head to head · open source
LocalSend vs vifm
LocalSend has 93,081 GitHub stars, 5,203 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. vifm has 3,279 stars, 146 forks, 146 open issues and last shipped 24 days ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 2,739% (93,081 vs 3,279 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; vifm is written in C under GPL-2.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, vifm 4%. 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 | vifm | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 93K | ★ 3.3K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Dart | C |
| Last push | 2026-09-29 | 2026-09-07 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.2K | ⑂ 146 |
| 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 vifm if
- You want the vifm feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C
- You evaluated both and vifm 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 vifm
Vifm is a curses based, Vim like file manager for the terminal that gives people who already use Vim complete keyboard control over their files without having to learn a new set of commands.
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or vifm more popular?
LocalSend has 93,081 GitHub stars and vifm has 3,279. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and vifm free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and vifm under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and vifm?
LocalSend is written in Dart and vifm in C. 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 vifm?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (93,081 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose vifm if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.