Ballista vs Perkoon

Decision Maker Discovery

We do the heavy lifting to find exactly who hires for your target role. Simply paste a job link, and our system identifies the top three most likely decision-makers—by name—complete with confidence scores, reasons for the selection, and their real mailing addresses. This eliminates guesswork and ensures your resume lands in the right hands, not just a generic HR department.

Physical Mail Delivery

Ballista prints your uploaded PDF resume on premium 90lb bond paper and sends it via USPS First-Class mail, arriving in 5-7 business days. Physical mail has a 90% open rate, completely bypasses automated applicant tracking system (ATS) filters, and creates a memorable, professional impression that digital applications simply cannot match.

Verified Human Effort

Stand out from AI-generated spam. Every Ballista cover letter includes a unique QR code. When scanned, it provides employers with cryptographically signed proof of the real time and money you invested in your application. This "Verified Human Effort" certificate builds trust and demonstrates your genuine interest and dedication.

Flexible Credit System

Purchase credits that never expire and use them for various services. A standard application costs 668 credits. You can add options like a personalized cover letter (9 credits), custom brand design (35 credits), or upgrade to premium certified mail with tracking (1728 credits). This flexible system lets you tailor your campaign without subscriptions or hidden fees.

Unlimited Free P2P Transfer

This is the core of Perkoon. When both sender and recipient are online, files stream directly from one browser to another using peer-to-peer technology. This means there are absolutely no file size limits, no mandatory sign-ups, and because the data bypasses central servers entirely, it's private by design and costs Perkoon nothing to operate. It's free for you, forever, with no hidden catches.

Encrypted Cloud Storage for Offline Sends

Need to send a file to someone who isn't online right now? Perkoon's cloud storage feature has you covered. Files are securely encrypted on Perkoon's servers and held until the recipient is ready to download. This is the service's paid feature, and the pricing is transparently structured to honestly cover the cost of running and maintaining this infrastructure—no profit markup on privacy.

Native AI & Automation Integration

Perkoon is built for the age of automation. Instead of forcing AI agents to awkwardly scrape web pages, Perkoon provides a native JavaScript object (window.__perkoon) and a Command Line Interface (CLI) tool. This allows scripts, bots, and AI assistants to interact with the file transfer service directly and programmatically, enabling seamless automated workflows without friction.

Transparent Referral & Rewards Program

Perkoon incentivizes growth in a mutually beneficial way. Share your unique referral link; when someone signs up through it, you both get a bonus boost of cloud storage. When they complete 1GB of P2P transfers, you both earn even more. The program includes chain rewards, meaning you can earn bonuses from your referrals' referrals, building a network that continuously rewards active users.

Breaking Into Competitive Tech Hubs

Targeting a high-paying Product Manager role at a Silicon Valley startup or a marketing position in NYC? When you're up against thousands of online applicants, Ballista ensures you bypass LinkedIn and Indeed black holes. Your physical resume on a hiring manager's desk makes you a tangible candidate, not just another data point in a crowded digital queue.

The Seasoned Professional Seeking a Change

Experienced professionals often get filtered out by automated systems looking for exact keyword matches. Ballista allows you to circumvent these bots entirely. Sending a direct, physical application to a department head showcases your confidence, initiative, and serious intent, often leading to conversations that online forms would have prevented.

The Recent Graduate Building a Network

New graduates lack extensive networks and get lost in entry-level application piles. Ballista provides a powerful foot-in-the-door strategy. It demonstrates remarkable proactivity, turning a cold application into a warm, memorable introduction. The verified effort feature further validates your strong interest to potential employers.

Applying from Outside the US

You can live anywhere and effectively hunt for US-based jobs. Ballista handles the entire US mailing logistics for you. Upload your resume, paste the job link, and we manage the printing, addressing, and posting from within the United States, ensuring your application arrives professionally and promptly.

Sending Large Project Files to Clients

Freelancers, designers, and videographers can instantly send massive project files—think 50GB video edits or design suites—directly to a client's browser. No compressing, splitting, or begging clients to sign up for a service. It's a frictionless, professional transfer that respects both parties' time and data.

Automated Backup & Data Pipeline Scripts

Developers and sysadmins can integrate Perkoon's CLI into their scripts. Automate the transfer of log files, database dumps, or backup archives from a server to a designated recipient or storage node. The native API access means reliable, programmatic file movement without building custom infrastructure.

Privacy-Conscious Document Sharing

Lawyers, journalists, or anyone handling sensitive information can share documents with the assurance of true P2P privacy. Since files in a direct transfer never pass through a third-party server, there's zero risk of corporate scanning, data mining, or unauthorized access by the service provider itself.

AI Agent File Management

An AI assistant managing your workflow can use Perkoon's built-in window.__perkoon object to send you generated reports, receive documents for processing, or distribute outputs to a team. This turns Perkoon into a seamless file highway for autonomous agents, supercharging productivity without manual intervention.

