AirDroid alternatives for an Android phone and a Mac

The best AirDroid alternative depends on which part of AirDroid you use. For a free, open-source app that covers files, notifications, and texts on your own network, use KDE Connect. For files alone, use LocalSend or NearDrop. For screen mirroring and control, use scrcpy. For texting, use Google Messages for web. If you want one Mac app with a one-time price and no monthly plan, that is The Relay. And if what you need is to reach a phone that is in another building, AirDroid is still the right tool and none of these replaces it.

Publisher note: The Relay publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Details about other products come from each maker's own pages, checked on 1 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

What does AirDroid Personal do?

A lot. AirDroid's product page lists:

• File transfer and file management across Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, and Linux, on a local or a remote network.
• Remote control of an Android phone or tablet from the computer, with "No root needed".
• Screen mirroring, with screen recording.
• SMS: "view and reply to SMS directly from your computer using your keyboard".
• Notifications: "access and manage all notifications in a single place".
• Calling: placing calls from the computer.
• Remote camera, Find Phone, and Remote Erase Data. The page says the last two are in the web version.

For a Mac, the page lists a desktop client for "macOS 10.11 and higher" and a web version that runs in Safari, Chrome, or Edge. The Android app needs Android 8 or higher. Setup has three steps, and the second is "Sign up and log in to the same account on PC/web and mobile to complete the connection."

One detail worth knowing: AirDroid's own FAQ says the desktop app and the web version "offer different sets of features", and recommends using both.

What does AirDroid cost, and what is limited on the free plan?

As of 1 October 2026, the AirDroid Personal pricing page lists the paid plan at $3.99 a month, or $29.99 for one year. It is a subscription. The page says a premium account "will be automatically renewed for another period" until you cancel in the account centre.

The same page has a Free vs. Paid table. The rows that matter most:

So on your home Wi-Fi the free plan is generous. The limits bite when you use it remotely, which is the thing AirDroid is best at.

Why do people look for an AirDroid alternative?

We can only speak to what AirDroid's own pages say, and three things on them explain most of it.

It needs an account. You sign up and log in on both devices. Some people would rather pair two devices they own without creating a login.

Remote mode goes through AirDroid's service. The pricing page's FAQ says that in Remote Connection Mode, "your account credentials, SMS, contacts, call logs and other private information are all securely transmitted via HTTPS and we never store them", with exceptions it names: your account information and the phone's latest location if Find Phone is on. That is a clear statement, and it also tells you that this data leaves your network when you use remote mode. Whether that is acceptable depends on what you are sending. We look at this in Is AirDroid safe?.

The remote limits and the subscription. The free plan's 200 MB remote allowance is small, and lifting it means a recurring charge.

None of these is a flaw if remote access is what you came for. They matter if your phone and your MacBook are always in the same room.

Which AirDroid alternative fits each job?

KDE Connect: the free all-rounder

KDE Connect is the nearest free equivalent in spirit: one app, many features. Its home page lists sharing files and links, browsing the phone's files, syncing notifications, and replying to text messages, and describes itself as "Open Source. Free to use. For any purpose. Forever." Its download page offers a stable macOS release. Pairing happens between the two devices, and its instructions include no sign-up step. Its wiki says devices need to be on the same network. We set the two against each other in AirDroid vs KDE Connect.

scrcpy: for the screen

If remote control is why you installed AirDroid, scrcpy is the free replacement when the phone is nearby. Its README says it mirrors the phone over USB or TCP/IP, lets you control it with the computer's keyboard and mouse, works on macOS, and needs "no account, no ads, no internet". The price of entry is turning on USB debugging and using Terminal. See mirroring Android to a Mac.

LocalSend and NearDrop: for files

Both are free and keep transfers on your local network. Pick between them in NearDrop or LocalSend.

Where does The Relay fit?

The Relay is the alternative for people who liked having AirDroid's everyday features in one place but only ever use them at their desk. It is an app for an Android phone and a Mac, paired by scanning a QR code shown on the Mac. It syncs the clipboard both ways, browses the phone's storage and moves files, shows incoming texts and copies login codes to the Mac's clipboard, shows notifications and incoming calls, hands links across, and turns the phone into a webcam and microphone. Your clipboard, files, texts, and notifications travel directly between the phone and the Mac over your local network and are not uploaded to The Relay's servers. It costs $19.99, paid once, with no subscription. Buying it does involve an account with an email address; the privacy policy explains what is collected.

What AirDroid lists that The Relay does not have:

• Remote access. The Relay works on the same network or within Bluetooth range. It does not reach a phone across the internet.
• Screen mirroring and remote control.
• Replying to SMS and placing calls. The Relay shows incoming texts and lets you accept or decline incoming calls.
• Find Phone and remote erase.
• A free plan. The Relay is paid. There is a refund window; see the terms.
• Windows, Linux, and iPhone. The Relay is for Android and macOS 13 Ventura or later only.

What The Relay has that AirDroid's product page does not mention: clipboard sync and using the phone as a Mac webcam.

When should I stay with AirDroid?

Stay if any of these is your main use:

• You manage a phone that is not with you, such as a relative's, or one left at home.
• You want mirroring and control without touching Terminal.
• You work across Windows and a Mac and want one tool on both.
• You want a web version you can open on any computer.

In those cases the alternatives above are a step down, and the paid plan may be worth it.

Questions people ask

Is there a free alternative to AirDroid?

Yes. KDE Connect covers files, notifications, and text replies for free on the same network. LocalSend and NearDrop cover files. scrcpy covers mirroring and control. Google Messages for web covers texting. None of them offers remote access over the internet.

Does AirDroid work on a Mac?

Yes. AirDroid's page lists a desktop client for macOS 10.11 and higher and a web version for Safari and Chrome. More in AirDroid for Mac.

Is AirDroid free?

There is a free plan. According to AirDroid's pricing page it has unlimited local file transfer, with remote transfers limited to 30 MB per file and 200 MB of data. The paid plan is $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year as of 1 October 2026. See AirDroid free vs premium.

Which alternative does not need an account?

LocalSend's site says "No account, no login, no servers", scrcpy's README says "no account", and OpenMTP's site says no account is needed. KDE Connect's and NearDrop's instructions include no sign-up step. Google Messages for web uses your Google Account. The Relay needs an account to buy it.

Can any alternative control my phone when I am away from home?

Not the local tools in this article. They all need the phone on the same network as the Mac, or on a cable. Remote access through an account is what AirDroid sells, and it is the reason to keep it.