head to head · open source
LocalSend vs nimble-commander
LocalSend has 94,423 GitHub stars, 5,286 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. nimble-commander has 746 stars, 57 forks, 34 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 12,557% (94,423 vs 746 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; nimble-commander is written in C++ under GPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, nimble-commander 8%. nimble-commander 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 | nimble-commander | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 94K | ★ 746 |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-10-10 | 2026-10-11 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.3K | ⑂ 57 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LocalSend if
- You weight community size — 94K 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 nimble-commander if
- You want the nimble-commander feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and nimble-commander 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 nimble-commander
Nimble Commander is a free, open source, dual pane file manager for macOS, aimed at Mac users who want keyboard driven navigation and the speed of classic file managers instead of the pointer first workflow of the Finder.
read the full nimble-commander overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or nimble-commander more popular?
LocalSend has 94,423 GitHub stars and nimble-commander has 746. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and nimble-commander free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and nimble-commander under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and nimble-commander?
LocalSend is written in Dart and nimble-commander in C++. 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 nimble-commander?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (94,423 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose nimble-commander if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.