FileSeal is a UK-hosted secure document sharing service for professionals, and a ShareFile alternative for firms that need the collection moment rather than a full client portal. You create an encrypted upload link in about 30 seconds, your client uploads without creating an account, and you download once before the files are deleted from FileSeal’s servers. The free trial is 5 secure requests with no time limit and no card. Professional is £29 a month (£25 billed annually) and Teams is £59 a month (£47 billed annually) for up to 5 people including the owner, both plus VAT.
The difference
A portal is a commitment. A link is not.
ShareFile is a capable platform, and firms that live inside a client portal get real value from it. The question is whether that is the job you have.
Your client never registers
A FileSeal link opens, takes the files and closes. Nobody sets a password, and you buy no seat for them.
One flat fee, in sterling
ShareFile publishes per-user dollar prices with a three-licence minimum on Advanced and Premium. FileSeal Professional is £29 a month plus VAT for one person.
Deletion, not retention
A portal keeps documents because that is its purpose. FileSeal deletes them from its servers after the one download, so there is less sitting around to lose.
FileSeal compared with ShareFile
| Feature | FileSeal | ShareFile |
|---|---|---|
| What it is built for | Collecting one set of documents, then getting out of the way | A client portal with storage, workflows and e-signature |
| Does your client need an account | No | Yes, the portal is the product |
| After you download | Deleted from FileSeal’s servers | Files remain stored, which is the point of the product |
| Published price | £29/month plus VAT, in sterling | From $18.15 per user per month, or $16.50 billed annually |
| Minimum licences | One | Three on Advanced and Premium |
| Entry cost for a sole practitioner | £29/month plus VAT | Three licences at $16.50 each on annual billing |
| Hosting | UK on every plan | Storage region depends on plan and account setup |
| Free entry point | 5 secure requests, no time limit, no card | Free trial on Premium and Industry Advantage |
Prices and facts last reviewed: September 2026. Prices exclude UK VAT.
ShareFile figures read from its published pricing page on 3 September 2026and quoted in the currency shown there. Check both vendors’ current pages before making a decision.
Frequently asked questions
What UK firms ask when weighing the two.
What is the best ShareFile alternative for a small UK practice?
If you need a full client portal with folders, workflows and e-signature, ShareFile does more than FileSeal and you should keep it. If what you actually do is ask clients for documents and then file them elsewhere, FileSeal covers that one job: an encrypted one-time upload link, no account for the client, and deletion from FileSeal’s servers after you download. It costs less because it does less.
How much does ShareFile cost compared to FileSeal?
ShareFile publishes per-user prices in US dollars with a three-licence minimum on its main plans: Advanced at $18.15 per user per month, or $16.50 billed annually, and Premium at $28.59, or $26.00 annually. Three licences is therefore the entry point even for a sole practitioner. The free trial is 5 secure requests with no time limit and no card. Professional is £29 a month (£25 billed annually) and Teams is £59 a month (£47 billed annually) for up to 5 people including the owner, both plus VAT. FileSeal Professional is a single flat fee for one person with no seat minimum.
Do my clients need an account with ShareFile or FileSeal?
With FileSeal, no. Clients upload from any device without creating an account or installing anything. ShareFile is built around a client portal, which is a strength when you want an ongoing shared space with a client and an obstacle when you need one document from someone who will never log in again.
Does FileSeal store documents like ShareFile does?
No, and that is the main design difference. ShareFile is a storage and workflow platform where documents live. FileSeal is not long-term storage: Each link works once. Files are deleted from FileSeal’s servers after that download, and uncollected files are deleted when the link expires. You file the documents wherever you already keep them.
Where are documents hosted?
FileSeal hosts the application, database and encrypted files in the UK on every plan: Vercel in London, Neon PostgreSQL in AWS eu-west-2, and Vercel Blob’s UK store. ShareFile offers a choice of storage regions depending on plan and account setup, so check which region your account is provisioned in before relying on it for a data residency answer.
Is FileSeal suitable for a regulated firm?
Designed for firms regulated by the SRA and FCA. FileSeal holds no regulator endorsement. A Data Processing Agreement is published at fileseal.uk/terms/dpa and incorporated into the terms, and any signed-in account can download a GDPR Compliance Statement describing the technical and organisational measures. That statement is a statement, not a certification under Article 42 UK GDPR.