Cloud File Storage API
Cloud File Storage API for Developers Who Hate Boilerplate
REST API + SDK for storing and serving files. Drop-in alternative to AWS S3 with global CDN included — no IAM, no CORS, no signed-URL plumbing.
Most cloud file storage APIs hand you a SDK, an IAM policy generator, a CORS rules wizard, and a signed-URL helper before you've stored a single byte. files.link is a single REST endpoint: POST a file, get a permanent CDN URL back. Use it from any language with an HTTP client (curl, fetch, requests, axios — no SDK installation required), or pull in the lightweight client libraries when you want typed responses. Built for developers who want files online in a one-line API call, not a half-day of cloud-console clicking. See the focused <a href="/file-storage-api">file storage API</a> page for endpoint reference, or the live Swagger UI at <a href="/api-docs">/api-docs</a>.
Benefits With No Complexity
99.99% uptime
Your files are always there when you need them.
<50ms global latency
Lightning-fast file delivery worldwide.
~90% cache hit ratio
Most requests will be served instantly from the edge.
What You Get
Unlimited files
Upload as many files as you need.
Unlimited storage
There is no storage limit.
Public + Private storage
Private files are fully secured.
CDN ready links
Upload directly to 450+ edge locations worldwide.
Prepaid credits
Prepaid credits, no monthly subscriptions.
More coming soon
We have plenty of features coming!
How files.link Works
1. Upload
Upload your assets/files.
2. Copy
Copy the CDN link.
3. Use Anywhere
Paste and enjoy the blazing speed.
Why Developers Choose files.link
A Better Way to Store & Deliver Files
| AWS S3 SDK | Cloudflare R2 API | files.link | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single REST endpoint, no SDK required | |||
| Permanent CDN URLs returned in response | |||
| No IAM / CORS / bucket policy setup | |||
| Signed URLs with 10-min expiry built-in | |||
| Pay-as-you-go from $5 prepaid | |||
| OpenAPI spec + Swagger UI at /api-docs |
Calculate Your Needs
Storage
0GB
Egress
0GB
CDN Bandwidth
0GB
Total: $0.000/month
Get API Keys
- 99.99% uptime
- <50ms global latency
- ~90% cache hit ratio
- Unlimited files
- Unlimited storage
- Public + Private storage
- Prepaid credits
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a file storage API and an SDK?
An API is the HTTP contract (POST /v1/files/{folderId}, GET /v1/files/{id}, etc.). An SDK is a client library that wraps the API for a specific language. files.link offers both — the REST API works from any HTTP client (curl, fetch, axios, requests), and you can drop the lightweight client into your project when you want typed responses.
How do I upload a file via the cloud file storage API?
Single curl: `curl -X POST https://api.files.link/v1/files/{folderId} -H 'Authorization: YOUR_KEY' -F '[email protected]'`. Response includes the permanent CDN URL. Same shape from any HTTP library — no SDK install, no IAM dance.
Does files.link have an OpenAPI spec or SDK?
Yes. The OpenAPI 3.0 spec is at /api-docs.json and a hosted Swagger UI at /api-docs lets you try every endpoint with the 'Authorize' button. Generate clients in any language using openapi-generator.
How does the API compare to AWS S3 PutObject?
S3 requires an SDK install (or hand-signed v4 requests), IAM policies, CORS rules for browser uploads, and a separate signed-URL generator for downloads. files.link is one POST that returns the public CDN URL — no auxiliary infrastructure.
Can I use the file SDK in serverless functions?
Yes. Because the API is plain HTTP and accepts multipart or base64 bodies, it works in any serverless runtime (Vercel, Cloudflare Workers, Lambda) without bundling a heavy SDK or maintaining IAM trust relationships.
General Questions
What is files.link?
files.link is a developer-first file platform that makes it simple to store, secure, and deliver files globally. It provides signed URLs, public/private access, and an API-first design so you can integrate file delivery into any app without the usual complexity.
