head to head · open source
LocalSend vs copyparty
LocalSend has 92,017 GitHub stars, 5,135 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. copyparty has 46,729 stars, 1,905 forks, 252 open issues and last shipped yesterday. LocalSend leads on adoption by 97% (92,017 vs 46,729 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; copyparty is written in Python under MIT. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, copyparty 4%. copyparty was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (file-sharing), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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 | copyparty | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 92K | ★ 47K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Dart | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-14 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 1.9K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LocalSend if
- You weight community size — 92K 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 copyparty if
- You want the copyparty feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and copyparty 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 copyparty
copyparty is a portable file server that turns almost any device into a file server with resumable uploads and downloads through any web browser, built for self hosters, homelab operators, NAS owners and anyone who wants to share files directly from their own hardware.
read the full copyparty overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or copyparty more popular?
LocalSend has 92,017 GitHub stars and copyparty has 46,729. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and copyparty free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and copyparty under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and copyparty?
LocalSend is written in Dart and copyparty 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 copyparty?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (92,017 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose copyparty if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.