About Airshare
Airshare is a Python-based command-line tool and library that transfers data between two machines on the same local network, peer to peer, using Multicast DNS for discovery. It also opens an HTTP gateway so that devices without the CLI, including phones, can send and receive content through a web interface.
It works completely offline and is built on aiohttp and zeroconf. It can transfer plain text, send from or receive into the clipboard, handle multiple files, directories and large files sent chunk by chunk without loading them fully into memory, and send files whose paths are in the clipboard. Content is reached through human-readable code words instead of IP addresses.
Airshare runs on Linux, Windows and macOS, with a web interface for mobile. Installation is via pip, pipx or Homebrew, and it can be imported into other Python programs. Known issues note that .local name resolution on non-Apple devices needs Avahi on Linux or Bonjour on Windows. The license is listed as Other.
Key features
- Peer-to-peer transfer over local network
- Multicast DNS discovery with code words
- Send text, files and directories
- Streams large files chunk by chunk
- HTTP web interface for mobile devices
- Usable as a Python module
Good fit for
- →Sending files between laptop and phone
- →Offline sharing on a LAN
- Tags
- file-sharing
- file-transfer
- local-network
- mdns
- python
- cli
- zeroconf
- cross-platform
Airshare: questions and answers
- What is Airshare used for?
- Airshare is a Python CLI tool and module for sharing files and text between machines on a local network using multicast DNS. It is a good fit for sending files between laptop and phone, and offline sharing on a LAN.
- Is Airshare open source?
- Yes. Airshare is open source under a custom licence. Its source code is on GitHub at KuroLabs/Airshare.
- Is Airshare free?
- Yes. Airshare is open source, so the software itself is free to use under the terms of its own licence.
- What is Airshare an alternative to?
- Airshare is an open-source alternative to Send Anywhere. Other open-source alternatives to Send Anywhere include croc, qr-filetransfer and Photon.
- Is Airshare actively maintained?
- The most recent commit to Airshare was on 15 October 2023. The project has 654 stars on GitHub.
Open-source alternatives to Airshare
See all
croc
File Storage & Sharing
Easily and securely send things from one computer to another :crocodile: :package:
MITvs WeTransfer★ 40kqr-filetransfer
File Storage & Sharing
Transfer files over WiFi between your computer and your smartphone from the terminal
MITvs Send Anywhere★ 1k
Photon
File Storage & Sharing
Photon is a cross-platform file and folder transfer application built using flutter. It us
GPL-3.0vs Send Anywhere★ 608
Magic Wormhole
File Storage & Sharing
get things from one computer to another, safely
MITvs WeTransfer★ 23k
Portal
File Storage & Sharing
Portal is a quick and easy command-line file transfer utility from any computer to another
MITvs Send Anywhere★ 1.8k
LocalSend
File Storage & Sharing
LocalSend is a free, open-source, cross-platform file sharing tool that allows you to shar
Apache-2.0vs Send Anywhere★ 93k
SaaS alternatives to Airshare
See all
Send Anywhere
File Storage & Sharing
Cross-platform file transfer using one-time keys, links or direct device connections
SaaS
AnySend
File Storage & Sharing
Browser-based peer-to-peer file transfer with no account, install or server upload
SaaS
BetterFileTransfer
File Storage & Sharing
Secure file transfer tool for sending files to anyone
SaaS
dlvr.sh
File Storage & Sharing
File transfer service for AI agents and developers, with file sharing and selling
SaaS
Filemail
File Storage & Sharing
Large file transfer by link or email, with desktop and mobile apps
SaaS
Smash
File Storage & Sharing
Large file transfer service without file size limits on the free plan
SaaS

