head to head · open source
LocalSend vs PairDrop
LocalSend has 97,058 GitHub stars, 5,516 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped yesterday. PairDrop has 11,740 stars, 720 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped 7 months ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 727% (97,058 vs 11,740 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; PairDrop is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, PairDrop 6%. LocalSend 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 | PairDrop | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 97K | ★ 12K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-04-22 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.5K | ⑂ 720 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LocalSend if
- You weight community size — 97K 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 PairDrop if
- You want the PairDrop feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and PairDrop 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 PairDrop
Send it , with PairDrop Local file sharing in your web browser . Inspired by Apple's AirDrop. Fork of Snapdrop. Report a bug Request feature Features File sharing on your local network that works on all platforms. A multi platform AirDrop like solution that works. Send images, documents or text via peer to peer connection to devices on the same local network. Internet transfers Join temporary public rooms to transfer files easily over the Internet. Web app Works on all devices with a modern web browser. Send a file from your phone to your laptop? Share photos in original quality with friends using Android and…
read the full PairDrop overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or PairDrop more popular?
LocalSend has 97,058 GitHub stars and PairDrop has 11,740. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and PairDrop free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and PairDrop under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and PairDrop?
LocalSend is written in Dart and PairDrop in JavaScript. 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 PairDrop?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (97,058 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose PairDrop if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.