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Hello I'm developing a project, and I need to know is there a file hosting which support direct links to txt, zip? I have tried some free hosting sites, but all I do is get 403 forbidden when trying to access the direct link. Thank you

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why do not put the file on cloud, like Amazon S3 etc – Eric Yin Feb 12 '12 at 20:52

closed as not constructive by John Conde♦ Dec 20 '12 at 19:21

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Any paid for web hosting provider will offer direct link downloads, but most free web hosts won't as they gain no revenue from the traffic.

If you just want to host files for download it's worth looking at file sharing services like Bit-Torrent Dropbox, Sparkleshare, Putlocker, Rapidshare and Mediafire.

All offer free file hosting or sharing in some form or another. These services generally divide into three categories.

  • Software client based services like Dropbox (which uses a freemium business model) and Sparkleshare (which is an open source distributed social network) require the file's receiver to install software first, but maintain a connection allowing users to syncronise files with each other and collaborate on projects.

  • Web based freemium services like Rapidshare and Mediafire allow the user to download from the web, but offer the option of a free slow download or paid for fast download.

  • Peer to peer based services like Bit-Torrent are free and open source but require the receiver to to install software client.

The lines between these categories are not clear cut, Sparkleshare for instance combines elements of software client and peer to peer.

You should also read our community wiki 'How to find web hosting that meets my requirements?'

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If you put your files in a dropbox public folder they are accessible without anything to install. – Sinan Feb 11 '12 at 13:15
@Sinan excellent point. – toomanyairmiles Feb 11 '12 at 13:20
@Sinan yeah, accessible, but not with my script! I just get 403! This answer doesn't help me! – Devfly Feb 11 '12 at 13:31

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