The short answer. LocalSend is the open-source cross-platform answer: both devices run it, both are on the same network, and the transfer does not involve an account. NearDrop implements Google Nearby Share on macOS, which is the answer when the other device is an Android phone. NitroShare is the older cross-platform transfer utility with the same shape. Hyperduck solves a narrower problem — receiving links from an iPhone, iPad or visionOS device — which is not a file transfer at all but a clipboard handoff. The dividing question is what is on the other end, because AirDrop works between Apple devices and the entire reason this category exists is the device that is not one.
This guide covers 4 airdrop alternatives for macOS. Every fact below is drawn from the same verified records that back each app’s own page. The recommendations are our editorial judgment, not payment.
Quick comparison
| App | What it is | Pricing | Licence | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyperduck | Mac utility | Free | not published | 1.3.0 |
| LocalSend | productivity app | Open source | Apache-2.0 | 1.18.2 |
| NearDrop | productivity app | Open source | Unlicense | 2.2.2 |
| NitroShare | system tool | Open source | MIT | 0.3.4 |
What actually decides this
- What the other device is. Android needs Nearby Share or a LocalSend client. Windows needs a LocalSend or NitroShare client. Another Apple device needs none of this. The device on the far end decides the tool before any feature does.
- Whether both sides need an app. LocalSend requires an app on both ends. NearDrop interoperates with the Android share sheet, which means only one side installs something. That asymmetry is worth more than any transfer speed.
- What travels over the network. A local-network transfer stays on the LAN. A service-mediated one goes through a server. For a file that is large, private or both, the difference is the whole point of the category.
- Whether it is a file or a link. Sending a URL from a phone to a Mac is a clipboard problem, not a transfer problem. A tool that does that well is more useful than a file transfer app for the ten times a day you want to continue reading something.
- What happens when the network is guest-isolated. Many public and corporate networks block device-to-device traffic. A tool that discovers peers over the local network fails there, and the failure looks like a bug rather than a policy.
- Whether the transfer verifies itself. A checksum on both ends turns a silent truncation into an error. Without one, the only evidence is a file that opens and stops halfway, which is discovered later and blamed on the destination app.
Our picks
- LocalSend — Its record describes an open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop, which is the cross-platform file case. Choose it when you need to move a file between a Mac and a phone or PC.
- NearDrop — Its record describes an unofficial Google Nearby Share and Quick Share app for macOS, which is the Android case. Choose it when the other device is an Android phone using Nearby Share.
- NitroShare — Its record describes cross-platform network file transfer, which is the same case from an older tool. Choose it when you want a long-standing cross-platform transfer utility.
- Hyperduck — Its record describes receiving links from iOS and visionOS devices, which is the link-handoff case. Choose it when the thing you want to move is a link, not a file.
The apps
Hyperduck
Hyperduck is a Mac utility for macOS. Receive links from your iOS & visionOS devices. It is free.
What it does. Send links from your iOS & visionOS devices to your Mac. For example, share a link from Safari on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Vision, and have it open in the….
Hyperduck is listed with current version 1.3.0.
Full profile and verified facts for Hyperduck →
LocalSend
LocalSend is a productivity app for macOS. An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop. It is released under Apache-2.0.
What it does. LocalSend is a free, open-source, cross-platform file sharing tool that allows you to share files to nearby devices.
LocalSend is listed with current version 1.18.2.
Full profile and verified facts for LocalSend →
NearDrop
NearDrop is a productivity app for macOS. An unofficial Google Nearby Share/Quick Share app for macOS. It is released under Unlicense.
What it does. An unofficial Google Nearby Share/Quick Share app for macOS.
NearDrop is listed with current version 2.2.2.
Full profile and verified facts for NearDrop →
NitroShare
NitroShare is a system tool for macOS. Cross-platform network file transfer utility. It is released under MIT.
What it does. Runs on Windows / macOS / Linux. Automatic discovery of devices on the local network. Simple and intuitive user interface. Incredibly fast transfer speeds.
NitroShare is listed with current version 0.3.4.
Full profile and verified facts for NitroShare →
How to choose
- Free of charge. Hyperduck — no payment is required.
- No licence fee, source available. LocalSend, NearDrop and NitroShare — the source can be read and, under the terms of each licence, reused.
Open source: LocalSend, NearDrop and NitroShare (3 of 4).
Common mistakes
- Installing a transfer app on the Mac and nothing on the other device.
- Trying a local-network transfer on a guest Wi-Fi network that isolates clients.
- Sending a file when the actual need was to open the same page on the other screen.
- Assuming a transfer completed because the progress bar reached the end. Verify the file size on the far side.
- Sending a folder that contains symlinks and expecting the links to arrive as files.
- Leaving the receiving app in the background and assuming it is listening.
- Running the transfer with a VPN active and expecting local peer discovery to work.
How this guide was put together
Each app’s facts come from its own record: the developer’s own pages and repository, the App Store listing where one exists, and the documentation, each with a source grade and an access date. Where a fact rests on the developer’s own statement rather than on something we verified independently, the sentence says so. Where our data has no value for something, the guide says “not published” instead of guessing.
A price appears here only where the record carries one from a stated source; the guide never estimates one, and it records the pricing model alongside so the two can be read together. Prices change and vary by region, so each app links to its own page for the current detail.
The facts and the recommendations are kept apart on purpose. Everything in the app entries, the comparison table and the answers above is composed from the records. The short answer, the criteria and the picks are our editorial judgment: they reflect what we would choose and why, and they are not paid for. Where we make a recommendation we name the condition it applies under, because we do not call anything “the best” without explaining the criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I choose between these airdrop alternatives?
There is no single answer — it depends on what you need. This guide covers 4 airdrop alternatives: Hyperduck, LocalSend, NearDrop and NitroShare. They differ mainly in pricing model, licence and the trade-offs each one carries. Pick by the trade-off you care about rather than by rank.
Are these airdrop alternatives free?
Pricing across this group: free (Hyperduck) and open source (LocalSend, NearDrop and NitroShare). We quote a price only where the record carries one from a stated source, and we never estimate one. Prices change and vary by region and by store, so always check the developer’s own page for the current figure.
Which of these airdrop alternatives are open source?
LocalSend (Apache-2.0), NearDrop (Unlicense) and NitroShare (MIT) are open source.
Do these airdrop alternatives support Apple Silicon?
Our data does not carry an explicit Apple Silicon statement for any app in this group, so we do not claim one. The absence of a statement is not the same as the absence of support.
How do I choose between them?
Start with how you pay: the guide groups these apps by pricing model, because the budget is the constraint most people actually have. Then check the trade-offs listed for each app: the limitations are the part that decides most people’s choice, because they describe what the app will not do for you.
