What is PairDrop used for?

PairDrop is a browser-based AirDrop-style file sharing between devices on the same network or via temporary public rooms, with no setup or signup. It is a good fit for moving photos from a phone to a laptop, and cross-platform file sharing between Android and iOS.

Is PairDrop open source?

Yes. PairDrop is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at schlagmichdoch/PairDrop and is written mainly in JavaScript.

Yes. PairDrop is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available.

Can I self-host PairDrop?

Yes. PairDrop can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is PairDrop an alternative to?

PairDrop is an open-source alternative to Send Anywhere and WeTransfer. Other open-source alternatives to Send Anywhere include FastSend, Filedrop and EasyTransfer.

Is PairDrop actively maintained?

The most recent commit to PairDrop was on 22 April 2026, and the latest release is v1.11.2, published on 24 February 2025. The project has 12k stars on GitHub.

PairDrop: open-source alternative to Send Anywhere

About PairDrop

PairDrop is a web app for local file sharing in the browser, inspired by Apple's AirDrop. It is a fork of Snapdrop and works on all platforms with a modern browser, which makes it useful for moving files between a phone and a laptop or between Android and iOS devices. It is released under the GPL-3.0 license.

You can send images, documents, or text through peer-to-peer connections to devices on the same local network. For transfers over the internet, you join temporary public rooms to pair devices. It runs as a progressive web app using WebRTC and WebSockets on a Node.js server, and the README lists the differences from the Snapdrop project it is based on.

A public instance is available at pairdrop.net, and the app can be self-hosted. PairDrop suits anyone who needs quick, no-account file transfers across mixed operating systems and wants to keep files off third-party cloud storage.

Key features

AirDrop-like sharing in the browser
Peer-to-peer transfers on the local network
Temporary public rooms for internet transfers
Send files and text
Progressive web app
No setup or signup

Good fit for

→Moving photos from a phone to a laptop
→Cross-platform file sharing between Android and iOS

Built with: JavaScript; Node.js
Tags: file-sharing; p2p; webrtc; airdrop-alternative; pwa; local-network; nodejs; self-hosted

PairDrop: questions and answers

What is PairDrop used for?: PairDrop is a browser-based AirDrop-style file sharing between devices on the same network or via temporary public rooms, with no setup or signup. It is a good fit for moving photos from a phone to a laptop, and cross-platform file sharing between Android and iOS.
Is PairDrop open source?: Yes. PairDrop is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at schlagmichdoch/PairDrop and is written mainly in JavaScript.
Is PairDrop free?: Yes. PairDrop is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available.
Can I self-host PairDrop?: Yes. PairDrop can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is PairDrop an alternative to?: PairDrop is an open-source alternative to Send Anywhere and WeTransfer. Other open-source alternatives to Send Anywhere include FastSend, Filedrop and EasyTransfer.
Is PairDrop actively maintained?: The most recent commit to PairDrop was on 22 April 2026, and the latest release is v1.11.2, published on 24 February 2025. The project has 12k stars on GitHub.