head to head · open source
LocalSend vs chadtree
LocalSend has 93,513 GitHub stars, 5,228 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped yesterday. chadtree has 1,688 stars, 62 forks, 93 open issues and last shipped yesterday. LocalSend leads on adoption by 5,440% (93,513 vs 1,688 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; chadtree is written in Python under GPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, chadtree 4%. chadtree 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
| LocalSend | chadtree | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 94K | ★ 1.7K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-06 | 2026-10-06 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.2K | ⑂ 62 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LocalSend if
- You weight community size — 94K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Dart
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick chadtree if
- You want the chadtree feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and chadtree fits your workflow better
About LocalSend
LocalSend is a free, open source, cross platform application that shares files and messages directly between nearby devices over the local network, and it is built for anyone who wants AirDrop style transfers without an internet connection or a third party server.
read the full LocalSend overview →
About chadtree
CHADTree is a file manager plugin for Neovim, written in Python, aimed at developers who want a fast, feature rich tree explorer as an alternative to NERDTree.
read the full chadtree overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or chadtree more popular?
LocalSend has 93,513 GitHub stars and chadtree has 1,688. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and chadtree free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and chadtree under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and chadtree?
LocalSend is written in Dart and chadtree in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, LocalSend or chadtree?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (93,513 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose chadtree if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.