head to head · open source
LocalSend vs Sync-in
LocalSend has 91,903 GitHub stars, 5,130 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. Sync-in has 1,769 stars, 136 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 5,095% (91,903 vs 1,769 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; Sync-in is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Sync-in 8%. Sync-in 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 | Sync-in | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 92K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-14 | 2026-09-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 136 |
| 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 Sync-in if
- You want the Sync-in feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Sync-in 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 Sync-in
Sync in is a self hosted platform for file storage, synchronization, and team collaboration. It lives in the self hosted file management ecosystem, alongside homelab, on premise, and cloud alternative use cases. The project is written in TypeScript and licensed under AGPL 3.0.
read the full Sync-in overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or Sync-in more popular?
LocalSend has 91,903 GitHub stars and Sync-in has 1,769. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and Sync-in free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Sync-in under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and Sync-in?
LocalSend is written in Dart and Sync-in 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 Sync-in?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (91,903 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Sync-in if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.