head to head · open source
LocalSend vs Palmr
LocalSend has 98,686 GitHub stars, 5,636 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Palmr has 2,396 stars, 107 forks, 1 open issues and last shipped 28 days ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 4,019% (98,686 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 | ★ 99K | ★ 2.4K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Dart | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-11 | 2026-10-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.6K | ⑂ 107 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LocalSend if
- You weight community size — 99K 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 [![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 Palmr
⚠️ Project Archived After deep reflection, I have decided to focus my limited time and energy on my other projects. As a solo developer, I have struggled to actively maintain multiple projects with the care and attention they deserve. Without enough sponsors, it became unfeasible to maintain Palmr. If you are interested in continuing this work through a fork, I will be happy to add a link to it here in the README. We thank all the contributors and users who have supported Palmr over time! 🌴 Palmr. Open Source File Transfer Palmr. is a flexible and open source alternative to file transfer services like…
read the full Palmr overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or Palmr more popular?
LocalSend has 98,686 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 (98,686 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.