LocalSend solves a common developer frustration: quickly moving files between different devices and operating systems without relying on cloud services. Whether you need to transfer a build artifact from your Linux workstation to your Mac laptop, or share a screenshot from your phone to your desktop, LocalSend handles it through direct peer-to-peer communication over your local network. With 77,000+ GitHub stars, it has become one of the most popular open-source file sharing tools available.
The application implements its own REST-based protocol where each device acts as both a server and client. When you initiate a transfer, LocalSend discovers nearby devices through multicast UDP, then establishes a secure HTTPS connection using dynamically generated TLS certificates. This means your files never leave your local network and no account registration is required. The tool supports batch transfers, handles large files efficiently, and works even on networks where devices run different operating systems.
Built with Dart and Flutter, LocalSend is available as native packages across all major platforms including Flatpak and Snap for Linux, Homebrew for macOS, and through official app stores for mobile. For developers working across multiple devices and operating systems daily, LocalSend eliminates the friction of file transfer without compromising on security or requiring any cloud infrastructure.
