LocalSend vs WeTransfer

LocalSend

• Moving files between a phone and a computer on the same Wi-Fi
• Homes and offices that mix Apple, Android, Windows and Linux devices
• People who do not want their files to pass through a cloud service

WeTransfer

• Sending large files to clients who should not need an account
• Freelancers and studios that want branded delivery pages
• Occasional personal transfers within the free monthly allowance

LocalSend

• Both devices must be on the same local network; the FAQ says it does not work over the internet.
• The app has no auto-update, so the project recommends installing it from an app store or a package manager.
• Devices may not find each other when a router has AP isolation enabled or a firewall blocks port 53317.
• Minimum versions are Android 7.0, iOS 13.0, macOS 11 Big Sur and Windows 10.

WeTransfer

• The Free plan is for non-commercial use only and is capped at 3 GB and 10 transfers a month.
• Starter is limited to 300 GB of transfers a month; removing the size limit needs Ultimate at $23 a month.
• An account stores up to 2 TB of transfers by default on any plan, and WeTransfer says it does not offer unlimited storage.
• Teams needs at least 2 users, and single sign-on and end-to-end encryption are listed only for Enterprise.

LocalSend

Transfers over the local network

Sends files to a nearby device over the local Wi-Fi network, with no internet connection, account or external server. The site says data never leaves the local network.

Encrypted transfers

All data is sent over HTTPS using a TLS certificate generated on each device, and PIN verification can be turned on for extra protection.

Files of any type, plus text

Photos, videos, documents and text can be sent, and any file type is accepted. Received files go to the Downloads folder by default, which can be changed in settings.

Apps for desktop and mobile

Available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS through app stores and package managers such as Winget, Homebrew, Flathub and F-Droid.

LocalSend Web

A web app at web.localsend.org shares files between a browser and other devices that are running LocalSend.

Command line interface

localsend-cli sends files, folders or text from a terminal, to a device picked from the discovered list or named by its alias or IP address.

WeTransfer

Transfers by email or link

Files are sent to recipients by email or shared as a download link. Anyone can download them without logging in or signing up.

Passwords and expiry dates

A transfer can be protected with a password and given an expiry date. Free transfers expire after up to 3 days; Ultimate allows unlimited expiry.

File requests

A request link lets other people upload files to the account holder, who can then track and manage what has been received.

Download tracking

Senders can see download counts and status for each transfer and manage, forward or delete sent transfers from the account's Transfers panel.

Branding and personal page

Ultimate adds custom branding per transfer, and an account can have its own WeTransfer page with a custom URL, wallpapers and social links.

Mac and mobile apps

The Mac app sends files from the menu bar or by right-clicking in Finder. iOS and Android apps send, receive and manage transfers from a phone.

LocalSend

• LocalSend$0

  The complete app on every supported platform, with no account, no bandwidth limits and no paid tier.

WeTransfer

• Free$0

  Individual, non-commercial use: share and receive up to 3 GB a month, 10 transfers a month and expiry of up to 3 days.

• Starter$8

  per month, billed monthly

  Individual use: share and receive up to 300 GB a month.

• Ultimate$23

  per month, billed monthly

  Individual use: no transfer size limit, unlimited transfers and expiry, custom branding, malware scanning and recovery of expired transfers.

• Teams$19

  per user / month, billed monthly (minimum 2 users)

  Everything in Ultimate plus team creation, up to 50 members and centralized billing.

• EnterpriseCustom

  For 50+ members: unlimited members, custom transfer rules, single sign-on, usage and security logs, and end-to-end encryption.