~/tools/file-sharing

File Sharing

last updated 2026-06-17 · 4 recommendations · what changed

This is a different problem from cloud storage. Cloud sync is ongoing: files stay in step across devices indefinitely. File sharing is a one-off: send this one thing once, to one person, then it's gone. The tools below are built around that: no account, no lingering copy, no ongoing relationship with a provider.

what actually matters

recommendations

LocalSend

the default pick

open sourcepeer-to-peerlocal network onlyno accountfree

AirDrop, but cross-platform and open source. Devices on the same network discover each other and transfer directly: no internet connection, no server, no third party involved at all. Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS all get proper native clients. If both devices are in the same room or on the same Wi-Fi, this is the obvious answer.

good

• Nothing ever touches a server: purely device-to-device
• Open source, audited-by-readability, no telemetry
• Genuinely cross-platform, including Linux and iOS
• No account, no signup, no limits

mind the

• Both devices need to share a network; doesn't help over the open internet
• No web fallback if one side can't install an app

free, open source localsend.org →

OnionShare

the anonymity pick

open sourceroutes via toronion serviceno accountfree

Spins up a temporary Tor onion service right from your own machine and hands you the address to share. No third-party server ever holds the file: whoever you send the link to connects through Tor directly to your computer for as long as you keep it running. This is the tool journalists hand sources, and the one to reach for when the sender's identity matters as much as the file's contents.

good

• No hosting provider in the loop: it's your machine, via Tor
• Also does anonymous chat and a temporary website, not just file drops
• Open source, widely vetted by the security/journalism community

mind the

• Your machine must stay online for the duration of the transfer
• Tor adds real latency; not built for large files or speed
• Recipient needs Tor Browser to connect

free, open source onionshare.org →

Buzzheavier

the quick-link pick

hostedno account for basic usesimple linksfree

A simple, anonymous file host: drop a file, get a link, send it. No signup needed for basic use, which makes it the low-friction option when LocalSend's local-network requirement or OnionShare's Tor dependency don't fit, say, sending a file to someone over a chat app with no other channel available. It's a hosted, third-party service, so treat it as convenience rather than a privacy-first pick.

good

• Works from a browser, no install, no account
• Fast for the common case: one link, anyone can grab it

mind the

• A hosted third party handles the file in transit; not e2ee
• Less scrutinized than the other tools on this page; don't put anything sensitive through it

free (basic use) buzzheavier.com →

PrivateBin

the text/snippet pick

open sourcezero-knowledgeself-hostableno accountfree

An encrypted pastebin, for text and code snippets rather than files. Content is encrypted client-side before it ever reaches the server, so the server stores ciphertext and never sees your paste. Open source and trivially self-hostable if you want your own instance instead of trusting a public one.

good

• True zero-knowledge: encryption happens in the browser
• Burn-after-reading and expiring pastes built in
• Self-host it in minutes if you don't want a public instance

mind the

• Text/snippets only; not a file transfer tool
• Public instances vary in trustworthiness; self-host if it matters

free, open source privatebin.info →

at a glance

"transfer model" describes how the data moves, not whether it's encrypted along the way.

worth knowing