head to head · open source
LocalSend vs fileshelter
LocalSend has 93,697 GitHub stars, 5,228 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. fileshelter has 535 stars, 45 forks, 24 open issues and last shipped 7 months ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 17,413% (93,697 vs 535 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; fileshelter is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, fileshelter 8%. 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 | fileshelter | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 94K | ★ 535 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-10-07 | 2026-03-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.2K | ⑂ 45 |
| 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 fileshelter if
- You want the fileshelter 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 fileshelter 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 fileshelter
FileShelter is a self hosted, "one click" file sharing web application that lets you upload files and get back a download URL, built for individuals and small teams who want to share files over the Internet without depending on a third party service.
read the full fileshelter overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or fileshelter more popular?
LocalSend has 93,697 GitHub stars and fileshelter has 535. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and fileshelter free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and fileshelter under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and fileshelter?
LocalSend is written in Dart and fileshelter 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 fileshelter?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (93,697 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose fileshelter if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.