head to head · open source
LocalSend vs projectsend
LocalSend has 92,936 GitHub stars, 5,194 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. projectsend has 2,024 stars, 359 forks, 9 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 4,492% (92,936 vs 2,024 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; projectsend is written in PHP under GPL-2.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, projectsend 18%. 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 | projectsend | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 93K | ★ 2.0K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Dart | PHP |
| Last push | 2026-09-27 | 2026-09-25 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.2K | ⑂ 359 |
| 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 projectsend if
- You want the projectsend feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches PHP
- You evaluated both and projectsend 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 projectsend
ProjectSend is a self hosted, GPLv2 licensed PHP and MySQL application that lets you share files with clients from your own server, with each client signing in to a private page, and it is aimed at freelancers, agencies and teams who would rather not hand client documents to a third party service.
read the full projectsend overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or projectsend more popular?
LocalSend has 92,936 GitHub stars and projectsend has 2,024. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and projectsend free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and projectsend under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and projectsend?
LocalSend is written in Dart and projectsend 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 projectsend?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (92,936 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose projectsend if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.