head to head · open source
Pearcleaner vs Edge-Drop
Pearcleaner has 15,045 GitHub stars, 402 forks, 84 open issues and last shipped 5 months ago. Edge-Drop has 746 stars, 48 forks, 22 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Pearcleaner leads on adoption by 1,917% (15,045 vs 746 stars). Pearcleaner is written in Swift under a custom or non-standard licence; Edge-Drop is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Pearcleaner has attracted 3% as many forks as stars, Edge-Drop 6%. Edge-Drop 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
| Pearcleaner | Edge-Drop | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 15K | ★ 746 |
| License | Custom / other | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Swift | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-06-22 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 402 | ⑂ 48 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Pearcleaner if
- You weight community size — 15K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Swift
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Edge-Drop if
- You want the Edge-Drop feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Edge-Drop fits your workflow better
About Pearcleaner
Pearcleaner Website The only legitimate website owned by me is Anything else offering Pearcleaner downloads is either a scam or not affiliated with me. More details HERE. Project Status: On Hold As you may have noticed, development on the app has basically stopped since end of 2025, so I wanted to provide some context. Between a new job, joining a friend who is building a SaaS company, and other life priorities, I no longer have the time needed to actively maintain or continue development on the project. Another major reason is that I previously relied on my work MacBook for development. After changing jobs, I…
read the full Pearcleaner overview →
About Edge-Drop
Edge Drop Zero click, hover activated clipboard shelf and desktop file transfer hub with native OS integration. Lives invisibly on the screen edge. Approach it, and it springs open. Drag anything out — anywhere. Download • Why • Demos • Features • Quick Start • Architecture • Sponsor • Contributing Why Every clipboard manager on the market breaks your flow. You copy something, switch apps, paste, then hunt through Win+V history with arrow keys or dig into a tray menu. Multi step. Modal. Slow. Edge Drop removes the friction. It anchors to the screen edge of your monitor as a transparent, always on top, click…
read the full Edge-Drop overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Pearcleaner or Edge-Drop more popular?
Pearcleaner has 15,045 GitHub stars and Edge-Drop has 746. Pearcleaner has the larger community by that measure.
Are Pearcleaner and Edge-Drop free?
Both are open source. Pearcleaner has no licence declared in this registry, and Edge-Drop is licensed under Apache-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Pearcleaner and Edge-Drop?
Pearcleaner is written in Swift and Edge-Drop 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, Pearcleaner or Edge-Drop?
Choose Pearcleaner if you want the larger community (15,045 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Edge-Drop if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.