head to head · open source
LocalSend vs Spacedrive
LocalSend has 91,903 GitHub stars, 5,130 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. Spacedrive has 39,003 stars, 1,350 forks, 57 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 136% (91,903 vs 39,003 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; Spacedrive is written in Rust under a custom or non-standard licence. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Spacedrive 3%. 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 | Spacedrive | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 92K | ★ 39K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Dart | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-09-14 | 2026-07-29 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 1.4K |
| 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 Spacedrive if
- You want the Spacedrive feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and Spacedrive 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 Spacedrive
Spacedrive is an open source, cross platform file explorer built on a virtual distributed filesystem written in Rust. It unifies local and remote storage—including cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, and S3—into a single interface, enabling unified search, browsing, and syncing across devices without centralized servers.
read the full Spacedrive overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or Spacedrive more popular?
LocalSend has 91,903 GitHub stars and Spacedrive has 39,003. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and Spacedrive free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0, and Spacedrive has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between LocalSend and Spacedrive?
LocalSend is written in Dart and Spacedrive in Rust. 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 Spacedrive?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (91,903 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Spacedrive if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.