head to head · open source
LocalSend vs hfs
LocalSend has 97,634 GitHub stars, 5,553 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. hfs has 3,984 stars, 376 forks, 17 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 2,351% (97,634 vs 3,984 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; hfs is written in TypeScript under GPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, hfs 9%. hfs 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 | hfs | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 98K | ★ 4.0K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-06 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.6K | ⑂ 376 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LocalSend if
- You weight community size — 98K 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 hfs if
- You want the hfs feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and hfs 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 hfs
HFS: HTTP File Server Index Introduction How does it work Features Installation Configuration Internationalization Hidden features Contribute More Introduction Turn your computer into a file sharing server in seconds. Unlimited space and bandwidth — no cloud upload, files come directly from your disk Instant ZIP downloads , even for huge folders Virtual file system to organize what you share Real time activity monitoring Bandwidth throttling to control transfer speed Plugin system to extend functionality Runs on: Windows, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, Android How does it work run HFS on your computer; an administration…
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or hfs more popular?
LocalSend has 97,634 GitHub stars and hfs has 3,984. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and hfs free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and hfs under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and hfs?
LocalSend is written in Dart and hfs 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 hfs?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (97,634 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose hfs if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.