How is files.link different from Google Drive or Dropbox?
Google Drive and Dropbox are built for consumer use and collaboration. files.link is built for developers and businesses, focusing on programmatic file hosting, global delivery, and usage-based pricing — without unnecessary bloat.
Will my files still be available if files.link is down?
Yes. Your files continue to be served globally even if the files.link dashboard or API is offline for maintenance. The delivery infrastructure runs independently, so your end users never notice downtime.
What are signed URLs?
Signed URLs are secure, time-limited links that control who can access your files. They're ideal for private downloads, paid content, or temporary access.
Can I use my own domain?
Coming soon.
What is egress?
Egress means outbound data transfer. For example, if someone downloads a 1 GB file, that counts as 1 GB of egress.
What pricing model do you use?
files.link uses prepaid credits with usage-based billing. Add a payment method to receive $5 in credits, then usage is deducted daily from your balance. When credits run low, we automatically recharge your account — no per-user fees or subscription tiers.
Can I make permanent links?
Yes. Public files can have permanent links. For private files, files.link provides permalinks that automatically issue fresh signed URLs, keeping them secure while still always accessible.
Who is files.link best for?
files.link is ideal for SaaS platforms, agencies, and developers who need reliable file hosting and delivery without managing cloud infrastructure directly. It's like Google Drive reimagined for developers.
How does billing work?
files.link uses prepaid credits. When you add a payment method, we charge $5 to start your credit balance. As you use storage, bandwidth, and API requests, credits are deducted daily. When your balance runs low, we automatically recharge it. No monthly subscriptions — just simple usage-based pricing.
How fast is file delivery?
files.link uses a global CDN with 450+ edge locations worldwide. Files are automatically cached close to your users for lightning-fast delivery, typically under 50ms in major cities.
Can I migrate from S3, R2, or other services?
Yes. files.link provides a REST API that makes migration straightforward. Simply upload your files via the API or dashboard, and update your application to point to the new URLs.
What file types are supported?
All file types are supported — images, videos, documents, archives, code, databases, and more. There are no restrictions on file types or extensions.
Is there a file size limit?
files.link supports files of any size. Whether you're storing thumbnails or multi-gigabyte videos, the platform handles it seamlessly.
How secure is my data?
All files are encrypted at rest and in transit. You can use signed URLs for private files, control access with permissions, and rely on enterprise-grade infrastructure for data protection.
Do you offer an API?
Yes. files.link is API-first with a simple REST API for uploading, managing, and delivering files. Perfect for integrating file storage into your applications programmatically.
Can I use files.link for video streaming?
Absolutely. files.link's CDN is optimized for video delivery, providing fast streaming with global edge caching. It's perfect for on-demand video, course content, and live stream archives.
