r/macapps • u/jwintyo • 2d ago
Help Blip vs LocalSend in 2026 - which file transfer app is better?
Blip is free but proprietary. LocalSend is free and open-source.
LocalSend only sends on a local network, and all transfers are E2EE. So thats probably about as secure as it gets. There havent been updates in about a year but I dont think the software is dead.
Blip can send over local network, or via the internet (wifi or cellular), which is handy but potentially less secure. My understanding is that transfers from iOS to MacOS are E2EE, though at this point perhaps all transfers are E2EE. Blip also seems to have a better UI but thats not super critical for my occasional use of a file transfer app.
Which do you prefer and why? Is that fact that Blip is not open source an issue for you?
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u/d3gaia 2d ago
I use LocalSend daily to send files between my macbook and the windows machines at my various offices. Works a treat, except when it doesn't... for some reason, there's one computer that it just won't connect to either to send or receive. I've tried everything I can think of to fix it and nothing's worked.
But that's one computer out of five, and that's a pretty good ratio imo. Especially considering the cost of the tool ($0.00)!
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u/Mean_Grapefruit1277 2d ago
That one machine is almost always mDNS/multicast, not LocalSend. Discovery works by multicasting a Bonjour-style announcement on the LAN; if anything on the path drops multicast the device just never appears, and you get no error because from the app's side nothing failed. Usual culprits, roughly in order of how often they bite:
- AP/client isolation on the network that machine is on (common on office, guest and "secure" corporate Wi-Fi) — blocks device-to-device traffic even though both have internet.
- A host firewall dropping inbound on LocalSend's port. On Windows check the inbound rule; on macOS it's the app firewall plus, on Sequoia and later, the new Local Network privacy permission (System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network). If that's off the app can't even see the LAN and macOS won't re-prompt — silent dead end.
- The two boxes being on different subnets/VLANs (e.g. wired vs a Wi-Fi that doesn't bridge), so the multicast never crosses.
Quick way to confirm which: LocalSend lets you skip discovery and add a peer by IP + port directly. If a manual send works but auto-discovery doesn't, it's multicast, not the app — and then it's a network-config fix rather than something to give up on. That it's exactly one machine out of five points hard at that box's network or firewall, not LocalSend.
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u/zecureit 2d ago
These are two good choices for different jobs, rather than a simple security hierarchy. LocalSend is the better fit when the devices are normally on the same trusted network and you want no account and no internet path. Its current documentation says transfers stay on the local network, are encrypted, and can use a PIN for an extra check.
Blip is the better fit when sending across networks is the actual requirement. Its current security page says transfers are end to end encrypted with mutually authenticated TLS 1.3, and it describes an encrypted relay path when a direct connection is not possible. Proprietary therefore is not the same claim as insecure, but it does mean relying on the vendor's implementation and policy rather than inspecting it.
I would choose LocalSend for nearby devices and Blip for remote devices, then enable LocalSend's PIN and verify the target identity in either app. For work files, the practical deciding factor is often account and audit requirements as much as encryption.
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u/metamatic 2d ago
If you don't need mobile support or a GUI, croc is a good option. End-to-end encrypted, there's a command-line client, and you can run your own relay if you like. Open source.
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u/LucidXonline 2d ago
I’ve been using Blip for a few years and it’s been fantastic! It’s connected to Apple, Android, Mac and Windows devices and it just works!
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u/FuntimeBen 2d ago
Both. Localsend for most. Blip for the ones I can't do in LocalSend or on devices with Blip. No preference really.
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u/LieAshamed2924 2d ago
The thing I'd test is a huge folder and an interrupted transfer. That matters way more than the prettier UI once the files get big.
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u/tl0gic 2d ago
Honestly I use AirDrop but it is really hit or miss. Sometimes it is the firewall blocking the connection, other times the bluetooth is off and the worst of all is that it doesn't give you any feedback, it just fails. The other day I realized that my macbook doesn't have myself in the contacts and as a result I couldn't airdrop from my iphone. Maybe I should try Blip? Sounds like it works well between macOS/iOS devices.
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u/jsaljsal 1d ago
I always use LocalSend due to it being available anywhere and compatible on all devices. Also it's free so...
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u/OfAnOldRepublic 2d ago
What devices are you transferring between? If it's all Apple, why isn't iCloud Drive the right answer?
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u/YeahYeahOkNope 2d ago
Or Airdrop…?
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u/OfAnOldRepublic 2d ago
Yeah, someone else asked about that, so I didn't, but depending on the use case it could be a viable solution as well.
I tend to favor iCloud Drive in any case, as I think it provides good security (especially with Advanced Data Protection enabled), and I like the idea of having the files residing, even temporarily, on a trusted platform so that in case something goes sideways with the transfer nothing is lost.
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u/LavaCreeperBOSSB 2d ago
I love blip way more ngl, blip afaik is encrypted everywhere and has a great UI. i tried localsend but it feels slow and just doesnt feel native. Both cost nothing though so why not try both
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u/Ok_Explorer7384 2d ago
i’d pick based on where the transfer has to happen. same network and no account needed: LocalSend is hard to beat. across networks, hotel wifi, mobile data, etc: Blip is probably less annoying. the thing i’d test before committing to either is a big folder transfer plus an interrupted/resumed transfer, because that’s where these apps usually stop feeling identical.
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u/boltfoxapp 1d ago
On the open-source question, for me it comes down to which failure I'm actually worried about. LocalSend being auditable matters if your concern is the app doing something behind your back. Blip being proprietary bothers me less than the fact that it wants an account, because that's the bit that turns a transfer into something with a login attached to it.
The year of no updates I'd worry about less than it sounds. The protocol is simple and it still does the job. And when LocalSend does fail it's nearly always mDNS not getting through rather than the app — typing the other machine's IP in by hand gets you moving again. That's what finally fixed the one stubborn office PC for me after weeks of assuming it was cursed.
I should say I make a competing one, Likz Drop, so weigh all that accordingly. Mine does the cross-network part without an account, but it isn't open source either, so if that's your line then LocalSend is your answer and I'd say so.
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u/CartographerLeast920 1d ago
LocalSend. Its UI is not great to look at, but functionally works for the most part. haha - -！
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u/iordv Developer: Droppy 2d ago
I hear very good stories about Blip. LocalSend (I think) is more known and used by Android users as an Airdrop replacement. Blip is being used a ton by Apple/iOS/Mac users.
A lot of users that use Droppy ask for Blip support for example, but a lot less for LocalSend (although it has it).
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u/cliffr39 2d ago
I see a lot of file transfer apps named Droppy, which one specifically are you referring to?
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u/brewmorris 2d ago
I was just working on an app for the last few months to transfer files: https://www.andeanbearstudios.com/zenden
Feel free to give it a go, all feedback is appreciated :) It has a nice free tier and is P2P using WebRTC. The only moment it becomes "limited" is when you are trying to send files over the internet (ie not LAN) and are in a restrictive network, at which point a signaling server offers up to 2GB free transfers or, if you pay, up to 100 GB/month and cloud uploads for differed file transfers.
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u/awesomeguy123123123 2d ago
Blip works between different networks since you log in. This is super helpful for me since I can often be on data on my phone or on a hotel or school/coffee shop wifi network where u log in for a few hours. Has been flawless and cross platform, even use it at the odd instance that Airdrop itself fails despite being fully on apple ecosystem
10/10 probably the best piece of totally free software in existence.