head to head · open source
PairDrop vs OpenCloud
PairDrop has 11,740 GitHub stars, 720 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped 7 months ago. OpenCloud has 6,270 stars, 263 forks, 449 open issues and last shipped yesterday. PairDrop leads on adoption by 87% (11,740 vs 6,270 stars). PairDrop is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0; OpenCloud is written in Go under Apache-2.0. PairDrop has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, OpenCloud 4%. OpenCloud 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 | OpenCloud | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 12K | ★ 6.3K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | JavaScript | Go |
| Last push | 2026-04-22 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 720 | ⑂ 263 |
| 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 OpenCloud if
- You want the OpenCloud 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 OpenCloud 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 OpenCloud
Server Backend [!TIP] For general information about OpenCloud and how to install please visit OpenCloud on Github and OpenCloud GmbH. This is the main repository of the OpenCloud server. It contains the golang codebase for the backend services. Getting Involved The OpenCloud server is released under Apache 2.0. The project is thrilled to receive contributions in all forms. Start hacking now, there are many ways to get involved such as: Reporting issues or bugs Requesting features Writing documentation Writing code or extend our tests Reviewing code Helping others in the community Every contribution is meaningful…
read the full OpenCloud overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is PairDrop or OpenCloud more popular?
PairDrop has 11,740 GitHub stars and OpenCloud has 6,270. PairDrop has the larger community by that measure.
Are PairDrop and OpenCloud free?
Both are open source. PairDrop is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OpenCloud under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between PairDrop and OpenCloud?
PairDrop is written in JavaScript and OpenCloud 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, PairDrop or OpenCloud?
Choose PairDrop if you want the larger community (11,740 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose OpenCloud if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.