The Hightail Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Hightail in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Hightail
The Insider’s Guide
Large-file sharing with creative review and project tracking
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among file storage and sync services, read from Hightail’s own pages.
Made by Open Text Corporation · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Hightail’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Hightail’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 13 of the 45 other file storage and sync services we grade
Hightail, formerly YouSendIt and now part of OpenText, is a file sharing service with a free Lite plan and paid plans for creative teams. It sends large files with delivery tracking and passwords, and adds comments on files, version comparison and approval routing for review work.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Hightail, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, and review and project features to learn.
- 1
Best for sending files and getting creative work reviewed
Hightail sends large files and adds review and project tracking, free for 2 GB, with Pro at $12 a month billed annually.
- 2
Paid plans start at $12 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Lite: 2 GB storage, files up to 100 MB, send links expire after 7 days, limited previews, and 30 recipients per send.
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
Web and iOS.
- 5
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.
- 6
Expiry and passwords
Lite sends expire after 7 days. Paid plans can set an expiration date or keep files indefinitely, and add password protection.
- 7
Precise comments
Reviewers can comment on a specific point in a file. Teams and Business add version control and side-by-side version comparison.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 13 of 45
That is against the other file storage and sync services we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
The plain part of Hightail you could make: documents. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
Hightail at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS
- Made by
- Open Text Corporation
- Category
- File Storage & Sync
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
- Store rating
- 4.1 on the App Store, 648 ratings
The report card
Best for sending files and getting creative work reviewed
Hightail sends large files and adds review and project tracking, free for 2 GB, with Pro at $12 a month billed annually. The free plan caps files at 100 MB and sends expire in 7 days, and branding is an extra.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Pro at $12 a month billed annually ($15 monthly) sits in the dearer quarter of the category but under its $16.50 dearest-tenth line. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Lite is free with 2 GB, files up to 100 MB, 7-day links and limited previews. |
| Features | C | Sending, review and project tracking are covered, but custom branding and Uplink are add-ons and sending is capped at 100 recipients a send. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and review and project features to learn. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web and an iPhone app, with 7 integrations listed and no desktop app. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Hightail is for
- Fits if you send big creative files and want comments on them
- Works for freelancers who can live with 2 GB free
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Creative teams collecting feedback on files inside Adobe tools
- Agencies that send large deliverables and want to know when they are opened
- Occasional senders working inside the small free limits
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$12
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Hightail has a free plan. Paid plans start at $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed monthly).
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.
The free plan
Lite: 2 GB storage, files up to 100 MB, send links expire after 7 days, limited previews, and 30 recipients per send.
Read from hightail.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
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.
Stated on hightail.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and iOS
Large-file sharing with creative review and project tracking. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: documents, file sharing.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
What it works with
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- OpenText Core
- Dropbox
- Google Drive
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Zapier
Hightail is made by Open Text Corporation.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
13/45
Other file storage and sync services it is graded above
Hightail's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 13 of the 45 other file storage and sync services we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 12 of 45) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $12 a month, against a middle price of $6.32 for the category: 33 of the 37 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 22 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 46 file storage and sync services we grade, cut by the letter each got. Hightail’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 9 of 45
- CFree plan and trialAbove 4 of 45
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 45
- CEase of useAbove 9 of 45
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 12 of 45
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 40 file storage and sync services. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Hightail is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
The plain part of Hightail you could make: documents. What surrounds it you could not. The 4 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 28 of the 45 other file storage and sync services grade higher. It costs $144 a year.
What you could make
- Documents: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Storing and serving files for other people.
- A real app for iOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and OpenText Core among them.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. Hightail’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
WeTransfer, Dropbox, Box, ShareFile and Smash
The 5 tools Hightail is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
WeTransfer
Free plan · from $8/mo
Send large files by email or link without recipient sign-up.
- Only WeTransfer lists macOS and Android apps.
- WeTransfer also covers menu bar app.
- 2.8GPA
Dropbox
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Cloud storage and file sync with transfer and signing tools.
- Only Dropbox lists macOS, Windows, Linux and Android apps.
- Dropbox also covers file sync.
- 2.8GPA
Box
Free plan · from $5/mo
Business content storage with e-signatures, workflows and AI.
- Only Box lists macOS, Windows and Android apps.
- Hightail also covers documents.
- Box also covers workflow automation and file sync.
- 1.8GPA
ShareFile
Free trial · from $16.50/mo
Secure file sharing and client portals for business teams.
- Hightail has a free plan. ShareFile does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Hightail lists an iOS app.
- Hightail also covers documents.
- 2.4GPA
Smash
Free plan · from $6/mo
Browser-based file transfer with no sign-up and no paid size cap.
- Only Smash lists macOS and Android apps.
- Hightail also covers documents.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Hightail free?
Hightail has a free plan. Lite: 2 GB storage, files up to 100 MB, send links expire after 7 days, limited previews, and 30 recipients per send.
How much does Hightail cost?
Hightail lists 4 plans. Lite: $0.
What platforms does Hightail work on?
Hightail is available on Web and iOS.
Does Hightail offer any discounts?
Hightail publicly lists the following: Roughly 20% off with annual billing.
How is Hightail rated?
Hightail's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.1 out of 5 from 648 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Hightail have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Hightail is listed for Web and iOS.
Does Hightail have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Hightail is listed for Web and iOS.
Is Hightail open source?
Hightail is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Hightail integrate with?
Hightail's listing names Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, OpenText Core, Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Zapier.
Who makes Hightail?
Hightail is made by Open Text Corporation.
What are the alternatives to Hightail?
The closest alternatives to Hightail in our directory are WeTransfer, Dropbox, Box, ShareFile and Smash.
How does Hightail compare with other file storage and sync services?
Hightail's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 13 of the 45 other file storage and sync services we grade, and level with 4.
Is Hightail good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Hightail C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $12 a month, against a middle price of $6.32 for the category: 33 of the 37 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Hightail?
The plain part of Hightail you could make: documents. What surrounds it you could not.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Hightail’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Hightail's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Open Text Corporation. Prices change, so check hightail.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Hightail, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/hightail
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Hightail: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/hightail
Know someone choosing between file storage and sync services?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/hightail/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded file storage and sync services after Hightail, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- File Storage & Sync Insider's GuideEvery one of the 46 file storage and sync services we grade, compared
- Google Drive Insider's GuideCloud storage tied to Google Docs, Gmail and Photos3.6 GPA
- Filen Insider's GuideEnd-to-end encrypted cloud storage from Germany with open source apps3.4 GPA
- Microsoft OneDrive Insider's GuideMicrosoft's cloud storage, bundled with Microsoft 365 plans3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Hightail’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Hightail is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Open Text Corporation. Prices and plans change: check hightail.com before you buy.