PairDrop vs Yoink (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PairDrop grades higher than Yoink: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
PairDrop grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Yoink
Drag-and-drop shelf for files and snippets on the Mac
Free trial · from $8.99 one-time
Which one is for you
Pick PairDrop if
- Fits if you want to send a file from a phone to a laptop without a cable
- Works for people who want no account or app install
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want to send while the other device is closed, as both must have it open
- Watch out: devices outside your network connect through the project's TURN server
- Watch out: iOS and Android limit how files can be saved from a web page
- Too light for sync or backup, as it only moves files once
Pick Yoink if
- Fits if you drag files between windows, spaces and full-screen apps all day
- Works for people who'd rather pay $8.99 once than subscribe
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want something free for good, as it has to be bought after the 28-day trial
- Not for you if you're on Windows or Linux, since this is a Mac app
- Pricey if you want it on your iPhone as well, because Yoink for iPad and iPhone is a separate app
- Watch out: Continuity Camera needs macOS 10.14 and an iPhone or iPad on iOS 12 or newer
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAPairDropVery good | 2.4GPAYoinkFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree in the browser, with no sign-up. You can run your own copy too. | A$8.99 once, from the developer's site or the Mac App Store, and the site says both versions do the same. A one-off at that price is well under a year of a paid utility here. It's in Setapp too. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with sponsorship optional. | CNo free version at all. The trial download from the developer's site runs 28 days with no card, and then you buy it or stop using it. |
| Features | CLocal transfers, pairing, temporary rooms and a share menu. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller job. | CThe shelf holds files, text and images, stacks what you drop at once, keeps a clipboard history, passes files between Apple devices with Handoff and takes photos over Continuity Camera. It does that fully, and parking files mid-drag is a small job. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but there is nothing to install or set up. | BNo store rating on record, but there's nothing to set up: start dragging and the shelf fades in by itself. You can move it to the mouse cursor or tell it to ignore certain apps if you like. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only. It works on any device with a browser but has no native app. | DThe Mac app only, macOS 10.13 or newer. One operating system. Yoink for iPad and iPhone is a separate purchase, and Handoff between them needs that app too. |
| Best for | sending files between nearby devices in a browser | a shelf to park files on while you drag them around a Mac |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: PairDrop and Yoink. How we grade
Where they differ
- PairDrop is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Yoink can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- PairDrop also covers file sharing and qR codes.
- Yoink also covers clipboard manager and file management.
At a glance
| PairDrop | Yoink | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $8.99 one-time purchase |
| Free plan | Free to use in the browser, with no signup; the project accepts sponsorship through GitHub Sponsors. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free for 28 days with the trial download from the developer's website |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Made by | PairDrop project | Eternal Storms Software |
| Price read from | pairdrop.net | eternalstorms.at |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Worth knowing
PairDrop
- Both devices must have PairDrop open in a browser for a transfer to start.
- Devices outside your network behind a NAT connect through the project's TURN server.
- The project says iOS and Android limit how files can be saved from a web page.
Yoink
- This is the Mac app, for macOS 10.13 High Sierra or newer. Yoink for iPad and iPhone is a separate app, and Handoff with iOS devices requires it.
- There is no free version: after the 28-day trial it has to be bought.
- Continuity Camera needs macOS Mojave 10.14 or newer and an iPhone or iPad on iOS 12 or newer.
Key features
PairDrop
- Local network transfers
- Send images, documents or text peer-to-peer to devices on the same network.
- Device pairing
- Pair devices with a 6-digit code or a QR code so they find each other even on different networks.
- Temporary public rooms
- Enter a room with a 5-letter code or QR code to connect across the internet; rooms close when PairDrop does.
- Share menu and command line
- Send from the Android or iOS share menu, a Windows or Ubuntu context menu, or a command-line client.
- Installable web app
- Runs as a progressive web app that can be installed from Chrome, Edge, Safari and some other browsers.
Yoink
- Shelf at the screen edge
- The shelf fades in at the edge of the screen when a drag starts. Drop files on it, move to the destination window, space or full-screen app, then drag them out again.
- Files and app content
- Holds files from Finder as well as content such as text from a word processor or images from a website. Several files dropped at once are condensed into a stack.
- Placement and shortcut
- The shelf can appear at once, only near the screen edge or at the mouse cursor, and can ignore chosen apps. Its shortcut also recalls removed files or saves the clipboard.
- Clipboard history
- Stores recently copied items, which can be sent to the shelf or copied again from the app or its Notification Center widget. Popular password managers are excluded by default.
- Handoff and Continuity Camera
- Transfers files between Macs, iPads and iPhones running Yoink, and accepts photos or documents sent from an iPhone or iPad with Continuity Camera.
- macOS integration
- System services, a Quick Action and a Share extension add files without dragging, and it works with the Terminal, Automator and Shortcuts. Previews use QuickLook.
Plans
PairDrop
Free$0
Public instance at pairdrop.net; you can also run your own.
Yoink
Yoink for Mac (website)$8.99
one-time purchase (also listed as 9,99 € and £8.99)
Bought directly from the developer. The site says the website, Mac App Store and Setapp versions have the same functionality.
Yoink for Mac (Mac App Store)$8.99
one-time purchase (US Mac App Store)
The same app through the Mac App Store, with optional tips as in-app purchases. Also sold in the developer's Productivity Bundle.
Ways to pay less
PairDrop
No public discounts listed.
Yoink
- Other savings
Productivity Bundle at about 20% off
The developer's Mac App Store bundle sells Yoink together with ScreenFloat, Transloader and DeskMat at roughly 20% off.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, PairDrop or Yoink?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PairDrop is free, and Yoink starts at $8.99 one-time purchase.
Which has a free plan, PairDrop or Yoink?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PairDrop has a free plan. Yoink does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do PairDrop and Yoink run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PairDrop lists a web app and only Yoink lists a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.