LocalSend

LocalSend is a free, open-source, cross-platform file-sharing app that lets any two devices on the same Wi-Fi network exchange files and clipboard text without an internet connection, an account, or a third-party server. We rate it 91/100 — the easiest, most trustworthy AirDrop alternative you can install today, and the rare open-source project that just works on every operating system you own.

What is LocalSend?

LocalSend was started by German developer Tienisto on December 16, 2022 and has grown into one of the most popular cross-platform utilities on GitHub. As of April 29, 2026, the localsend/localsend repository has 79,965 stars, 4,273 forks and over 100 contributors, and the project advertises more than 5 million downloads across its supported platforms. It is built with Flutter and Dart, licensed under Apache 2.0, and ships native binaries for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and Fire OS, plus a read-only web client.

The product solves a single, durable problem: most people still cannot send a 200 MB video from a Pixel to a MacBook without uploading it to a cloud first. AirDrop is Apple-only, Quick Share is mostly Android-to-Android, and Bluetooth is too slow for anything that matters. LocalSend uses a documented HTTPS-based protocol with TLS certificates generated on-the-fly on each device — so the transfer goes directly over your local network at the maximum speed your Wi-Fi can deliver, and the bytes never leave the LAN.

Key Features of LocalSend

• True cross-platform reach: Native installers for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, and Fire OS — plus distributions on the Microsoft Store, App Store, Play Store, F-Droid, Homebrew, Flathub, Snap, AUR, Winget, Chocolatey, Scoop and Nixpkgs.
• End-to-end encryption by default: Every transfer runs over HTTPS using a self-signed TLS certificate that is generated locally on each device — so files are encrypted in transit even though no certificate authority is involved.
• No internet required: Devices discover each other over UDP multicast on port 53317 and transfer over TCP on the same port — the only requirement is that both devices are on the same local network with AP isolation disabled.
• Wi-Fi-speed transfers: Independent reviewers report 480 MB videos transferring in under 30 seconds and 120-photo batches finishing in roughly the same time, limited only by the slowest radio in the chain.
• Send via link: Generate a temporary HTTPS link from the desktop app that other devices on the network can open in any browser — the receiver does not need to install LocalSend.
• Quick text and clipboard sharing: Send a snippet of plain text or a multi-line clipboard payload to another device without first creating a file — a small but addictive workflow improvement.
• Portable mode and tray support: Drop a settings.json next to the executable and LocalSend runs portably from a USB stick; --hidden launches it directly to the system tray.
• Zero ads, zero trackers, zero accounts: The app collects no telemetry, ships no ads, and never asks for an email or login — verified by anyone who can read the public Apache-licensed source.

What Users Say About LocalSend

Reaction across Reddit, Hacker News and Product Hunt has been unusually positive for an open-source utility. On r/selfhosted, r/privacy and r/Android, the most upvoted recurring sentiment is "set it up once and never think about it again" — users report leaving the iOS and Android apps installed for years and pulling them out whenever AirDrop or Quick Share fails across operating systems. The Yahoo Tech review calls it "the AirDrop and Quick Share replacement I've dreamed of," and Product Hunt commenters routinely highlight the lack of accounts, ads or telemetry as the reason they prefer it over Snapdrop or PairDrop.

The recurring complaints are also consistent and worth flagging. iOS users on the App Store reviews note that Apple's stricter background-network rules mean LocalSend on iPhone sometimes needs to be re-opened in the foreground before transfers begin, and a handful of GitHub issues describe folder uploads crashing on older Android versions. Self-hosters on Reddit point out that LocalSend has no built-in auto-update, so users who side-load the APK or grab the portable ZIP have to refresh their installs manually. Finally, a small but vocal subset of Hacker News readers wishes the project shipped a stable WebRTC-based mode for transfers across separate networks — a feature the maintainers have signaled is coming after v1.17, but that is not yet GA.

LocalSend Pricing

LocalSend is fully free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license. There is no premium tier, no paid plan, and no in-app purchase on any platform.

