LocalSend

Local file sharing, honestly reviewed. No marketing fluff, just what happens when you install it on a mixed-OS household.

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TL;DR

• What it is: Free, open-source (Apache-2.0) local file sharing app — AirDrop for every operating system, including Windows, Linux, and Android [README][3].
• Who it’s for: Anyone with devices on more than one OS who is tired of emailing files to themselves, compressing photos through messaging apps, or using cloud storage as a transfer intermediary [3][4][5].
• Cost savings: AirDrop is free — but only works between Apple devices. The real comparison is against what people actually do instead: WeTransfer (2GB limit, $16+/mo for more), Dropbox ($11.99/mo), or iCloud ($0.99–$9.99/mo). LocalSend is $0 with no file size limit and no cloud at all [README].
• Key strength: Genuinely cross-platform. Works between iPhone and Android, Mac and Windows, Linux and iPad — with no account, no login, no servers, and no ads [README][3][5].
• Key weakness: Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network. No internet connection means no on-the-go transfers unless you set up a mobile hotspot. Transfer speeds become less predictable above 10GB [1][3].

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What is LocalSend

LocalSend is a free, open-source app that transfers files between nearby devices over your local Wi-Fi network without touching the internet. You install it on any combination of Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, or Amazon Fire OS devices, open it on both ends, and drag files across. The transfer happens entirely inside your router — nothing leaves your local network.

The GitHub description says it plainly: “an open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop” [README]. That framing is accurate and the project doesn’t overclaim. It’s not a sync tool, not a cloud backup, not a NAS replacement. It’s a point-to-point transfer app, and it does that one thing reliably.

Technically, it uses a REST API with HTTPS encryption for device-to-device communication [README]. Devices discover each other via multicast on the local network — which is also why it breaks on Tailscale and other VPNs that don’t pass broadcast packets [2]. Each device gets an auto-assigned name (the kind that produces identifiers like “Secret Avocado”) that you can rename [1][2].

As of this review: 76,644 GitHub stars, 5M+ downloads across platforms, 100+ contributors, Apache-2.0 license [website][README]. The Apache-2.0 license means you can use it commercially, embed it in products, and redistribute it without restriction — a cleaner license than many open-source tools in this category.

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Why people choose it

The consistent thread across every review is the same frustration: modern devices live in incompatible ecosystems, and the workarounds are embarrassing for 2025.

Éric’s comment on the LocalSend homepage says it plainly: “Finally I don’t have to use Gmail drafts to easily share files.” That’s the bar being cleared here. Patrick Hearn at XDA Developers [3] makes the same point — he was emailing large images to himself because AirDrop stops working the moment an Android device enters the equation. Dave Schumaker [5] discovered it when he wanted to move files to his e-reader without fumbling with USB cables or Dropbox.

The cross-platform reality is the core value proposition. AirDrop is excellent but ends at Apple’s garden wall. Google’s Quick Share works well across Android and Chrome OS. Neither talks to the other. The moment someone in a household or team uses a different OS, both stop being useful [4].

Versus emailing files to yourself. The comparison sounds absurd until you remember how often people actually do it. LocalSend transfers a 480MB video between a Pixel 9 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro in approximately 30 seconds [1]. Email would take minutes, compress the file, and leave a copy on Google’s servers. LocalSend does none of that.

Versus WeTransfer / cloud uploads. If you regularly move files larger than 2GB, WeTransfer’s free tier isn’t an option. Paid tiers start around $16/mo. LocalSend has no file size limit and no monthly fee [5][README]. The transfer also stays local — no third-party server ever sees the file.

Versus AirDrop itself. Several reviewers note that LocalSend is actually more reliable than AirDrop, not just broader in reach. Dave Schumaker [5]: “I also find it to be more reliable than AirDrop, which can be extremely finicky. LocalSend just works.” Casey, in the app’s community quotes, describes it working “even on my fussy Linux PC” when AirDrop equivalents failed [website].

The privacy angle. XDA’s review [3] identifies this as an underappreciated feature. Files transferred over LocalSend never hit an external server. For anyone cautious about cloud services having copies of their personal photos, contracts, or financial documents, the local-only approach is the point, not just a technical detail.

