head to head · open source
superfile vs PairDrop
superfile has 23,993 GitHub stars, 836 forks, 269 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. PairDrop has 11,740 stars, 720 forks, 111 open issues and last shipped 7 months ago. superfile leads on adoption by 104% (23,993 vs 11,740 stars). superfile is written in Go under MIT; PairDrop is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0. superfile has attracted 3% as many forks as stars, PairDrop 6%. superfile 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
| superfile | PairDrop | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 24K | ★ 12K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Go | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-30 | 2026-04-22 |
| Forks | ⑂ 836 | ⑂ 720 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick superfile if
- You weight community size — 24K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- 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 superfile
superfile is supported by the community. Demo Content Demo Content Installation macOS and Linux Windows Powershell Winget Scoop More installation methods Build For macOS/Linux For Windows Start superfile Supported Systems Tutorial Plugins Themes Hotkeys Notes Troubleshooting Uninstalling macOS and Linux Windows Contributing Thanks Support Core maintainer Contributors Powered by Star History ༼ つ ◕\ ◕ ༽つ Please share. Installation macOS and Linux If you want to inspect the script, see : install.sh Windows Powershell If you want to inspect the script, see : install.ps1 Winget Scoop More installation methods Click…
read the full superfile overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is superfile or PairDrop more popular?
superfile has 23,993 GitHub stars and PairDrop has 11,740. superfile has the larger community by that measure.
Are superfile and PairDrop free?
Both are open source. superfile is licensed under MIT and PairDrop under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between superfile and PairDrop?
superfile is written in Go 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, superfile or PairDrop?
Choose superfile if you want the larger community (23,993 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose PairDrop if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.