Plan	Price	Key Limits
LocalSend (all platforms)	$0	Unlimited transfers, unlimited file size, unlimited devices. Transfers are limited to a single local network.
Sponsorship (optional)	From $1/month via GitHub Sponsors	Same product — sponsorship just helps keep the project alive.

Because the entire codebase is Apache 2.0, organizations can self-build, repackage and even ship internal forks of LocalSend without any licensing fee.

Who Should Use LocalSend?

Best for: Anyone who lives across more than one operating system — students moving lecture slides between an iPad and a Linux laptop, photographers dumping a shoot from an Android phone to a Mac, IT teams pushing config files to colleagues without spinning up a share, and privacy-minded users who refuse to upload personal files to Google Drive or iCloud just to move them across the room.

Not ideal for: Teams that need transfers across the public internet, large-scale syncing across many devices (Syncthing or Resilio Sync are better there), or organizations that require centralized audit logging — LocalSend is intentionally peer-to-peer with no server-side log.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Genuinely cross-platform — covers every major OS without a paywalled tier
• Encrypted by default with on-device TLS certificate generation, no third-party server in the path
• Zero accounts, zero ads, zero telemetry — verifiable in the Apache 2.0 source
• Wi-Fi-speed transfers; independent reviewers measure 480 MB videos in under 30 seconds
• Massive distribution footprint: Microsoft Store, App Store, Play Store, F-Droid, Flathub, Homebrew, Snap, AUR, Winget, Chocolatey, Scoop and Nixpkgs

Cons:

• Local network only — no native fallback for transfers across the internet (yet; WebRTC is on the roadmap)
• No built-in auto-update for users who install the portable ZIP or APK directly
• iOS background networking restrictions can require re-foregrounding the app for receive
• Folder upload crashes are still reported on older Android devices in 2025-2026 GitHub issues

Alternatives to LocalSend

The closest free alternatives are Snapdrop and PairDrop, both browser-based and easier to spin up but without the polished native apps. Syncthing is the right tool for continuous folder sync across many devices, but it is heavier to configure for a one-shot transfer. Apple users with only Apple devices will still find AirDrop faster on Wi-Fi Direct, and Android users with only Pixel-class hardware will find Quick Share equally seamless — LocalSend's value is precisely that it covers the ugly cross-vendor cases those two cannot.

Verdict: Is LocalSend Worth It?

LocalSend is the best general-purpose local file-sharing app available in 2026, and it is free. It belongs on every desktop and every phone you own — the install cost is a few minutes, and the payoff arrives the next time AirDrop refuses to see your laptop or someone hands you a USB cable for a 100 MB transfer. We rate it 91/100. The only reason it is not higher is the missing cross-network mode and the iOS background quirk; once WebRTC ships, this is straightforwardly a 95+.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is LocalSend free?

Yes. LocalSend is fully free and open-source under the Apache 2.0 license. There are no paid tiers, no in-app purchases, and no ads on any platform. Optional GitHub Sponsors donations help fund development but unlock nothing extra.

What platforms does LocalSend support?

Windows 10+, macOS 11 Big Sur and later, Linux (deb, AppImage, Snap, Flatpak, AUR), Android 5.0+, iOS 12+, and Fire OS. There is also a read-only web fallback at the localsend.org web client for receiving files in a browser.

How does LocalSend compare to AirDrop?

AirDrop only works between Apple devices and uses Wi-Fi Direct over Bluetooth pairing. LocalSend works between any two operating systems on the same Wi-Fi network, encrypts every transfer with an on-device TLS certificate, and runs entirely without an internet connection.

Does LocalSend work without internet?

Yes. LocalSend transfers happen entirely over your local network using port 53317 (TCP and UDP). No connection to the internet, to a server, or to a cloud service is required for either discovery or transfer.

Is LocalSend open source?

Yes. The entire codebase is published at github.com/localsend/localsend under the Apache 2.0 license, including the underlying protocol specification at github.com/localsend/protocol.

Is LocalSend safe to use?

Every transfer is encrypted with HTTPS using a self-signed TLS certificate generated locally on each device, and the source code is openly auditable. The project ships no ads, no trackers and no telemetry. Independent reviewers consistently rate it among the safest file-sharing utilities available.