head to head · open source
LocalSend vs syncthing
LocalSend has 93,994 GitHub stars, 5,254 forks, 1,113 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. syncthing has 89,310 stars, 5,518 forks, 388 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. LocalSend leads on adoption by 5% (93,994 vs 89,310 stars). LocalSend is written in Dart under Apache-2.0; syncthing is written in Go under MPL-2.0. LocalSend has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, syncthing 6%. syncthing 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
| LocalSend | syncthing | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 94K | ★ 89K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Dart | Go |
| Last push | 2026-10-10 | 2026-10-10 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.3K | ⑂ 5.5K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick LocalSend if
- You weight community size — 94K 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 syncthing if
- You want the syncthing feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You evaluated both and syncthing 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 syncthing
Syncthing is an open source continuous file synchronization program written in Go that keeps files identical across two or more computers, aimed at individual users who want to sync their own data without a third party service.
read the full syncthing overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is LocalSend or syncthing more popular?
LocalSend has 93,994 GitHub stars and syncthing has 89,310. LocalSend has the larger community by that measure.
Are LocalSend and syncthing free?
Both are open source. LocalSend is licensed under Apache-2.0 and syncthing under MPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between LocalSend and syncthing?
LocalSend is written in Dart and syncthing 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, LocalSend or syncthing?
Choose LocalSend if you want the larger community (93,994 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose syncthing if its feature set, stack or MPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.