Z-Push 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?
FeatureZ-PushLocalSend
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseAGPL-3.0MIT
LanguagePHPDart
Setup difficultyHardEasy
Min. RAM256 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metalbinary
GitHub stars★ 152★ 87,025
First released20072022
ReplacesExchange ActiveSyncAirDrop

Why pick each one

Choose Z-Push if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in PHP
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Z-Push 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 Z-Push or LocalSend better?

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

Are Z-Push and LocalSend free and open-source?

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

Can I run Z-Push and LocalSend with Docker?

Z-Push: yes. LocalSend: check the project docs for container support.

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