LocalSend vs Sync-in

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?
FeatureLocalSendSync-in
CategoryFile Sync & StorageFile Sync & Storage
LicenseMITAGPL-3.0-or-later
LanguageDartTypeScript
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM128 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentbinarybare-metal
GitHub stars★ 87,025★ 1,630
First released20222025
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 Sync-in if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0-or-later license
  • Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
  • Written in TypeScript
Sync-in details

Frequently asked questions

Is LocalSend or Sync-in better?

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

Are LocalSend and Sync-in free and open-source?

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

Can I run LocalSend and Sync-in with Docker?

LocalSend: check the project docs for container support. Sync-in: check the project docs for container support.

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