LocalSend alternatives for an Android phone and a Mac

LocalSend is already one of the better free answers, so the honest first alternative is to keep it. If it is not working for you, the nearest options are NearDrop (free, Mac side only, no app on the phone), Quick Share to AirDrop (free, built in, on supported phones) and KDE Connect (free, adds notifications and a remote file browser). OpenMTP is the free choice for a cable. The Relay is the paid option for people who want clipboard, texts and calls on the Mac as well as files.

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 2 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

What does LocalSend do, so I know what I am replacing?

LocalSend's site calls it open source and cross-platform file sharing for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. The steps it lists are: install it on all your devices ("No account, no login, no servers"), choose photos, videos, documents or text, and tap the nearby device. It says transfers are encrypted over HTTPS, that you can enable PIN verification, and that it does not work over the internet. The README lists Android 7.0 and macOS 11 Big Sur as minimum versions, and describes a command-line client too. It also says that if you have trouble you may need to open your firewall for its default port, 53317.

If LocalSend cannot see your other device, try LocalSend device not showing before you switch.

Which alternatives are there?

What if I want the same thing with less to install?

NearDrop puts the Mac into Android's own Quick Share, so you install nothing on the phone. Its README says it is Wi-Fi LAN only, that it is "Visible to everyone on your network at all times while the app is running", and that on Android you scan a QR code it shows. It is a partial implementation of Google's Quick Share, by its own description. See NearDrop or LocalSend.

Quick Share to AirDrop needs nothing at all, if your phone qualifies. Google's page says a Pixel 8a or later and certain Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor, Transsion and Motorola devices can send to "an iPhone, iPad, or macOS device", with the Mac set to Everyone for 10 minutes. See AirDrop from Android to a Mac.

Neither does what LocalSend does for an iPhone or a Windows laptop. LocalSend lists those platforms. If you share with other people's devices, keep it.

What if I want more than file sharing?

KDE Connect is the free all-rounder. Its home page lists files and links, remote file browsing, notifications synced to the computer, replies to text messages, media control, and using the phone as a touchpad. Its download page lists Windows, macOS, iOS and Linux builds and calls the macOS release stable. Its wiki is written around Linux desktops and notes limits on Android: since Android 10 apps cannot read the clipboard in the background, and on Android 15 sensitive notification content may be hidden. Test the features you want on your Mac. See KDE Connect on a Mac.

AirDroid Personal adds remote access. Its product page lists file transfer "remotely or locally", remote control, screen mirroring, SMS, notifications and calling, and says setup means signing up and logging in to the same account on both devices. Its pricing page, on 2 October 2026, lists local-network file transfer as unlimited on the free plan and remote transfers as up to 30 MB per file and 200 MB of data. See AirDroid for Mac.

What if I want a cable?

OpenMTP is the free app for it. Its site describes a two-pane window, drag and drop, no file-size limit, and no wireless mode ("Can OpenMTP transfer files wirelessly? No."). It is the sensible choice for a whole camera roll. See how to use OpenMTP.

Where does The Relay fit?

The Relay is the paid alternative, and not a better file sender. It is an app on the Android phone and the Mac, paired by scanning a QR code shown on the Mac. File transfer and browsing shows the phone's storage in a Mac window so you can drag files either way over your own network, with no file-size limit set by the app. The rest of it is clipboard sync both ways, incoming texts with login codes copied to the Mac's clipboard, notifications, incoming calls, link handoff and the phone as a webcam.

It is one subscription through Google Play that covers your phone and your Mac, with a 7-day free trial, and it needs Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later. Your clipboard, files, texts, and notifications travel directly between your phone and your Mac over your local network and are not uploaded to The Relay's servers. There is no account or sign-up with The Relay; the subscription is bought through Google Play. See the privacy policy.

Choose LocalSend instead if you send to iPhones, Windows laptops or other people's devices, if you want open-source code, if you want no account at all, or if your Mac is older than macOS 13. The Relay is Android and Mac only and is not free. See The Relay vs LocalSend.

How do I choose in two minutes?

1. LocalSend not finding devices? Check the firewall note and the device-not-showing guide first.
2. Want to install nothing on the phone? NearDrop, or Quick Share to AirDrop if the phone qualifies.
3. Want notifications and texts too, free? KDE Connect.
4. Want a cable? OpenMTP.
5. Want one paid Mac app for all of it? The Relay.

We have not tested these tools. To compare any two, send the same 500 MB video with each and note how many taps it took.

Questions people ask

Is there anything better than LocalSend?

Not for every case. LocalSend is free, open source and runs on five platforms. Other tools do different things: KDE Connect adds notifications, OpenMTP uses a cable, The Relay adds clipboard and calls.

Is there a LocalSend alternative with no app on the phone?

NearDrop, because Android already has Quick Share, and Quick Share to AirDrop on supported phones. Both have limits listed above.

Do the alternatives work without internet?

LocalSend says it works without an internet connection. NearDrop's README says Wi-Fi LAN only. Google's Quick Share QR route needs internet and uploads to Google's servers for up to 24 hours.

Which alternative needs an account?

AirDroid's setup asks you to sign up and log in. LocalSend's site says no account is needed, and NearDrop's and KDE Connect's install steps include none. The Relay needs no account or sign-up; its subscription is bought through Google Play.