Flitdrop vs LocalSend
Flitdrop vs LocalSend: Which Local File Transfer Wins?
LocalSend is open source, cross-platform and well liked, and it keeps every transfer on your own network. Flitdrop shares the same local, no account approach but needs nothing on the phone, adds folders and clipboard, and stays a persistent desktop app. Here is a fair head-to-head.
Short answer: both are free, private and local, so neither is a bad choice. LocalSend wins on being fully open source and truly installed on every device. Flitdrop wins on convenience: it needs nothing on the phone, has no mDNS discovery to fail on iPhone, moves folders and the clipboard, and stays a real desktop app in the background. Pick LocalSend for an open source licence on every device, Flitdrop for the least friction on a mixed set of phones and computers.
Head to head
Flitdrop vs LocalSend, Point by Point
Four honest criteria that separate them. LocalSend is genuinely good, so this shows where each one leads.
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What you install
LocalSend is an installed app on every device, including each iPhone and Android, which is simple but means a download per phone. Flitdrop installs only on the computer; the phone uses its browser after a one time QR scan, so there is nothing to install on the phone.
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Finding devices
LocalSend discovers devices with mDNS, which works well on many networks but is often blocked by routers, guest Wi-Fi and stricter iOS settings, so an iPhone can stay invisible. Flitdrop has no discovery to break: the QR scan pairs the phone directly to the desktop app.
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What you can send
LocalSend sends files and photos between devices reliably. Flitdrop covers the same and adds whole folders and the clipboard both ways, so pasting a snippet or moving a project folder is part of the flow, not a workaround.
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Open source vs source available
This is LocalSend's clear win: it is fully open source, so you can build, fork and audit it freely. Flitdrop is source available, meaning the code is readable but not open source. On licence alone, LocalSend is the honest pick.
When to use each
Which One Fits Your Setup
Neither wins on every point. Match the tool to what you value: an open source licence on every device, or the least friction across mixed phones and computers.
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Choose LocalSend when
A fully open source licence is a hard requirement, you are happy installing an app on every device, and your network lets mDNS discovery work. It is a genuinely good, trusted local tool for that case.
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Choose Flitdrop when
You want nothing to install on the phone, no discovery to fail on iPhone, folder and clipboard transfers, and a desktop app that stays discoverable in the background so the phone can send whenever you are on the same Wi-Fi.
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Where they tie
Both are free, ad free and account free, and both keep transfers on your local network rather than a server. For privacy on sensitive files, either one is a strong local first choice you can trust.
Getting started
How Flitdrop Works
Install the app on your computer once, pair your phone with a single scan, then send over your Wi-Fi.
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1
Install on your computer
Install the lightweight Flitdrop app once on Windows, Mac or Linux; it auto updates and there is nothing to install on the phone.
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2
Scan once to pair
Scan a QR code one time to pair your iPhone or Android; the phone simply uses its browser as a lightweight web app, with no mDNS discovery to fail.
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3
Send over your Wi-Fi
Both devices stay on the same local Wi-Fi and transfer peer to peer, so files, folders and the clipboard move fast and stay off the cloud.
Everything is end to end encrypted, with no account to create and privacy first by design, exactly like LocalSend on that point.
Private by design
Both Keep Files on Your Wi-Fi
On privacy the two are close. Flitdrop is not an internet or cloud service: transfers go directly device to device over your local Wi-Fi, everything is end to end encrypted, and there is no account, so nothing is ever uploaded to a server. LocalSend works the same local first way.
Flitdrop is source available, so anyone can inspect how the sharing works, while LocalSend is fully open source; both stay free for local transfers on your own network.
Frequently asked
What is the difference between Flitdrop and LocalSend?
Both keep transfers on your local Wi-Fi with no account, so they are close on privacy. The core difference is setup and reach: LocalSend is open source and asks you to install its app on every device, including the phone, and finds devices with mDNS. Flitdrop needs nothing on the phone beyond a one time QR scan, is a persistent desktop app, and also moves whole folders and the clipboard, not just files.
Does LocalSend need an app on the iPhone?
Yes. LocalSend is an installed app, so to use it on an iPhone you download it from the App Store on that iPhone, and you do the same on every other device you want to share with. Flitdrop takes a different route: the iPhone installs nothing and simply uses its browser after you scan a QR code once, so only the computer runs an app.
Why does LocalSend not find my iPhone?
LocalSend discovers devices with mDNS, the same local network broadcast that many routers, guest networks and stricter iOS privacy settings quietly block, so an iPhone can be on the same Wi-Fi yet stay invisible. Flitdrop avoids the problem because there is no discovery to break: you scan a QR code once to pair the phone directly to the desktop app.
Is Flitdrop open source?
No. Flitdrop is source available, which means anyone can read the code to see how the sharing works, but it is not open source the way LocalSend is. If a fully open source licence is a hard requirement for you, LocalSend is the honest pick on that specific point.
Are both free and private?
Yes to both. Neither asks for an account, neither shows ads, and both keep transfers on your local network rather than routing them through a server. LocalSend is free and open source; Flitdrop is free for local transfers on your own network and is source available. For sensitive files, both are strong local first choices.
Which should I choose?
Choose LocalSend if a fully open source licence matters most to you and you are happy installing its app on every device, including each phone. Choose Flitdrop if you want nothing to install on the phone, a desktop app that stays discoverable in the background, folder and clipboard transfers, and no dependence on mDNS discovery that can fail on iPhone.
Want the least friction? Try Flitdrop
Install Flitdrop on your computer, keep your phone exactly as it is.
Windows, Mac and Linux