You attach the file, hit send, and get the error: attachment too large. It happens with videos, folders of photos, image-heavy PDFs, presentations. You haven't done anything wrong: email was never designed to move heavy files around.
This guide explains why it happens and what your options are, starting with the simplest. If you're in a hurry, the fastest fix is to send a link instead of the file: with Purpurri Transfer you can send large files for free, up to 5 GB, without creating an account.
Limits checked on October 8, 2026.
Every email service sets a cap on message size. One detail surprises many people: during sending, attachments can take up more space than the original file, so a file close to the limit can still be rejected.
The limit applies in two places: your own email service, which may block the sending, and the recipient's, which may reject the message even if yours accepted it. That's why a file under your limit can still fail to arrive.
These are the figures given by the official help pages on the date above. They can change, and for work or school accounts the limit is often set by an administrator.
| Service | Stated limit | Above the limit |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail (personal account) | 25 MB | Google recommends saving the file in Drive and inserting a link |
| Outlook.com | 25 MB (the whole message, text and attachments included) | Microsoft recommends OneDrive; linked files can be up to 2 GB |
| iCloud Mail | With Mail Drop, attachments up to 5 GB | The file stays available to download for 30 days |
Two notes. With work or school Gmail and Outlook accounts, the limit may differ from personal ones. And if the recipient's email service has a lower limit, the message may still not be delivered, as Apple also warns for Mail Drop.
Official sources: Gmail, Outlook.com, Mail Drop.
Email was never designed to move heavy files around.
The simplest option: the file is uploaded online and your email only contains the address to download it. The email stays light and the recipient downloads when they're ready.
You can use a file transfer service. With Purpurri Transfer you upload the file, copy the link and paste it into your email. The recipient doesn't need to sign up.
If you already have Google Drive, OneDrive or iCloud, you can share the file from there. Gmail and Outlook offer this right from the compose window. It works well, but you have to manage permissions: if the recipient doesn't have access, they can't open the file. And the file takes up your storage until you remove it.
Compressing helps with documents and text, much less with photos and videos, which are already compressed. A ZIP is mainly useful for bundling many files into one attachment. Don't count on it to bring a video of a few hundred MB under 25 MB.
Some services have a dedicated feature, such as Mail Drop for iCloud Mail. They're convenient because they're built directly into your email service, but each has different rules, limits and expiry times: always check the official ones.
No account needed. The service is free and has no ads.
To protect the link, add a password and share it through a different channel than the link. Your files travel over an HTTPS connection and are stored encrypted.
If you're comparing other services, our guide to WeTransfer alternatives compares free services that don't require an account.
A link instead of the file: the email stays light and the recipient downloads when they're ready.
Not as a regular attachment: the main services stop well before that. The practical way is to send a link.
Not with Purpurri: they open the link and download.
14 days from the moment you send it.
For more details, see our FAQ.
No sign-up, no rejected attachments: send large files for free with Purpurri Transfer.