OpenDrop vs LocalSend: Feature-by-Feature Comparison

Step 1: Install Both and See What You Get

The best way to compare two tools is to use them both. I installed LocalSend and OpenDrop on my iPhone 15, my Windows 11 desktop, and my M5 MacBook Pro. Here's what you get out of the box.

LocalSend is open source (MIT license) and available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. The interface is minimal: you open the app, it shows nearby devices, you pick files and send. It's built with Flutter on all platforms, including desktop. No account required, no cloud, no ads. The app is free with no paid tier.

OpenDrop is also available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. The desktop apps are built with Python/PySide6 and include a full GUI plus a command-line interface. The mobile apps are Flutter-based. OpenDrop has a free tier (LAN streaming, remote via Cloudflare tunnels) and a Pro tier (high-speed remote relay via Fly.io, shared folders, file conversion). No ads on either tier.

Both cover the same five platforms. The first visible difference is the desktop architecture: LocalSend's desktop app is Flutter, while OpenDrop's is native Python with PySide6. In practice, both feel responsive on modern hardware. OpenDrop's desktop app has more UI surface area (tabbed interface with dashboard, files, shared folders, settings), while LocalSend keeps things deliberately spartan.

Step 2: Try a Same-Network Transfer

Connect both devices to the same WiFi. Open both apps. Try sending a 200MB video file from your phone to your PC.

LocalSend: Open the app on both devices. Your phone shows the PC in the "Nearby devices" list. Tap the PC, select the video, tap send. The PC shows an incoming transfer notification. Accept it. The file transfers. Simple.

LocalSend uses its own protocol built on HTTPS with self-signed TLS certificates. Device discovery happens via multicast UDP (similar in concept to mDNS but a custom implementation). The transfer itself is encrypted even on LAN, which is a design choice that adds CPU overhead but means the data is protected even on shared networks.

OpenDrop: Open the app on both devices. The phone finds the PC via mDNS (service type _opendrop._tcp.local. on port 8000). Select the video, tap send. The file streams to the PC and lands in %LOCALAPPDATA%\OpenDrop\Files on Windows. No acceptance prompt by default (you own both devices).

OpenDrop uses standard HTTP on LAN with HMAC-SHA256 request signing. LAN traffic stays local and never reaches the internet, so the plain HTTP approach avoids the overhead of TLS for local transfers. Each request includes a signature with a 30-second timestamp window to prevent unauthorized access.

Both tools complete the transfer quickly on a local network. Speed differences for a 200MB file are negligible. The workflow difference: LocalSend requires the receiver to accept each transfer. OpenDrop doesn't by default, since the assumption is you control both devices. For shared environments where multiple people use OpenDrop, you can configure it to require acceptance.

Step 3: Try a Remote Transfer (Different Networks)

This is where the two tools diverge sharply.

Disconnect your phone from WiFi. Switch to cellular data. Try sending the same file to your PC.

LocalSend: Nothing happens. Your PC disappears from the device list. LocalSend is LAN-only by design. If both devices aren't on the same local network, LocalSend can't connect them. The developers have explicitly stated that remote transfers are not a goal of the project. This is a philosophical choice, not a technical limitation they haven't gotten to yet.

OpenDrop: The app detects you're not on the same network and connects through a Cloudflare tunnel. The PC's desktop app has already established a tunnel URL (shown as a QR code on the dashboard). Your phone connects through that tunnel. The file transfers using 5MB chunks at roughly 8 Mbps on the free tier. Slower than LAN, but it works.

With OpenDrop Pro, the transfer uses a Fly.io relay instead of the Cloudflare tunnel. The relay streams binary WebSocket frames at 30-50+ Mbps, which is 4-6x faster than the free chunked approach.

If you never need to transfer files between different networks, this distinction doesn't matter. If you regularly want to pull files from your phone while you're out to your home PC, LocalSend can't do it and OpenDrop can. I test this from my phone on cellular in Greenville, SC to my desktop at home, and the tunnel connects reliably in a few seconds.

Step 4: Test Large File Handling

Try sending a 5GB file on the same network.

LocalSend: Handles it. LocalSend streams files directly between devices on LAN with no size limit. The transfer takes however long your WiFi hardware needs to move 5GB. On a WiFi 5 network, expect a few minutes. LocalSend shows a progress bar during the transfer.

OpenDrop: Also handles it. LAN streaming mode supports files up to 10GB. Same direct transfer, same dependence on your WiFi speed. OpenDrop shows transfer progress in the app's transfer list.

For LAN transfers, both tools handle large files equally well. Neither has a practical size cap on local networks (both support multi-gigabyte files over LAN).

The difference shows up on remote transfers. Since LocalSend doesn't do remote, there's nothing to compare. OpenDrop's free remote tier chunks files at 5MB each through the Cloudflare tunnel. A 5GB file works but takes a while at 8 Mbps. OpenDrop Pro streams it at 30-50+ Mbps through the Fly.io relay.

Step 5: Try the Command Line

Open a terminal. Try sending a file without the GUI.

LocalSend: LocalSend has a CLI mode accessed with the --send-file flag. Basic but functional. You can send files from the command line, though device targeting and discovery options are limited compared to the GUI.

OpenDrop: OpenDrop has dedicated CLI subcommands. opendrop serve runs the server headlessly. opendrop send file.txt --target="Device Name" sends a file. opendrop devices lists known devices. opendrop register-context-menu adds a right-click "Send with OpenDrop" option to your OS. The CLI is designed for scripting and cron jobs, with specific exit codes and error messages for each failure mode.

For headless servers (Linux boxes without a display, Raspberry Pi setups), OpenDrop's serve command is purpose-built. It starts the HTTP server, connects the tunnel, and runs until you stop it. LocalSend can run headlessly but it's not the primary use case the developers optimize for.

The Verdict: Which One Should You Keep?

Choose LocalSend if: You only transfer files between devices on the same network, you value open source above all else, and you don't need CLI automation or remote transfers. LocalSend does one thing (LAN file transfer) and does it with minimal complexity. Free, no account, no cloud, no complications.

Choose OpenDrop if: You need remote transfers across different networks, you want a CLI for scripting and headless operation, or you use Pro features like shared folders and file conversion. OpenDrop covers the same LAN use case as LocalSend and adds remote transfer, CLI tooling, and a Pro tier for power users.

Keep both if: Honestly, they don't conflict. Both can run on the same machine. Some people keep LocalSend for quick LAN shares with friends (the accept/reject prompt is good for shared environments) and OpenDrop for their own devices and remote transfers.

My take: I built OpenDrop because LocalSend's LAN-only approach didn't cover the remote transfer scenario I needed. Pulling photos off my iPhone while away from home, sending files between my test devices on different networks, running a headless server on my ParrotOS laptop. The remote transfer capability and CLI are the reasons OpenDrop exists as a separate project.

If same-network transfers are your only use case, both tools work well and the choice comes down to preference. If remote transfers or CLI automation matter to you, OpenDrop is the only option of the two that supports them.