Send Anywhere alternative
Send Anywhere Alternative: Local, Private, No App on the Phone
Send Anywhere needs an app on every device, routes through the cloud with a 6-digit code, and gates size and features. Flitdrop stays local, needs nothing on the phone, and has no size limit on your own Wi-Fi, end to end encrypted, free and with no account.
The honest answer first: a good free Send Anywhere alternative for your own devices is Flitdrop. Send Anywhere is genuinely good for sending across the internet to other people with a 6-digit code, but it installs an app on every device, relays through the cloud, and gates size and features. Flitdrop is the better local, private tool: it keeps every file on your Wi-Fi so nothing leaves your network, needs nothing installed on the phone, has no size limit on your own network, and is end to end encrypted with no account.
Two different jobs
Where Send Anywhere Fits, and Where Flitdrop Wins
Send Anywhere is built for sending across the internet to other people. Flitdrop is built for your own devices, on your own Wi-Fi, kept private.
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Send Anywhere is good at reach
Send Anywhere shines when you need to send to someone far away over the internet with a simple 6-digit code, no shared network required.
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An app on every device
To reach across the internet, Send Anywhere asks you to install its app on every device, including each phone that takes part.
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It routes through the cloud
The 6-digit code pairs devices through Send Anywhere servers, so your transfer is relayed over the internet, and larger sizes sit behind paid tiers.
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Flitdrop stays on your Wi-Fi
For your own devices, Flitdrop keeps every file on your local Wi-Fi, end to end encrypted, with nothing on the phone and no size limit on your network.
Getting started
How Flitdrop Replaces Send Anywhere Locally
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, no 6-digit code needed.
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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 move fast and never leave your network.
Everything is end to end encrypted, with no account to create and privacy first by design.
The difference
Why Flitdrop Is the Better Local Tool
Private by design, nothing on the phone, no size limits on your network, and it moves folders and the clipboard too.
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Nothing on the phone
Nothing to install on the phone: scan a QR code once and use the browser, instead of installing an app on every device like Send Anywhere.
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Never leaves your Wi-Fi
Files travel directly device to device over your local Wi-Fi and never pass through a server, so nothing is relayed through the cloud.
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No size limit on your network
There is no size or feature gate on your own network: a large folder is just a matter of how fast your Wi-Fi is, not a paid tier.
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Folders and clipboard, every OS
It moves whole folders and the clipboard both ways between iPhone, Android and Samsung and Windows, Mac and Linux, all free.
Private by design
Your Files Stay on Your Wi-Fi
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.
It is source available, so anyone can inspect how the sharing works, and it stays free for local transfers on your own network.
Frequently asked
What is a good free Send Anywhere alternative?
Flitdrop is a good free Send Anywhere alternative for moving files between your own devices. It keeps every transfer on your local Wi-Fi instead of routing through the cloud, needs nothing installed on the phone, and is end to end encrypted with no account. Send Anywhere remains a solid choice when you need to send to someone across the internet with a 6-digit code, but for your own devices on the same network Flitdrop is faster and more private.
Does Send Anywhere use the cloud?
Send Anywhere connects two devices with a 6-digit key and relays the transfer through its servers, which is what lets it reach a device anywhere on the internet. That is genuinely useful for sending to other people far away. Flitdrop is different by design: it is a local tool, so files travel directly device to device over your Wi-Fi and never leave your network.
Do I need an app on my phone?
With Send Anywhere you install an app on every device that takes part. With Flitdrop only the computer runs an app, which installs on Windows, Mac or Linux and auto updates. The phone installs nothing: it just uses its browser as a lightweight web app after a one time QR scan.
Is there a size limit?
Send Anywhere applies size and feature limits, and its higher tiers unlock larger transfers and link sharing. Flitdrop has no size limit on your own network, because it moves files directly between the two devices over your Wi-Fi rather than through a server, so a large folder is just a matter of how fast your Wi-Fi is.
Is it free?
Yes. Flitdrop is free on your own network, with no subscription and no server cost for local transfers. You can download it from the official GitHub releases page. Send Anywhere is free to start too, but gates some size and feature limits behind paid tiers.
Is it private?
Flitdrop is private by design: it is not an internet or cloud service, transfers go directly device to device over your local Wi-Fi, and everything is end to end encrypted with no account, so your files never pass through a server.
Ready for a local, private Send Anywhere alternative?
Install Flitdrop on your computer, keep your phone exactly as it is.
Windows, Mac and Linux