head to head · open source
LocalSend vs zrok
LocalSend has 92,156 GitHub stars, 5,141 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. zrok has 4,711 stars, 224 forks, 125 open issues and last shipped 3 months ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 1,856% (92,156 vs 4,711 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; zrok is written in Go under Apache-2.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, zrok 5%. 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 | zrok | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 92K | ★ 4.7K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Dart | Go |
| Last push | 2026-09-14 | 2026-06-22 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 224 |
| 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 zrok if
- You want the zrok feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and zrok 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 zrok
zrok is an open source, Apache 2.0 licensed secure sharing tool written in Go that lets developers, operators, and self hosters expose web services, folders, and TCP or UDP resources over the internet or to specific users without firewall changes or port forwarding.
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or zrok more popular?
LocalSend has 92,156 GitHub stars and zrok has 4,711. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and zrok free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and zrok under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and zrok?
LocalSend is written in Dart and zrok in Go. 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 zrok?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (92,156 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose zrok if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.