head to head · open source
LocalSend vs Palmr
LocalSend has 92,857 GitHub stars, 5,190 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Palmr has 2,396 stars, 107 forks, 1 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 3,776% (92,857 vs 2,396 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; Palmr is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Palmr 4%. 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 | Palmr | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 93K | ★ 2.4K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Dart | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-27 | 2026-09-26 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.2K | ⑂ 107 |
| 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 Palmr if
- You want the Palmr feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Palmr 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 Palmr
Palmr is an open source, self hostable file sharing platform built in TypeScript under the Apache 2.0 licence, aimed at people and teams who want to upload, manage, and share files with password protection, custom links, and access control on infrastructure they control.
read the full Palmr overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or Palmr more popular?
LocalSend has 92,857 GitHub stars and Palmr has 2,396. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and Palmr free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Palmr under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and Palmr?
LocalSend is written in Dart and Palmr in TypeScript. 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 Palmr?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (92,857 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Palmr if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.