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.

What it is

LocalSend is an open-source app written in Dart with Flutter and released under the Apache-2.0 licence. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and Fire OS, and it moves files and messages between devices that sit on the same local network. Communication happens over a REST API protected by HTTPS encryption, so the payload travels device to device. Nothing is uploaded to an external account, and no third-party server sits in the middle. The project lives in the Productivity & Utilities / File Management & Sync category, carries the topics dart, file-sharing, flutter and flutter-apps, and is hosted at localsend.org with code on GitHub and a Codeberg mirror. It reports roughly 91,889 stars, 5,129 forks and 1,113 open issues, with recent commits pushed in September 2026.

The concrete problem it solves is the transfer gap between operating systems. AirDrop moves files comfortably between Apple devices, but it stops at that boundary, and cloud transfer services solve the problem by routing content through remote infrastructure on someone else's terms. LocalSend closes both gaps at once: the README describes it plainly as an open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop, so a phone, a Windows laptop and a Linux workstation can exchange files with each other directly over the LAN.

Key capabilities

• Shares files and messages with nearby devices over the local network without an internet connection.
• Uses a REST API with HTTPS encryption instead of relaying data through third-party servers.
• Runs from one Dart and Flutter codebase across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and Fire OS.
• Ships through native stores and package managers: Winget, Scoop, Chocolatey, Homebrew, Flathub, Nixpkgs, Snap, AUR, Play Store, F-Droid and Amazon, plus EXE, DMG, TAR, DEB, AppImage, Portable ZIP and APK artefacts.
• Signs Windows binaries and documents a code signing policy in the README.
• Documents a command line interface alongside the graphical app.
• Handles translations through Weblate and runs continuous integration through the GitHub Actions workflow ci.yml.

Who uses it and how

• Households with mixed operating systems move photos and large files between a phone and a desktop without a cable or a cloud upload.
• Teams on restricted or air-gapped networks transfer files on the LAN where no internet route exists.
• Linux users install it from Flathub, Nixpkgs, Snap or the AUR alongside colleagues on Windows and macOS.
• Privacy-conscious users keep large transfers off third-party infrastructure entirely.
• Scripted or headless workflows use the documented command line interface instead of the GUI.

Getting started

Download from an app store or a package manager for the platform in question, such as Winget, Homebrew, Flathub or F-Droid. The README recommends those channels specifically because the app does not auto-update, and it also lists direct EXE, DMG, TAR, DEB, AppImage and APK installers, plus build instructions per platform for source builds.

How it compares

The facts name AirDrop as the direct point of comparison, and the difference is platform reach: AirDrop works between Apple devices, while LocalSend covers Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and Fire OS from one codebase under Apache-2.0. Both keep transfers peer to peer, but LocalSend extends that behaviour past the Apple ecosystem and publishes its protocol implementation and client source.

When to use it — and when not to

Adopt LocalSend where devices share a LAN and the goal is a direct, serverless transfer with no cloud account involved. The honest trade-offs: it does not auto-update, so updates depend on the store or package manager chosen, and the README points users to a troubleshooting section when discovery or transfer fails. Users who need transfers across the open internet, not across a local network, should look elsewhere, and anyone tempted by the unofficial MSIX preview at localsend.ob-buff.dev should note that the README does not guarantee its stability.