month for one person's worth of use. |
| Free plan and trial | CLite is free with 2 GB, files up to 100 MB, 7-day links and limited previews. | DA free trial on each plan, length not stated, and no free plan. |
| Features | CSending, review and project tracking are covered, but custom branding and Uplink are add-ons and sending is capped at 100 recipients a send. | CSharing and portals are covered, but e-signatures, forms, workflow automation and HIPAA, FINRA and SEC support start at Premium. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and review and project features to learn. | CNo store rating on record, and portals and permissions to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and an iPhone app, with 7 integrations listed and no desktop app. | BWeb only is named on the page, with 8 integrations listed. |
| Best for | sending files and getting creative work reviewed | client portals and secure sharing for business teams |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Hightail and ShareFile. How we grade
Price against what you get
Hightail starts at $12 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ShareFile starts at $16.50 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Hightail starts $4.50 a month lower. Of the other file storage and sync services on the chart, 22 score higher than Hightail for less, and 22 score higher than ShareFile for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Hightail also covers documents.
- ShareFile also covers workflow automation and forms.
At a glance
| Hightail | ShareFile | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly) | $16.50 per user / month, billed annually ($18.15 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Lite: 2 GB storage, files up to 100 MB, send links expire after 7 days, limited previews, and 30 recipients per send. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial offered on each plan; length not stated on the pricing page |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Open Text Corporation | Progress Software Corporation |
| Price read from | hightail.com | sharefile.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Hightail
- The free Lite plan caps files at 100 MB and expires sends after 7 days.
- Online purchases are limited to 200 file-send recipients a day, and 100 per send on paid plans.
- Custom branding and Uplink are add-ons on Pro, Teams and Business rather than included.
- Teams covers 1 to 30 users and Business starts at 3 users; larger groups go through sales.
ShareFile
- No free plan, and each plan needs at least 3 users.
- Plans start with 3 TB of account storage in total; more comes in 3 TB packs.
- E-signatures, forms, workflow automation and HIPAA, FINRA and SEC support start at Premium.
- The pricing page mentions desktop and mobile apps without naming operating systems, so only web is listed.
Key features
Hightail
- Large file sending
- Send limits are 100 MB on Lite, 25 GB on Pro, 50 GB on Teams and 500 GB on Business, with send tracking and delivery notifications on paid plans.
- Expiry and passwords
- Lite sends expire after 7 days. Paid plans can set an expiration date or keep files indefinitely, and add password protection.
- Precise comments
- Reviewers can comment on a specific point in a file. Teams and Business add version control and side-by-side version comparison.
- Project management
- Teams and Business include to-dos, advanced approval routing and personal and team dashboards for creative projects.
- Adobe and cloud integrations
- Photoshop and Illustrator plugins are listed on every plan, along with syncing from Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive.
ShareFile
- Encrypted sharing
- Files are stored encrypted and shared by link, with link expiration dates and remote lock and wipe for lost devices.
- Client portal
- Clients get a branded place to receive and upload files. Unlimited client users are included on every plan.
- Requests, forms and e-signatures
- Premium and above can collect documents, forms and signatures from clients and route them through automated workflows.
- Email add-ins
- Integrations for Outlook, Outlook Online and Gmail replace attachments with secure ShareFile links.
- Access and security controls
- Multi-factor sign-in, Active Directory single sign-on, activity reports and file-level permissions. Enterprise adds provisioning and monitoring.
Plans
Hightail
Lite$0
2 GB storage, 100 MB files, 7-day expiry, limited previews and precise comments.
Pro$12
per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
Unlimited storage, 25 GB files, configurable expiry, password protection and 5 nested folders.
Teams$24
per user / month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
1 to 30 users, 50 GB files, version control, approval routing, dashboards and phone support.
Business$36
per user / month, billed annually ($45 billed monthly)
For 3+ users: 500 GB files, 30 nested folders, enterprise-grade security and a dedicated support team.
ShareFile
Advanced$16.50
per user / month, billed annually ($18.15 billed monthly)
Encrypted storage and sharing, real-time co-editing, access controls and basic reporting. 3-user minimum.
Premium$26.00
per user / month, billed annually ($28.59 billed monthly)
Adds e-signatures, requests, forms, workflow automation, an enhanced client portal and AI document automation. 3-user minimum.
Enterprise$35.00
per user / month, billed annually ($42.00 billed monthly)
Adds automated user provisioning, data loss protection and security monitoring tools. 3-user minimum.
Virtual Data Room$69.30
per user / month, billed annually ($77.00 billed monthly)
Confidential document sharing with granular access for deals and audits. 1 GB storage per license, 5-license minimum.
Ways to pay less
Hightail
- Annual discount
Roughly 20% off with annual billing
The pricing FAQ gives Pro at $144 a year, Teams at $288 per user and Business at $432 per user, and says annual billing saves about 20% a month.
ShareFile
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Hightail or ShareFile?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Hightail starts at $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly), and ShareFile starts at $16.50 per user / month, billed annually ($18.15 billed monthly). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Hightail or ShareFile?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Hightail has a free plan. ShareFile does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Hightail and ShareFile run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Hightail lists an iOS app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.