head to head · open source
LocalSend vs MaterialFiles
LocalSend has 92,380 GitHub stars, 5,151 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 8 days ago. MaterialFiles has 9,022 stars, 738 forks, 611 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 924% (92,380 vs 9,022 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; MaterialFiles is written in Kotlin under GPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, MaterialFiles 8%. MaterialFiles 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.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| LocalSend | MaterialFiles | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 92K | ★ 9.0K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | Kotlin |
| Last push | 2026-09-14 | 2026-09-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.2K | ⑂ 738 |
| 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 MaterialFiles if
- You want the MaterialFiles feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Kotlin
- You evaluated both and MaterialFiles 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 MaterialFiles
Material Files is a free, open source Material Design file manager for Android 5.0 and later, aimed at Android users who want to browse, manage and modify files — including files that require root access — without handing full device access to a closed source app.
read the full MaterialFiles overview →
More in Productivity & Utilities
Related comparisons
More File Management & Sync projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the File Management & Sync field.
Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or MaterialFiles more popular?
LocalSend has 92,380 GitHub stars and MaterialFiles has 9,022. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and MaterialFiles free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and MaterialFiles under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and MaterialFiles?
LocalSend is written in Dart and MaterialFiles in Kotlin. 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 MaterialFiles?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (92,380 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose MaterialFiles if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.