head to head · open source
LocalSend vs joshuto
LocalSend has 92,756 GitHub stars, 5,181 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. joshuto has 3,732 stars, 165 forks, 102 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 2,385% (92,756 vs 3,732 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; joshuto is written in Rust under LGPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, joshuto 4%. 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 | joshuto | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 93K | ★ 3.7K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | LGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-24 | 2026-09-24 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.2K | ⑂ 165 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LocalSend if
- You weight community size — 93K 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 joshuto if
- You want the joshuto feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the LGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and joshuto 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 joshuto
Joshuto is a ranger like terminal file manager written in Rust, intended for keyboard driven users on Linux and macOS who want a fast, configurable text interface file browser rather than a graphical one.
read the full joshuto overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or joshuto more popular?
LocalSend has 92,756 GitHub stars and joshuto has 3,732. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and joshuto free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and joshuto under LGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and joshuto?
LocalSend is written in Dart and joshuto 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 joshuto?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (92,756 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose joshuto if its feature set, stack or LGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.