Blip sends files and folders of any size between Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad, over your local network or the internet, and picks up where it left off if the connection drops.[1] It’s free for non-commercial use; work use costs $25 per user per month on a yearly plan.[2] For moving big files, it’s one of the best tools there is.
It’s built around one job, though: a live transfer between two devices that are both online. People look for something else when their job is different:
- The other device is asleep or offline. Blip doesn’t store files. A transfer waits until the receiving device is online and accepts it, and the sending device has to stay online until then.[3]
- You mostly send links and text. Blip 1.2 added paste and copy for text and links in September 2026. You paste on one device and copy or open it on the other. Its co-founder says a synced clipboard isn’t possible on today’s locked-down systems, and one person in the release thread reported text arriving as a .txt file.[4]
- You don’t want an account. Blip needs an account, and a transfer starts with a request through Blip’s servers, so it needs an internet connection even for two devices on the same Wi-Fi.[5]
- You use it for work. Commercial use, including freelance work and sending documents to clients, needs the paid plan.[2]
- You want to know how the encryption works. Blip’s security page says transfers are end-to-end encrypted with a mutually authenticated connection (mTLS over TLS 1.3).[6] It doesn’t describe how keys are created or held. Its co-founder has said Blip hasn’t had a third-party security audit and the code is closed.[7]
Alternatives by what you need
| Tool | Choose it when | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| LocalSend | Your devices share a Wi-Fi network and you want no account | Same local network only |
| PairDrop | You want nothing to install, on the same network or across networks | Live transfers: both browsers need to be open |
| Quick Share | You move files from Android to a Windows PC, or a supported Android to Apple devices | Devices need to be near each other |
| KDE Connect | You want texts, notifications and a shared clipboard as well as files | Same network, or a VPN for remote use |
| fwd | You send links, text and everyday files to your own devices, even ones that are asleep | Files up to 25 MB; no iPhone or Windows app; private beta |
LocalSend: on the same Wi-Fi, no account
LocalSend is free, open source and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. It needs no account and encrypts transfers with HTTPS.[8] It only works between devices on the same local network, so it replaces Blip at home or in the office, not across the internet. I compared its own alternatives in LocalSend alternatives.
PairDrop: nothing to install
PairDrop runs in the browser. Devices on the same network find each other, and paired devices (a 6-digit code or QR code) can find each other on any network, with a TURN relay server for devices behind NAT.[9] Like Blip, it’s a live transfer: the receiving browser has to be open.
Quick Share: built into Android
Google’s Quick Share for Windows sends from an Android phone to a Windows PC with nothing extra on the phone. It needs 64-bit Windows 10 or later with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on.[10] It’s for devices in the same room, not across the internet.
KDE Connect: more than files
KDE Connect shares files and links, shows phone notifications on your computer, lets you reply to texts and shares the clipboard. It’s free and open source, and it supports VPNs for connecting from outside your home network.[11] Choose it if you want your phone and computer integrated, not just a way to send things.
fwd: links, text and files that wait for you
I’m building fwd (pronounced “forward”) for the job Blip leaves out: the link, the note or the PDF you want on your other device, whether or not that device is awake. A forward is encrypted on the device that sends it and waits on the server until your other device comes back online. Links and text are first-class: they arrive as a notification you can open or copy.
- Where it runs: a Chrome extension that also loads in other Chromium browsers, an app for Android 8.0 and later, and a menu bar app for macOS 14 and later. There is no iPhone, iPad or native Windows app.
- What it sends: links, text and files up to 25 MB, between your own devices. It doesn’t send to other people.
- History: sent and received forwards sync across your devices and are searchable on each one.
- Encryption: content, file names and device names are encrypted end to end, and the server stores and relays only ciphertext. The security page explains which keys exist, who holds them, how a new device joins and what the server can still see. Like Blip, fwd has no published independent audit, and its code isn’t public yet.
- Availability and price: a private beta; invitations go out to the waitlist in batches. It’s free, and the free plan continues after the beta: 25 MB per file, 1 GB of storage and 5 devices.
Where Blip is still the better choice
Blip has no size limit and resumes huge transfers; fwd stops at 25 MB per file. Blip sends folders and full-quality photos and video, sends to other people, and has apps for Windows, Linux, iPhone and iPad. If you move large media or send files to clients, keep Blip.
Should you switch?
You may not need to choose. Blip is excellent for big files between devices that are both online. If what you send all day is links, text and smaller files between a phone and a computer that aren’t always on at the same time, fwd is built for that; join the waitlist.
Related guides
- LocalSend alternatives for sharing beyond your Wi-Fi
- End-to-end encrypted ways to send files between your devices
- Pushbullet alternatives in 2026: what still works
- Snapdrop and PairDrop alternatives
- How to transfer files from Android to Mac in 2026
Sources
Checked on October 18, 2026.
- Blip: The fastest way to send files. Blip Studio.
- Unlimited file transfer plans. Blip Studio.
- How does Blip handle AFK clients? r/blippers, reply from Blip’s co-founder.
- Blip 1.2: Linux, Paste & Copy, and a Mobile Boost. r/blippers, September 21, 2026.
- Does Blip work offline? r/blippers.
- Security on Blip. Blip Studio, updated June 16, 2026.
- Verify Security Claims?. r/blippers, reply from Blip’s co-founder.
- LocalSend: Share files to nearby devices. LocalSend.
- schlagmichdoch/PairDrop. GitHub.
- Quick Share app: Android to Windows PC file transfer. Google.
- KDE Connect. KDE.