files.link use cases
🖼 Images🎥 Videos📄 Documents💾 Database backups👥 Customer assets👪 Family photos💻 JavaScript files💽 Archival🔗 File sharing📋 Pastebin📋 Pastebin alternative📋 Free pastebin📋 Share code snippets📋 Private paste links📋 JSON pastebin📋 SQL pastebin📋 Python pastebin🐍 Python file upload🟢 Node.js file upload🐹 Go file upload🦀 Rust file upload☕ Java file upload🐘 PHP file upload💎 Ruby file upload🔷 C# file upload🔵 TypeScript file upload🍎 Swift file upload▲ Next.js file upload🦄 Django file upload🧪 Flask file upload💎 Rails file upload🔥 SvelteKit file upload🎨 Laravel file upload💿 Remix file upload🚀 Astro file upload🛤 Express file upload⚡ FastAPI file upload📦 Dropbox alternative📤 WeTransfer alternative🔌 UploadThing alternative🖥 transfer.sh alternative🖼 Cloudinary alternative📸 Imgur alternative📄 Resume PDF hosting🎨 Portfolio asset hosting🎙 Podcast audio hosting📹 Screencast hosting🎮 Game asset hosting🎓 Webinar recording hosting📑 PDF hosting📊 CSV hosting🖼 WebP hosting🎯 SVG hosting🎬 MP4 hosting🗜 ZIP hosting📋 TypeScript paste📋 YAML paste📋 Markdown paste📋 Bash paste📋 Go paste📋 Rust paste📋 HTML paste📋 CSS paste💻 File upload CLI🌀 File upload with curl🔑 File upload API keys☁️ File hosting without AWS🖥 Video streaming🗂 General file storage🌐 Static website assets📦 Build artifacts⚡ API response caching📋 Log files⚙️ Configuration files📱 User-generated content👤 Profile pictures📧 Email attachments💬 Chat media📝 Form uploads🎵 Audio & podcasts📢 Marketing assets🎓 Course content🎨 Design files📚 PDF & eBooks🪣 S3 alternative☁️ Cloudflare R2 alternative🔥 Firebase storage alternative▲ Vercel blob alternative⚡ Supabase storage alternative🚀 Serverless file storage🌍 Edge storage CDN🔒 Encrypted file storage🧾 Invoice storage⚖️ Legal document storage🏠 Real estate photos🛒 E-commerce product images📱 QR code storage🖼️ Thumbnail storage🎬 Screen recording storage📡 Live stream archive💬 Video subtitle storage📲 Mobile app assets🐍 Python file storage🟢 Node.js file storage⚛️ React file storage▲ Next.js file storage🐳 Docker image storage☸️ Kubernetes backup storage🔄 CI/CD artifact storage🏗️ Terraform state storage🤖 ML dataset storage📦 Git LFS alternative☁️ Backblaze B2 alternative🗄️ Wasabi alternative🌊 DigitalOcean Spaces alternative☁️ Google Cloud Storage alternative🔷 Azure Blob alternative🐰 Bunny CDN alternative🖼️ imgix alternative📁 Uploadcare alternative📦 Filestack alternative🗄️ MinIO alternative☁️ Linode Object Storage alternative🌐 Vultr Object Storage alternative☁️ UpCloud Object Storage alternative🌐 Scaleway Object Storage alternative🔷 Oracle Cloud Storage alternative💼 IBM Cloud Object Storage alternative🌐 Storj alternative💾 Filecoin alternative📦 Arweave alternative💼 SaaS file storage🚀 Startup file storage🏢 Agency file storage🎨 Creator file storage🎓 Education file storage🛒 E-commerce file storage🎮 Gaming file storage🎬 Media file storage💳 Fintech file storage🏠 Real estate file storage⚖️ Legal file storage🤝 Nonprofit file storage💳 Stripe file uploads🛍️ Shopify file storage📝 WordPress media storage🎨 Webflow file storage🫧 Bubble file storage🔧 Retool file storage📊 Airtable file storage📝 Notion file storage💬 Slack file storage🎮 Discord bot file storage📱 Telegram bot file storage⚡ Zapier file storage🔄 Make file storage🎨 SVG file hosting📊 CSV file storage📝 JSON file storage📄 XML file storage🗜️ ZIP archive storage📝 Markdown file storage📋 Log file storage🔌 File upload API🗄️ File storage API🖼️ Image upload API📁 File management API🪣 S3-compatible API🌐 File hosting API☁️ Cloud file storage API📤 Host files online📦 Share large files🚀 Upload files to CDN🖼️ Serve images from CDN👤 Store user uploads💰 Affordable file hosting🌍 Affordable CDN💳 Prepaid credits storage🆓 Developer file storage🚫 No egress fees🔐 Private file hosting🖼️ Image CDN🎥 Video CDN📦 Object storage🌐 File CDN☁️ Storage with CDN⏱️ Temporary file hosting🔗 Permanent file links🪄 File to link generator🏢 Multi-tenant storage🧊 Cold storage & archive