CryptPad vs LocalSend

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureCryptPadLocalSend
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseAGPL-3.0MIT
LanguageJavaScriptDart
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM512 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metalbinary
GitHub stars★ 7,832★ 87,025
First released20152022
ReplacesGoogle Drive, Microsoft 365AirDrop

Why pick each one

Choose CryptPad if…

  • Strong privacy guarantees
  • Real-time collaboration
  • No account needed to start
CryptPad details

Choose LocalSend if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Mature project with 87k GitHub stars
  • Written in Dart
LocalSend details

Frequently asked questions

Is CryptPad or LocalSend better?

LocalSend is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider CryptPad if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are CryptPad and LocalSend free and open-source?

Yes. CryptPad is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and LocalSend under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run CryptPad and LocalSend with Docker?

CryptPad: yes. LocalSend: check the project docs for container support.

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