head to head · open source
LocalSend vs ranger
LocalSend has 92,156 GitHub stars, 5,141 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. ranger has 17,405 stars, 942 forks, 896 open issues and last shipped 11 days ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 429% (92,156 vs 17,405 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; ranger is written in Python under GPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, ranger 5%. LocalSend 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 | ranger | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 92K | ★ 17K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-14 | 2026-09-09 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 942 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LocalSend if
- You weight community size — 92K 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 ranger if
- You want the ranger feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and ranger 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 ranger
Ranger is a console file manager with VI key bindings, written in Python and released under the GNU General Public License version 3, for terminal users who want to browse, preview, and manipulate files without leaving a Unix shell.
read the full ranger overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or ranger more popular?
LocalSend has 92,156 GitHub stars and ranger has 17,405. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and ranger free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and ranger under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and ranger?
LocalSend is written in Dart and ranger in Python. 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 ranger?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (92,156 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose ranger if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.