head to head · open source
PairDrop vs Firefiles
PairDrop has 11,740 GitHub stars, 720 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped 7 months ago. Firefiles has 370 stars, 59 forks, 14 open issues and last shipped 1.0 years ago. PairDrop leads on adoption by 3,073% (11,740 vs 370 stars). PairDrop is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0; Firefiles is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. PairDrop has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Firefiles 16%. PairDrop 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
| PairDrop | Firefiles | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 12K | ★ 370 |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-04-22 | 2025-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 720 | ⑂ 59 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick PairDrop if
- You weight community size — 12K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Firefiles if
- You want the Firefiles 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 Firefiles fits your workflow better
About PairDrop
Send it , with PairDrop Local file sharing in your web browser . Inspired by Apple's AirDrop. Fork of Snapdrop. Report a bug Request feature Features File sharing on your local network that works on all platforms. A multi platform AirDrop like solution that works. Send images, documents or text via peer to peer connection to devices on the same local network. Internet transfers Join temporary public rooms to transfer files easily over the Internet. Web app Works on all devices with a modern web browser. Send a file from your phone to your laptop? Share photos in original quality with friends using Android and…
read the full PairDrop overview →
About Firefiles
Firefiles Join Discord: Description Firefiles is an open‑source alternative to Dropbox which lets you setup a cloud drive with the backend of your choice and lets you seamlessly manage your files across multiple providers. Features A modern file system interface for your storage buckets. Manage files in the browser. Easily download and share files. File previews. File tagging and filtering (if provider supports). AWS S3 support. Dark theme. Screenshots Tech Used Sponsor this project Firefiles is an open source project. If you want to support the project, you can do so by funding / sponsoring the project. Here…
read the full Firefiles overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PairDrop or Firefiles more popular?
PairDrop has 11,740 GitHub stars and Firefiles has 370. PairDrop has the larger community by that measure.
Are PairDrop and Firefiles free?
Both are open source. PairDrop is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Firefiles under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PairDrop and Firefiles?
PairDrop is written in JavaScript and Firefiles 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, PairDrop or Firefiles?
Choose PairDrop if you want the larger community (11,740 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Firefiles if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.