LocalSend vs PsiTransfer

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?
FeatureLocalSendPsiTransfer
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseMITMIT
LanguageDartJavaScript
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM128 MB128 MB
Deploymentbinarydocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 87,025★ 1,920
First released20222017
ReplacesAirDropWeTransfer

Why pick each one

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

Choose PsiTransfer if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
PsiTransfer details

Frequently asked questions

Is LocalSend or PsiTransfer better?

Neither is universally better. LocalSend has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are LocalSend and PsiTransfer free and open-source?

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

Can I run LocalSend and PsiTransfer with Docker?

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

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