head to head · open source
LocalSend vs Nextcloud
LocalSend has 91,903 GitHub stars, 5,130 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. Nextcloud has 36,828 stars, 5,222 forks, 3,657 open issues and last shipped yesterday. LocalSend leads on adoption by 150% (91,903 vs 36,828 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; Nextcloud is written in PHP under AGPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Nextcloud 14%. Nextcloud 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 | Nextcloud | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 92K | ★ 37K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-09-14 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 5.2K |
| 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 Nextcloud if
- You want the Nextcloud feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and Nextcloud 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 Nextcloud
Nextcloud is a self hosted cloud collaboration platform built in PHP, licensed under AGPL 3.0. It enables organizations and individuals to store, synchronize, and share files, contacts, calendars, and other data on infrastructure they control, replacing reliance on third party cloud services. The project lives in the open source cloud software ecosystem and serves as a decentralized alternative to proprietary suites like Dropbox, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365.
read the full Nextcloud overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or Nextcloud more popular?
LocalSend has 91,903 GitHub stars and Nextcloud has 36,828. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and Nextcloud free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Nextcloud under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and Nextcloud?
LocalSend is written in Dart and Nextcloud in PHP. 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 Nextcloud?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (91,903 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Nextcloud if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.