head to head · open source
Files vs airdash
Files has 45,856 GitHub stars, 2,952 forks, 458 open issues and last shipped today. airdash has 668 stars, 126 forks, 18 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. Files leads on adoption by 6,765% (45,856 vs 668 stars). Files is written in C# under MIT; airdash is written in Dart under MIT. Files has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, airdash 19%. Files was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Files | airdash | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 668 |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | C# | Dart |
| Last push | 2026-10-08 | 2026-08-27 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.0K | ⑂ 126 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Files if
- You weight community size — 46K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C#
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick airdash if
- You want the airdash feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Dart
- You evaluated both and airdash fits your workflow better
About Files
Files is a modern, MIT licensed file manager for Windows, written in C and maintained by an open source community, for Windows users who want a customizable, actively developed alternative for organising files and folders.
read the full Files overview →
About airdash
AirDash is a free, open source file sharing app built with Flutter that lets you transfer photos and files directly between any devices — iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux and Android — from anywhere, for anyone who wants private device to device transfers without paying for cloud storage.
read the full airdash overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Files or airdash more popular?
Files has 45,856 GitHub stars and airdash has 668. Files has the larger community by that measure.
Are Files and airdash free?
Both are open source. Files is licensed under MIT and airdash under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Files and airdash?
Files is written in C# and airdash in Dart. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Files or airdash?
Choose Files if you want the larger community (45,856 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose airdash if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.