LocalSend vs slskd

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?
FeatureLocalSendslskd
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseMITAGPL-3.0
LanguageDartC#
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB512 MB
Deploymentbinarydocker
GitHub stars★ 87,025★ 3,698
First released20222026
ReplacesAirDrop

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 slskd if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (3.7k GitHub stars)
  • Written in C#
slskd details

Frequently asked questions

Is LocalSend or slskd better?

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

Are LocalSend and slskd free and open-source?

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

Can I run LocalSend and slskd with Docker?

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

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