head to head · open source
LocalSend vs ffsend
LocalSend has 92,046 GitHub stars, 5,136 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. ffsend has 7,413 stars, 205 forks, 33 open issues and last shipped 10 months ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 1,142% (92,046 vs 7,413 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; ffsend is written in Rust under GPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, ffsend 3%. LocalSend 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 | ffsend | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 92K | ★ 7.4K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-14 | 2025-11-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 205 |
| 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 ffsend if
- You want the ffsend feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and ffsend 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 ffsend
ffsend is a command line client for the Send file sharing service that uploads and downloads encrypted files and directories through a single terminal command, built for developers, system administrators and anyone who prefers a scriptable, privacy respecting alternative to a web upload form.
read the full ffsend overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or ffsend more popular?
LocalSend has 92,046 GitHub stars and ffsend has 7,413. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and ffsend free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and ffsend under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and ffsend?
LocalSend is written in Dart and ffsend in Rust. 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 ffsend?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (92,046 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose ffsend if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.