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PairDrop

PairDrop is a free, open-source file-sharing service for your local network, inspired by Apple's AirDrop.

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PairDrop is a free, open-source file-sharing service for your local network, inspired by Apple's AirDrop. It lets you send images, documents, and text between any devices with a modern web browser via peer-to-peer connections, with no accounts or native apps required. PairDrop also supports temporary public rooms for transferring files over the internet. Ideal for homelab users who want a self-hosted, cross-platform alternative to AirDrop.

Platform availability

Available on 4 of 9 platforms

Health score?A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). When the source code has been checked, a fifth factor, security check (20%: automated scan for committed secrets, unsafe desktop-app settings, known-vulnerable dependencies and project hygiene; any serious finding caps it at 20), is added. Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

58/100 Fair

Maintained
58last commit 175 days ago
Popular
8111,555 GitHub stars
Easy to install
654 install platforms, install notes, Docker image
Light to run
No data
Security check
201 serious finding, 2 minor, CI

Based on 4 of 5 factors.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today, links checked 12 days ago

GitHub stars
11,555
Open issues
119
Last commit
2026-04-22
Latest release
v1.11.2
License
GPL-3.0
Activity
stale

Checked 6 days ago - source: GitHub (schlagmichdoch/PairDrop)

Resources & Compatibility

ARM (e.g. Raspberry Pi) is supported.

Checked 17 days ago - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

  • Web-based access PairDrop runs entirely in the web browser; no native client is required on sender or receiver devices. After starting the container, open its mapped port in any modern browser to begin sharing on the local network. source
  • Basic usage Open the PairDrop web page in a modern browser; no account or native app is required. Temporary public rooms enable internet transfers. source

Fetched 7 days ago - each note links to its source

Alternatives (8)

  • Croc - Enables secure peer-to-peer file transfers across platforms with encrypted code phrase authentication, resuming interrupted transfers witho…
  • DashBeam (Previously AltSendme) - Peer-to-peer transfers support any file size or folders, with end-to-end encryption, cross-platform compatibility, resumable sends, and no…
  • LocalSend - Free open-source tool offers secure, end-to-end encrypted file and message sharing over local networks across major desktop and mobile oper…
  • Send Anywhere - Instantly share any file type or size across Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux via peer-to-peer transfer, requiring no signup, cloud st…
  • SwissTransfer - Send up to 50GB securely and for free.
  • Warpinator - Enables secure, fast file transfers between devices on the same local network, with no server setup, installation on each device, and simpl…
  • Wormhole - Peer-to-Peer file sharing with auto-expiring links.
  • snapdrop - Snapdrop is a self-hosted web app that lets you share files between devices on the same local network directly from the browser, inspired b…

Checked 14 days ago - source: AlternativeTo

Common questions

Do paired PairDrop devices keep working when they are on different networks or behind NAT?

Yes. Paired devices always find each other through shared secrets independently of their local network, and devices outside the local network that are behind a NAT are auto-connected via the PairDrop TURN server.

Can I host my own PairDrop client while using the official signaling server?

Yes. You can host your own client files under your domain and use the official signaling server, allowing devices connecting to your domain and the official domain to discover each other.

How are multiple files handled in a PairDrop transfer?

Multiple files are transferred at once with an overall progress indicator, and multiple files are downloaded as a ZIP file.

Can I send files to PairDrop from operating system menus?

You can send files directly from the context menu on Ubuntu using Nautilus and on Windows, and directly from the Share menu on iOS and Android.

Can I report a PairDrop issue without a GitHub account?

No. The source says there is no way to contact, report, or leave feedback without having a GitHub account.

Answers sourced from github.com, github.com, www.reddit.com

Community

Collected 16 days ago - public community threads