Free, open-source file sharing over the local network, no cloud
LocalSend is a free, open-source app that moves files between devices over the local network, with no cloud in between. Put it on two phones, laptops or desktops on the same Wi-Fi and each sees the other by name: pick a file, tap a device, done. It is Apache-2.0 licensed, runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, and the current release is v1.18.2, published on August 21, 2026.
Transfers stay on your network and are encrypted end to end; nothing is uploaded to a server and there is no account to create. The project has passed 95,000 GitHub stars and has become the default answer to the 'AirDrop, but for everything else' question. Each device shows up with an automatically assigned name, so ad-hoc sharing feels closer to AirDrop than to an FTP client.
The honest limits are network-shaped: both devices must be on the same local network, and a strict firewall can block discovery until you allow LocalSend's port (TCP/UDP 53317, per the official documentation). It does one job, on your LAN, and stays out of the way.
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Files travel directly between devices on the same local network, never through a third-party server.
Every transfer is encrypted, so files stay private even on shared Wi-Fi.
Native apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, all interoperable with each other.
Nearby devices running LocalSend appear automatically by name, no pairing codes or accounts needed.
No. Transfers go directly between devices on the same local network and are encrypted end to end. Nothing is uploaded to a server, which also means it will not work between devices on different networks.
Check that both devices are on the same Wi-Fi network, then allow LocalSend through the firewall. The app communicates over port 53317 (TCP and UDP), per the official documentation, and blocking it prevents discovery.