Snapdrop made a simple idea popular: open a web page on two devices and send files between them, with nothing to install. The original project describes itself as “local file sharing in your browser,” inspired by Apple’s AirDrop.[1]
Snapdrop has since been acquired by LimeWire. Its project page says snapdrop.net now offers anonymous uploads and downloads with free storage, and that the classic open-source Snapdrop can still be self-hosted.[2] PairDrop, a community fork of Snapdrop, keeps the original browser-to-browser model and adds a way to reach devices beyond your local network.[3]
Here’s what PairDrop does, where browser-to-browser sharing stops, and what to use instead.
PairDrop, briefly
PairDrop sends images, documents and text peer to peer to devices on the same local network. Paired devices, linked with a 6-digit code or QR code, find each other on any network, and temporary public rooms work with a 5-letter code. Devices outside your local network that are behind NAT connect through PairDrop’s TURN relay server. You can also host your own instance.[3]
Where browser-to-browser sharing stops
In my experience with PairDrop and classic Snapdrop:
- Both sides have to be open at once. The transfer happens live, so the receiving page must be open when you send.
- Nothing is kept. There’s no history to search for the link you sent yesterday.
- A browser tab isn’t always there. On a phone, the page usually has to stay open to receive.
If those don’t bother you, keep using PairDrop or a self-hosted classic Snapdrop. If they do, these are the alternatives.
Alternatives
| Tool | Best for | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| LocalSend | The same local-network idea as an installed app, with large files | Same Wi-Fi only |
| Quick Share | Android to Windows, or supported Android phones to Apple devices | Devices need to be nearby |
| KDE Connect | Phone and computer integration, with VPN support | More setup |
| fwd | Links, text and small files across networks, with history | Files up to 25 MB; private beta |
LocalSend
LocalSend is a free, open-source app for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS that moves files over your local Wi-Fi, encrypted with HTTPS, without the internet.[4] It suits people who like Snapdrop’s model but want an installed app.
Quick Share
Android phones can send to Windows PCs with Google’s Quick Share for Windows (64-bit Windows 10 or later, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on).[5] Since November 2025, supported Android phones can also send to iPhones and Macs over AirDrop.[6]
KDE Connect
Free and open source, KDE Connect shares files and links, mirrors phone notifications and supports VPNs for use away from home.[7]
fwd
I’m building fwd (pronounced “forward”) for what browser-based tools leave out: sending to a device that isn’t open right now, and finding things again later. A push is end-to-end encrypted and waits until the other device reconnects, and everything lands in a searchable history.
- Where it runs: a Chrome extension that also loads in other Chromium browsers (so Windows, Mac and Linux desktops through Chrome), an app for Android 8.0 and later, and a menu bar app for macOS 14 and later that receives while the browser is closed, as long as it is running and the Mac is awake and online. There is no iPhone or iPad app.
- What it sends: links, text and files up to 25 MB, to one device or to all your other devices, whether or not they are on the same network. A device that is offline gets the push when it reconnects.
- History: sent and received pushes sync across your devices and are searchable on each one.
- Privacy: content, file names and device names are encrypted end to end. The service stores and relays only ciphertext, and sees operational metadata such as your email, which device sent to which and when, and item sizes. How the encryption works.
- Availability: a free private beta with up to 5 devices and 1 GB of account storage. Invitations haven’t started yet; there’s a waitlist.
For one quick transfer between two open devices, PairDrop is hard to beat. For an everyday flow of links and text between your own devices, join the fwd waitlist.
Related guides
- How to transfer files from Android to Mac in 2026
- AirDrop for Android and Windows: what actually works in 2026
- LocalSend alternatives for sharing beyond your Wi-Fi
- Intel Unison alternatives after the shutdown
- Pushbullet alternatives: a practical guide
Sources
Checked on October 11, 2026.
- RobinLinus/snapdrop. GitHub.
- SnapDrop/snapdrop. GitHub.
- schlagmichdoch/PairDrop. GitHub.
- LocalSend: Share files to nearby devices. LocalSend.
- Quick Share app: Android to Windows PC file transfer. Google.
- AirDrop-Quick Share Interoperability Expanding to More Android Phones. MacRumors, February 11, 2026.
- KDE Connect. KDE.