> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.zas.red/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Two ways to send

> Zas sends a file in one of two ways: stored on Zas servers for five days, or straight from one device to the other. Here is how to choose.

Zas has two send paths. They solve different problems.

**Stored in Zas** puts an encrypted copy on Zas servers. The other device picks it up whenever it wants. Nobody has to be online at the same time.

**Direct transfer** moves the file straight from one device to the other. Nothing is stored. Both devices must have Zas open at the same time.

## Compare them

| | Stored in Zas | Direct transfer |
| - | - | - |
| Where the file goes | Encrypted on Zas servers | Device to device |
| Both devices open at once | Not needed | Needed |
| Without an account | 30 MB | 5 GB |
| Free plan | 50 MB | 10 GB |
| How long it lives | 5 days, or 2 without an account | The length of the transfer |
| Counts against your storage | Yes | No |
| Share link | Yes | No |
| Pin it | Yes | No |

## How to choose

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Use stored" icon="box-archive" href="/en/concepts/stored">
    The other device is asleep, in a bag, or someone else's. You want a share link. You want to pin it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use direct" icon="bolt" href="/en/concepts/direct">
    The file is large. Both devices are in front of you. You do not want a copy left anywhere.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## What both paths have in common

* Zas encrypts on your device, before anything leaves it.
* Zas does not compress your file and does not re-encode your photo or video.
* Limits are shown before you send, never after the upload. If a file is too large for the path you chose, Zas says so first.

## Nothing lives forever on either path

A stored item runs a five-day clock. A direct transfer exists only while it runs.

If a direct transfer cannot connect, Zas offers to fall back to an encrypted stored copy instead. That copy lasts up to 24 hours, not five days.

<Card title="Expiry" icon="clock" href="/en/concepts/expiry">
  The five-day clock, the ring, and how pinning pauses it.
</Card>


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