Ballista is your precision strike against the broken online job application system. It's a revolutionary tool that bypasses digital black holes and AI filters by physically mailing your resume directly to the hiring manager's desk. Forget competing with 500+ invisible PDFs in an automated portal. Ballista finds the exact decision-maker by name, prints your resume on thick, professional-grade paper, and sends it via USPS First-Class mail. This tangible approach ensures your application gets opened, seen, and remembered. For job seekers from recent graduates to seasoned professionals, especially those targeting competitive remote roles or positions in tech hubs like NYC, Ballista provides a critical edge. It demonstrates unparalleled initiative and cuts through the noise for as little as $5 per application. You can use it from anywhere in the world to mail to US addresses, and with a process that takes under four minutes, it's the fastest way to transform from an ignored digital entry into a standout physical candidate.

Perkoon is the file transfer service that cuts through the corporate nonsense to deliver what you actually need: a fast, private, and refreshingly honest way to move your data. Built for real people tired of artificial limits, mandatory accounts, and services that monetize their privacy, Perkoon gets back to basics with two powerful modes. Its flagship offering is unlimited, free P2P transfer that beams files directly between browsers with no size caps and no middleman—your data never touches Perkoon's servers, ensuring true privacy and keeping the service free forever. For sending to offline recipients, Perkoon offers encrypted cloud storage as a straightforward paid feature, transparently covering the real cost of servers. Uniquely designed for the modern workflow, Perkoon is built for both humans and AI, featuring native automation tools and a CLI so machines can interact directly without clunky workarounds. It's the no-BS, efficiency-first solution for anyone who just wants their files to go from point A to point B without the hassle, hidden fees, or privacy violations.

How does Ballista find the right hiring manager?

Our proprietary system analyzes the job listing and company data to identify the most probable decision-makers. We scan for relevant department heads, directors, and VPs based on role, seniority, and team structure, presenting you with the top three targets along with our reasoning so you can make an informed choice.

What is included in the "Verified Human Effort"?

This is a unique digital certificate for each application. It includes a cryptographically signed record (using Ed25519) showing the cost you invested, the time spent, and confirmation of physical mail delivery. Employers scan the QR code on your cover letter to view this proof, distinguishing your genuine effort from mass-mailed spam.

How long does delivery take and can I track it?

Standard applications are sent via USPS First-Class Mail and typically arrive within 5-7 business days. You can upgrade any application to "Premium" for tracking and proof of delivery. This uses USPS Certified Mail, providing a signature upon delivery and full tracking visibility.

Do I need an account to use Ballista?

No. You can try the service immediately without signing up. Simply paste a job link to see how it works. To actually send an application, you will proceed through a checkout process. You can also create an account for a dashboard to manage your credits and view your sending history.

Is the P2P transfer really free forever?

Yes, absolutely. The peer-to-peer transfer technology sends files directly between browsers. This process costs Perkoon essentially nothing in server bandwidth or storage overhead. Therefore, they can offer it as a free service indefinitely, with no file size limits. The business model is sustained by the optional paid cloud storage feature.

What happens if the recipient is offline?

If the recipient is not online to receive a direct P2P transfer, Perkoon will seamlessly offer to use its encrypted cloud storage instead. This is a paid feature. The file is uploaded, encrypted on Perkoon's servers, and a link is generated. The recipient can then download the file at their convenience, with the link expiring after a set period.

Can Perkoon see what I'm sending in a P2P transfer?

No. In a direct P2P transfer, the file data streams exclusively between the two users' browsers using WebRTC technology. Perkoon's servers only facilitate the initial connection ("signaling") but never handle the actual file data. They are technically incapable of seeing, scanning, or storing the content of your transfer.

Which browsers are supported?

For the full, unlimited P2P experience, Chromium-based browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Brave work perfectly. Firefox and Safari have inherent browser restrictions that can limit transfer speeds or maximum file sizes for P2P connections. All major browsers support the cloud storage send and download functionality.

Ballista is a productivity tool that reimagines job applications by sending your resume directly to hiring managers via physical mail. This approach bypasses digital filters and clutter, aiming to secure higher response rates by making a tangible, professional impression. Users often seek alternatives for various reasons, including budget constraints, the need for different features like digital tracking or ATS optimization, or a preference for platforms that integrate with broader career management ecosystems. It's a search for the right tool that aligns with their specific job-hunt strategy and resources. When evaluating alternatives, consider your primary goal: Is it sheer visibility, networking, application volume, or resume optimization? Key factors include cost-effectiveness, delivery method (digital or physical), ease of use, and the ability to accurately target decision-makers. The best choice efficiently addresses your biggest bottleneck in the job search process.

Perkoon is a straightforward, privacy-focused file transfer service in the productivity and management category. It cuts through the clutter by offering unlimited peer-to-peer transfers without signups, a model that prioritizes user control and data privacy. Users often seek alternatives for various reasons. Some need different pricing structures or specific features like advanced collaboration tools. Others may require broader platform compatibility or simply prefer a service with a more traditional cloud-first approach over Perkoon's peer-to-peer core. When evaluating options, consider your primary needs. Key factors include transfer methods, privacy guarantees, cost structure, and ease of use. Determine if you value direct device-to-device transfers or always-available cloud storage, and whether automation capabilities or sheer simplicity are your top priority.