head to head · open source
LocalSend vs Firefiles
LocalSend has 91,903 GitHub stars, 5,130 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. Firefiles has 371 stars, 57 forks, 14 open issues and last shipped 11 months ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 24,672% (91,903 vs 371 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; Firefiles is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Firefiles 15%. LocalSend 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 | Firefiles | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 92K | ★ 371 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-14 | 2025-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 57 |
| 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 Firefiles if
- You want the Firefiles feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Firefiles 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 Firefiles
Firefiles is an open source, self hosted alternative to Dropbox: a TypeScript and Next.js web application that turns your own cloud storage buckets — such as AWS S3, Backblaze, or Firebase Cloud Storage — into a single browser based drive with a familiar file system interface, built for people who want Dropbox style file management while keeping their files in storage they already own.
read the full Firefiles overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or Firefiles more popular?
LocalSend has 91,903 GitHub stars and Firefiles has 371. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and Firefiles free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Firefiles under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and Firefiles?
LocalSend is written in Dart and Firefiles in TypeScript. 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 Firefiles?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (91,903 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Firefiles if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.