Magic Wormhole vs Send
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Magic Wormhole | Send |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 37 · At risk |
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | MIT | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,946 | ★ 5,914 |
| First released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Replaces | WeTransfer, AirDrop | WeTransfer, Firefox Send |
What are Magic Wormhole and Send?
Magic Wormhole
Magic Wormhole is a library and CLI tool for securely transferring files and directories between computers. It uses short human-pronounceable codes and PAKE encryption for safe transfers.
- PAKE-based encryption
- Human-readable transfer codes
- Self-hostable relay and mailbox
Send
Send is a community-maintained fork of the discontinued Firefox Send. It provides end-to-end encrypted file sharing with links that expire after a download limit or time period.
- End-to-end encryption
- Expiring share links
- No account required
Magic Wormhole vs Send: key differences
Magic Wormhole is written in Python, while Send is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — MIT for Magic Wormhole versus MPL-2.0 for Send. Magic Wormhole is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Send. Magic Wormhole is the more established project (first released 2016), while Send arrived in 2020. Magic Wormhole has the considerably larger community, at 22,946 GitHub stars versus 5,914. Send lists first-class Docker deployment; Magic Wormhole does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Magic Wormhole if…
- Dead-simple pairing codes
- End-to-end encrypted
- No account needed
Watch out for
- Terminal-based workflow
- Both ends online simultaneously
Choose Send if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.9k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Magic Wormhole or Send better?
Magic Wormhole is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Send if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Magic Wormhole and Send free and open-source?
Yes. Magic Wormhole is licensed under MIT and Send under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Magic Wormhole and Send with Docker?
Magic Wormhole: check the project docs for container support. Send: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Magic Wormhole or Send?
Magic Wormhole has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Send. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.