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Features

Core transfer:

• Send files, folders, text, and clipboard content [README][2]
• Folder structure preserved on receipt — a folder of nested PDFs arrives as the same folder structure [2]
• Any file type supported; no format restrictions [website]
• No file size limit (though speeds get less predictable above 10GB on 2.4GHz bands) [3][5]
• Transfer happens at your Wi-Fi network’s maximum speed — no artificial bandwidth cap [website]

Discovery and sharing:

• Zero-configuration device discovery over multicast [README]
• Auto-assigned device names (customizable) [1][2]
• Share via Link: generates a local address anyone on the same network can open in a browser to download files — no app required on the receiving end [1][2]
• QR code sharing for mobile → mobile transfers [2]
• Integrates with the native sharing menus on iOS and Android — you can share from Photos or Files directly to LocalSend without opening the app [1][2]

Privacy and security:

• HTTPS encryption for all transfers [README]
• No internet connection required [README]
• No accounts, no login, no servers [website]
• Zero ads or tracking (the website prominently lists “0 Ads or Trackers”) [website]
• Open-source — code is auditable on GitHub [README][3]

Extras:

• Transfer history with timestamps [1]
• Works on Amazon Fire OS in addition to the main five platforms [README]
• Available via every major distribution channel: Winget, Scoop, Chocolatey, Homebrew, Flathub, Nixpkgs, Snap, AUR, F-Droid, Play Store, App Store [README]

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Pricing: what you’re actually replacing

LocalSend costs nothing. That’s straightforward. The pricing question worth asking is: what cloud workaround does it replace, and what does that workaround cost?

Most people who don’t have a cross-platform local transfer tool end up paying for one of these:

Service	Free tier	Paid tier
WeTransfer	2GB per transfer, ads	~$16/mo for 200GB storage
Dropbox	2GB storage	$11.99/mo (2TB, Plus)
Google One	15GB (shared with Gmail)	$2.99/mo (100GB)
iCloud	5GB	$0.99/mo (50GB), $2.99/mo (200GB)

None of these are egregious SaaS prices — but they’re also none of them necessary for local device-to-device transfers. If the only reason you pay for Dropbox is to move files between your laptop and phone, LocalSend eliminates that use case entirely.

The more accurate cost framing is time cost. Patrick Hearn [3] identifies this: large email attachments are slow, cloud upload-then-download adds latency, compression through messaging apps degrades quality. A 480MB video in 30 seconds over LocalSend [1] beats a few minutes uploading to Google Drive and then re-downloading on the other device.

LocalSend self-hosted (as a server tool): The README notes REST API availability, and the app can run as a headless server. For teams or workflows that need programmatic file transfer over local network, this is technically possible — though LocalSend’s README doesn’t document this path extensively. The primary use case is still the desktop/mobile GUI.

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Deployment reality check

For the desktop/mobile use case, “deployment” means installing an app. This is not a self-hosted server tool in the traditional sense — there’s no Docker container, no VPS, no domain name. You download from the App Store, Play Store, or your Linux package manager, and it works.

That said, a few setup realities:

What works immediately:

• Any combination of Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS on the same Wi-Fi network [README]
• Native sharing menu integration on iOS and Android after install [1][2]
• No account creation, no email address, no configuration [website]

What requires attention:

• Firewall rules. On Windows, you may need to allow LocalSend through the Windows Firewall for discovery to work on the local network. First launch usually prompts for this.
• Same network requirement. Both devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network. If your laptop is on the corporate network and your phone is on cellular, transfers won’t work without creating a hotspot [2][3].
• Tailscale/VPN breakage. LocalSend uses multicast for device discovery, which Tailscale and many VPNs don’t route. Tested and confirmed non-functional over Tailscale in at least one case [2].
• Large file caveats. Multiple reviewers mention that transfers above 6–10GB can show slower or inconsistent speeds. Switching from 2.4GHz to 5GHz Wi-Fi usually helps [1][3].
• No auto-update. The README explicitly notes the app doesn’t auto-update — you need to pull updates from your app store or package manager manually [README].

Receiving files requires the app to be open. Unlike AirDrop on Mac which always listens in the background, LocalSend needs to be actively running to receive [2]. For desktop use this is barely a constraint; for phones it means remembering to open it before someone sends something.

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Pros and cons

Pros

• Genuinely cross-platform. Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Fire OS — tested and confirmed working across OS combinations that AirDrop and Quick Share both refuse [1][3][4][5].
• Zero cost, zero ads, zero tracking. Apache-2.0 licensed, auditable source, no monetization hooks [README][website].
• No account or cloud required. Files never leave your local network [README][website].
• Fast on the same network. 480MB video in ~30 seconds on a reasonable Wi-Fi setup [1]. Limited only by your router’s throughput.
• No file size limit. [5][README] No 2GB cap, no compression, no quality loss.
• Share via Link. Lets someone without the app receive files via browser on the same network — useful for one-off transfers to guests [1][2].
• 76,644 GitHub stars. Not a niche or abandoned project — this is widely used, actively maintained, and covered by major tech press [website].
• More reliable than AirDrop according to users who’ve used both. Less dependent on obscure Apple connectivity requirements [5].

Cons

• Same-network dependency. This is the main constraint. No internet fallback. If you’re at a coffee shop and your phone is on 5G, you can’t use LocalSend without creating a hotspot [2][3].
• No background receiving on mobile. App must be open to receive. This is a UX friction point for incoming transfers you don’t anticipate [2].
• Breaks on VPNs. Tailscale and similar overlay networks block the multicast discovery that LocalSend relies on [2].
• Large file inconsistency. Above ~6–10GB, transfer speeds become unpredictable, especially on 2.4GHz networks [1][3].
• No auto-update. Minor, but relevant if you want to stay current without managing updates manually [README].
• No desktop background service on Windows/Linux. Unlike AirDrop’s always-on behavior on macOS, you have to remember to open LocalSend before someone sends you something.

