Building Basedrop: Simple File Hosting

I made Basedrop.link because existing file sharing tools were either too limited or too complex. I wanted something fast with zero friction.

The Philosophy

• No accounts required
• No upload queues
• No upsell screens
• Just upload and get a link

Tech Stack

• Frontend: Next.js + TypeScript
• API: Next.js API Routes
• Storage: AWS S3
• CDN: CloudFront

Upload Flow

Presigned URLs let files go directly to S3:

const getUploadUrl = async (fileName: string) => {
  const command = new PutObjectCommand({
    Bucket: process.env.S3_BUCKET,
    Key: `uploads/${generateId()}/${fileName}`,
  });
  return await getSignedUrl(s3Client, command);
};

This means:

• No server bottleneck on uploads
• Better speeds for users
• Lower costs

Abuse Prevention

Anonymous hosting attracts bad actors:

• File type restrictions (no executables)
• Rate limiting per IP
• Automatic expiration
• Report system for takedowns

Results

• Average upload: under 30 seconds
• 40% of users return within a week
• Zero support requests about "how to upload"

Try it at Basedrop.link – no signup needed.

Related: Building Clark • My Journey