head to head · open source
LocalSend vs PairDrop
LocalSend has 91,903 GitHub stars, 5,130 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. PairDrop has 11,422 stars, 691 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped 5 months ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 705% (91,903 vs 11,422 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; PairDrop is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, PairDrop 6%. 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 | PairDrop | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 92K | ★ 11K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Dart | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-14 | 2026-04-22 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.1K | ⑂ 691 |
| 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 PairDrop if
- You want the PairDrop feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and PairDrop 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 PairDrop
PairDrop is open source JavaScript web app for file sharing. It lives in browser PWA ecosystem, using WebRTC, WebSockets, IndexedDB, Node.js. It is fork of Snapdrop. It is inspired by Apple AirDrop. It is listed as Productivity & Utilities / File Management & Sync. License is GPL 3.0. GitHub metadata lists 11390 stars and 690 forks.
read the full PairDrop overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or PairDrop more popular?
LocalSend has 91,903 GitHub stars and PairDrop has 11,422. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and PairDrop free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and PairDrop under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and PairDrop?
LocalSend is written in Dart and PairDrop in JavaScript. 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 PairDrop?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (91,903 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose PairDrop if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.