LocalSend Alternative for Transfers Beyond Your Wi-Fi

Step by step

1. Open Rapidfile on the sending device

   Go to rapidfile.cc in any browser, or open the Rapidfile app on Android. Files up to 500 MB work without an account.

2. Add your files

   Drop files or a folder onto the uploader on a computer, or tap to pick photos and files on a phone. Several files are zipped in the browser.

3. Set the options

   Choose an expiry time, and optionally add a password, a download limit, a title or a message.

4. Share the link, code or QR code

   The receiver opens the link, types the 6-digit code at rapidfile.cc/receive, or scans the QR code. They can download from any network.

LocalSend is a free, open-source app for sending files between phones, tablets and computers on the same local network. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, and it has a web version and a command-line client. Nothing leaves your network, and there is no account to create. That makes it one of the most popular alternatives to AirDrop for mixed devices. People look for something else when the devices are on different networks, when the Wi-Fi keeps them from seeing each other, or when the recipient needs the file later.

The short version

LocalSend details come from its website and GitHub README as of October 2026. Plans and features change, so check their site before you decide.

Where LocalSend is the stronger pick

• Speed on a shared network. A transfer over your own Wi-Fi skips the upload step. Between two devices on a fast home network, that is usually quicker than uploading to a server and downloading again.
• No internet needed. Once devices can see each other, the transfer does not depend on an internet connection. That helps on a network with no outside access, or where mobile signal is weak, as long as the two devices can reach each other locally.
• Open source and no ads. LocalSend is licensed under Apache 2.0, and its website says it has no ads or trackers. You can read the code and see what the app does.
• Wide platform coverage. Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS are all covered, with a web app and a command-line client for other setups.
• Data stays local. Files are not sent to a third-party server, so there is no stored copy to expire.

Where Rapidfile fits better

• Different networks. LocalSend only sees devices on the same local network. If one person is at home and the other is on mobile data or at a client's office, a Rapidfile link works without anyone sharing a network. See receiving with a code.
• Guest and locked-down Wi-Fi. Many hotel, school and corporate networks stop devices from talking to each other. LocalSend's README suggests entering the other device's IP address manually or saving it as a favorite, but that only works if the network lets the two devices reach each other. Rapidfile needs only an internet connection.
• The receiver is not online yet. A Rapidfile upload stays available until it expires, so the other person can download tomorrow or next week, up to the expiry you chose.
• No app for the receiver. Anyone with a browser can download a Rapidfile transfer, including iPhone users who do not want to install anything.
• Sharing controls. Add a password, set a download limit, or delete a transfer early. Links can be sent in any chat, and the QR code guide and code sharing guide cover in-person handovers.
• Scanning. Each upload is checked with ClamAV, an open-source virus scanner, and flagged files show a warning before download.

Why local discovery is the hard part

LocalSend, like most local tools, depends on devices seeing each other. Most of the time that works without setup: the devices appear in the app, you tap one, and the file moves. When it does not, the usual causes are a guest network that isolates clients, a VPN that blocks local traffic, or a firewall that stops the app from answering. LocalSend's documentation recommends allowing local network traffic when a VPN is active, which is a reasonable fix on a machine you control.

Rapidfile avoids the problem by not relying on discovery at all. The sender uploads once, and the receiver uses a link, a code or a QR code. That is the trade: an upload step in exchange for working across networks and at any hour.

File size and what you give up

LocalSend's website and README do not state a file size limit, which is a real advantage for very large files moved on a fast home network. Rapidfile caps each transfer at 500 MB without an account, 2 GB on the free account, 10 GB on Plus and 50 GB on Pro. For a 30 GB project folder between two machines on the same desk, a cable or a local tool will serve you better.

Setting up each side

With LocalSend, install the app on every device you want to use, open it, and keep the devices on the same network. The receiving device accepts the file, and received files go to the Downloads folder by default. You can change that folder in the settings. The web version at web.localsend.org covers devices where you cannot install an app, but it still needs to reach the other device on your network.

With Rapidfile, the sending side is a web page or an app. On a computer, drop the file onto the uploader at rapidfile.cc. On Android, the Rapidfile app adds a "Get link" and "Send to my devices" option to the share sheet. On a Mac or Windows PC, the native apps add the same actions to the right-click menu in Finder or File Explorer. An iPhone uses Safari at rapidfile.cc. The receiving side needs only a browser or a QR scan, so the person on the other end does not need to install anything.

Sharing with several people

LocalSend sends to devices you can see, one at a time for each transfer. If the same file must go to five colleagues, you send it five times, or each of them needs to be on the same network as you.

A Rapidfile transfer works the other way round. You upload once and share one link, one 6-digit code or one QR code. Everyone with that link can download it, and a download limit can cap the total number of downloads. That is a better fit for a team that is spread across offices or working from home.

Which one should you use?

Use LocalSend when both devices are on the same network, you want the transfer to stay local, and you do not need the file to wait for someone. Use Rapidfile when the other person is on a different network, is not in the room, or is on a network that blocks local discovery, and when a link or code is the easiest way to hand over a file. Many people keep both installed: LocalSend for daily moves at home, and Rapidfile for everything that has to leave the building.

FAQ

Updated 2026-10-20