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Who should use this / who shouldn’t

Use LocalSend if:

• You have devices on more than one OS — any combination of Apple and non-Apple — and regularly move files between them.
• You’ve been emailing files to yourself, using WeTransfer, or uploading to Dropbox just to get a file from phone to laptop.
• Privacy matters: you don’t want photos, documents, or work files passing through a third-party server.
• You want a permanent, free tool you can install once and forget about for this problem category.

Skip it if:

• All your devices are Apple and AirDrop already works well for you. LocalSend adds nothing in that scenario.
• You need to share files with people on a different network (email, cloud links, or WeTransfer are better answers for that).
• You regularly move files larger than 10GB and can’t use a 5GHz connection. Consider a USB drive or a local NAS for that use case.
• You need to receive files without actively opening an app — LocalSend doesn’t work as a background receiver on mobile.

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Alternatives worth considering

• AirDrop — the gold standard, but only works Apple-to-Apple [4]. If your devices are all Apple, use it.
• Google Quick Share (formerly Nearby Share) — works well across Android and Chrome OS. Android-to-Windows works in limited form. No iOS, no Linux [4].
• KDE Connect — excellent for Linux-to-Android, deeper integration (clipboard sync, notifications, remote control). More setup required, steeper learning curve. [Not in the article sources, from common knowledge]
• Snapdrop / Pairdrop — browser-based local sharing, no app install needed. Pairdrop is the self-hosted fork. The upside is zero install; the downside is it requires a browser open on both ends and historically had reliability issues.
• Warpinator — Linux Mint’s built-in file transfer tool, similar local-only approach. Linux-to-Linux mostly; the cross-platform story is weaker than LocalSend.
• WeTransfer — the go-to for sending large files to people on different networks. Cloud-based, so the right tool when you need it, but unnecessary for same-network transfers.
• USB drive — still unbeaten for moving very large files (50GB+) reliably, especially if Wi-Fi is the bottleneck.

For the core use case — transferring files quickly across mixed OS devices on the same network — the realistic shortlist is LocalSend vs. KDE Connect. LocalSend wins on simplicity, mobile support, and file-transfer focus. KDE Connect wins if you want deeper Linux-Android integration and don’t need iOS.

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Bottom line

LocalSend solves a real, boring problem that shouldn’t still be a problem in 2025: getting a file from one device to another when they’re sitting on the same desk but running different operating systems. It doesn’t try to be more than that. There’s no cloud, no account, no subscription, no ads — just a fast, local transfer that works across every major platform.

The tradeoffs are real and worth knowing: same-network only, no background receiving on mobile, occasional inconsistency with very large files, no VPN support. But for the most common use case — moving photos from an Android phone to a Mac, sending documents from a Windows laptop to an iPhone, or transferring a folder of files from Linux to anything — it’s the cleanest implementation of that idea that exists as open source right now. 76,644 GitHub stars and 5 million downloads suggest a lot of people have reached the same conclusion after emailing one too many files to themselves.

If the setup description above is the blocker — or if you want LocalSend deployed on a team’s devices as part of a broader self-hosted stack — that’s exactly the kind of thing upready.dev handles.

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Sources

1. Sanuj Bhatia, Android Police — “LocalSend is the AirDrop and Quick Share replacement I’ve dreamed of”. https://www.androidpolice.com/localsend-airdrop-quick-share-replacement-app/

2. blog.lon.tv — “LocalSend is a Great Open Source Simple File Transfer App for Android, iOS, Linux, Mac and PC” (Jan 26, 2025). https://blog.lon.tv/2025/01/26/localsend-is-a-great-open-source-simple-file-transfer-app-for-android-ios-linux-mac-and-pc/

3. Patrick Hearn, XDA Developers — “I stopped emailing files to myself after discovering this open-source AirDrop killer” (Dec 4, 2025). https://www.xda-developers.com/stopped-emailing-files-to-myself-after-discovering-airdrop-killer/

4. Jannis, Medium — “When AirDrop Isn’t Enough: How Free ‘LocalSend’ solves the Apple-Android-Windows-Linux Divide” (May 18, 2025). https://medium.com/@PowerUpSkills/when-airdrop-isnt-enough-how-free-localsend-solves-the-apple-android-windows-linux-divide-3753f238381f

5. Dave Schumaker — “Apps I like: LocalSend”. https://daveschumaker.net/apps-i-like-localsend/

Primary sources:

• GitHub repository and README: https://github.com/localsend/localsend (76,644 stars, Apache-2.0 license, 100+ contributors)
• Official website: https://localsend.org