The Relay vs LocalSend: which fits how I move things between phone and Mac?

LocalSend is a free, open-source app for sending files and messages between nearby devices over your local network, and it runs on Mac, Android, Windows, Linux, and iPhone. If you send things on purpose, by picking a file and a target device, LocalSend is probably all you need and costs nothing. The Relay suits you if you want things to move without picking: a copied sentence ready to paste, a login code on the Mac's clipboard, notifications and incoming calls on the Mac, plus a webcam. It is one subscription through Google Play that covers your phone and your Mac, with a 7-day free trial, and it is for an Android phone and a Mac only.

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.

How do LocalSend and The Relay compare side by side?

A cell says "Yes" only where the maker's own page lists the feature. "Not stated" means the pages we read do not mention it. It does not mean we tested the product and found it missing.

The LocalSend cells come from its site and its README. The README describes "secure communication between devices using a REST API and HTTPS encryption", and the site says transfers use end-to-end encryption.

What is LocalSend?

LocalSend is a cross-platform app that you install on every device you want to share between. The site describes three steps: install and open it, select files, and tap the nearby device. It says no account or login is needed, and transfers happen over your local network at the speed of your Wi-Fi. Because it lists iPhone and Windows as well, one app can move things between all your devices. For steps on a Mac and an Android phone, see using LocalSend between a Mac and an Android phone. If it cannot see the other device, LocalSend device not showing has the checks.

When LocalSend is the better choice

• Sharing is the job. It sends files and text to a device you pick. That is all it claims, and it is free.
• You own more than a Mac and an Android phone. It lists Windows, Linux, and iPhone clients. The Relay does not.
• You send to other people's devices on the same network, such as a colleague's laptop.
• You want open-source code, which LocalSend publishes and The Relay does not.
• You are on a Mac older than macOS 13 Ventura. The pages we read name no macOS minimum for LocalSend, so check its download page. The Relay needs macOS 13 or later.
• You do not want an account anywhere. LocalSend says none is needed. The Relay needs no account or sign-up either, but its subscription is bought through Google Play.

When The Relay is the better choice

• You do not want to initiate every move. With LocalSend you open the app, pick a thing, and pick a device. With The Relay, a copied item is available to paste on the other device, and the phone's notifications arrive on the Mac without you asking.
• You get login codes by text. A code in an incoming SMS is copied to the Mac's clipboard. LocalSend's pages say nothing about this. See SMS verification codes on a Mac.
• You want the phone's storage on the Mac as a window you can browse, instead of choosing files on the phone to send.
• You want to see incoming calls on the Mac and accept or decline them.
• You want the phone as a Mac webcam. See using an Android phone as a webcam for a Mac.
• You want a short list of things on one subscription and no apps to assemble.

What The Relay will not do

• It does not send files to arbitrary devices such as a friend's laptop or an iPhone. It is for your Android phone and your Mac.
• It does not mirror the screen or send texts, and it does not place calls.
• It is not remote. Both devices must be on the same network or in Bluetooth range.
• It is wireless only, with no USB mode.
• It does not back up your photo library.
• It needs Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later.
• It is not free: after the 7-day trial it is a subscription through Google Play unless you cancel in Google Play before the trial ends. Refunds go through Google Play; see the terms.

Where do they overlap, and where do they not?

Both work on your own network and both move files. That is the overlap. They differ in how they are used: LocalSend is a tool you open to send something, and The Relay is meant to sit running and join the two devices up. We have not measured either, so we cannot compare speed. A fair test is to send the same 500 MB video with each and note how many taps it took.

Neither works when the phone is somewhere else. For that, an account-based service is the usual answer; see local network vs cloud phone sync.

Questions people ask

Is LocalSend free?

Yes. Its README calls it a free, open-source app.

Does LocalSend work on a Mac and an Android phone?

Its site lists macOS and Android among the platforms it runs on. Install it on both devices.

Does The Relay replace LocalSend?

For moving files between your own phone and your own Mac, it can. It cannot send to an iPhone or a Windows laptop. Many people keep LocalSend for those cases.

Which is more private?

Both describe local-network transfers. LocalSend says its data never leaves your local network, and The Relay's clipboard, files, texts, and notifications travel directly between your devices over your local network and are not uploaded to The Relay's servers. There is no account or sign-up with The Relay, but its website uses analytics; see the privacy policy. We have not audited either product.