head to head · open source
LocalSend vs explorerplusplus
LocalSend has 98,886 GitHub stars, 5,655 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. explorerplusplus has 3,344 stars, 437 forks, 253 open issues and last shipped yesterday. LocalSend leads on adoption by 2,857% (98,886 vs 3,344 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; explorerplusplus is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, explorerplusplus 13%. explorerplusplus 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 | explorerplusplus | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 99K | ★ 3.3K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-11-11 | 2026-11-13 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.7K | ⑂ 437 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LocalSend if
- You weight community size — 99K 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 explorerplusplus if
- You want the explorerplusplus feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and explorerplusplus fits your workflow better
About LocalSend
LocalSend [![CI status][ci badge]][ci workflow] [![Translations][translate badge]][translate link] [![Packaging status][packaging badge]][packaging link] [ci badge]: [ci workflow]: [translate badge]: [translate link]: [packaging badge]: [packaging link]: [Homepage][homepage] • [Discord][discord] • [GitHub][github] • [Codeberg][codeberg] English (Default) • 中文 [homepage]: [discord]: [github]: [codeberg]: LocalSend is a free, open source app that allows you to securely share files and messages with nearby devices over your local network without needing an internet connection. About Sponsors Screenshots Download…
read the full LocalSend overview →
About explorerplusplus
Explorer++ Explorer++ is a lightweight and fast file manager for Windows. Features With the option to save to the registry or a configuration file, Explorer++ is completely portable Tabbed browsing for easy management of multiple folders Display window shows previews of files as they are selected Easy to remember keyboard shortcuts for quick navigation Customizable user interface Full drag and drop support with other applications, including Windows Explorer Advanced file operations such as merging and splitting supported Change file dates and attributes Save a directory listing Bookmark tabs Search for files…
read the full explorerplusplus overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or explorerplusplus more popular?
LocalSend has 98,886 GitHub stars and explorerplusplus has 3,344. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and explorerplusplus free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and explorerplusplus under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and explorerplusplus?
LocalSend is written in Dart and explorerplusplus in C++. 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 explorerplusplus?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (98,886 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose explorerplusplus if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.