{"slug": "pairdrop", "name": "PairDrop", "category": "files", "category_name": "Files, sync and backup", "description": "", "recommenders": 6, "commenters": 8, "warners": 0, "score": 5.805, "rising": 0.69, "first": "2025-11-20", "latest": "2026-09-18", "why": "PairDrop [0] gets the job done as a \"good enough\" cross-platform / cross-device AirDrop replacement", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 6, "neutral": 0, "compare": 2, "warn": 0}, "spark": [1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 3, 0, 0, 0, 0, 2, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "PairDrop [0] gets the job done as a \"good enough\" cross-platform / cross-device AirDrop replacement", "kind": "", "icon": true, "domain": null, "github_repo": "github.com/schlagmichdoch/pairdrop", "official_url": "https://pairdrop.net", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["PairDrop"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 796039121, "item_id": 49752445, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49752445", "by": "sfwf", "date": "2026-09-18", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "meanwhile https://pairdrop.net/ always work", "excerpt": "First, snapdrop shouldn't be used at all, it was sold to LimeWire along with some other similar P2P sites (sharedrop, easyupload) so only https://pairdrop.net/ can be trusted. The difference is that localsend has dedicated apps as well, but sometimes you just quickly need the web version and for me https://web.localsend.org/ is often too slow to connect or devices can't see each other, meanwhile https://pairdrop.net/", "context": "", "use_case": "Web file sharing between devices", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Snapdrop: Instantly share files between devices. No setup, no signup"}, {"id": 795968032, "item_id": 49748002, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49748002", "by": "ranger_danger", "date": "2026-09-17", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "There is a fork of it here", "excerpt": "There is a fork of it here: https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Snapdrop: Instantly share files between devices. No setup, no signup"}, {"id": 766963792, "item_id": 47935237, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47935237", "by": "cachius", "date": "2026-04-28", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Pairdrop is awesome!", "excerpt": "Pairdrop is awesome! The docs are a bit hidden, the FAQ is at https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/pairdrop/blob/master/docs/faq.md and the How-To for integration into Share menu on Android, iOS and Windows at https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/how-to.md They forked sharedrop after it and snapdrop got acquired and enshittified by LimeWire, whoever that is now.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop"}, {"id": 766947840, "item_id": 47934240, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47934240", "by": "miguel-muniz", "date": "2026-04-28", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "this one works entirely in the browser and can connect to clients beyond your local network", "excerpt": "https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/pairdrop A similar project but this one works entirely in the browser and can connect to clients beyond your local network with \"public\" rooms", "context": "", "use_case": "Browser-based file sharing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop"}, {"id": 766586928, "item_id": 47911683, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47911683", "by": "kevinsync", "date": "2026-04-26", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "PairDrop [0] gets the job done as a \"good enough\" cross-platform / cross-device AirDrop replacement", "excerpt": "PairDrop [0] gets the job done as a \"good enough\" cross-platform / cross-device AirDrop replacement if you're on the same network. For practical, casual use with non-tech users (likely on cellular or not the same network), you do need an internet connection though (you can make a temporary \"room\" that you both join to then facilitate the transfers), and the caveat there is that method transfers slower than if you're ", "context": "", "use_case": "file sharing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What file sharing apps do you guys use?"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["browser-based file sharing", "web file sharing between devices", "file sharing"], "compared": [{"slug": "localsend", "name": "LocalSend", "co": 2, "switched_from": 0, "switched_to": 0}], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49746346", "title": "Show HN: Snapdrop: Instantly share files between devices. No setup, no signup", "mentions": 4}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47933208", "title": "Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop", "mentions": 2}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47906587", "title": "Ask HN: What file sharing apps do you guys use?", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45994854", "title": "Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {"recommend": 1}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {}, "2026-02": {}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {"recommend": 3}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 2, "compare": 2}, "2026-10": {}}, "versions": [], "version_unnamed": 0, "family_ref": null, "runs_on": null, "lines": [], "quotes": [{"id": 796039121, "item_id": 49752445, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49752445", "by": "sfwf", "date": "2026-09-18", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "meanwhile https://pairdrop.net/ always work", "excerpt": "First, snapdrop shouldn't be used at all, it was sold to LimeWire along with some other similar P2P sites (sharedrop, easyupload) so only https://pairdrop.net/ can be trusted. The difference is that localsend has dedicated apps as well, but sometimes you just quickly need the web version and for me https://web.localsend.org/ is often too slow to connect or devices can't see each other, meanwhile https://pairdrop.net/", "context": "", "use_case": "Web file sharing between devices", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Snapdrop: Instantly share files between devices. No setup, no signup"}, {"id": 795982048, "item_id": 49748878, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49748878", "by": "SoKamil", "date": "2026-09-18", "version": null, "stance": "compare", "quote": "Pairdrop is a fork with new features.", "excerpt": "Pairdrop is a fork with new features. See: https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/pairdrop#differences-to-the-snapdrop-it-is-based-on", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Snapdrop: Instantly share files between devices. No setup, no signup"}, {"id": 795969376, "item_id": 49748086, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49748086", "by": "inexcf", "date": "2026-09-17", "version": null, "stance": "compare", "quote": "Why does this look exactly like https://pairdrop.net/ ?", "excerpt": "Why does this look exactly like https://pairdrop.net/ ?", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Snapdrop: Instantly share files between devices. No setup, no signup"}, {"id": 795968032, "item_id": 49748002, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49748002", "by": "ranger_danger", "date": "2026-09-17", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "There is a fork of it here", "excerpt": "There is a fork of it here: https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Show HN: Snapdrop: Instantly share files between devices. No setup, no signup"}, {"id": 766963792, "item_id": 47935237, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47935237", "by": "cachius", "date": "2026-04-28", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Pairdrop is awesome!", "excerpt": "Pairdrop is awesome! The docs are a bit hidden, the FAQ is at https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/pairdrop/blob/master/docs/faq.md and the How-To for integration into Share menu on Android, iOS and Windows at https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/PairDrop/blob/master/docs/how-to.md They forked sharedrop after it and snapdrop got acquired and enshittified by LimeWire, whoever that is now.", "context": "", "use_case": "", "switched_from": "", "story": "Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop"}, {"id": 766947840, "item_id": 47934240, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47934240", "by": "miguel-muniz", "date": "2026-04-28", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "this one works entirely in the browser and can connect to clients beyond your local network", "excerpt": "https://github.com/schlagmichdoch/pairdrop A similar project but this one works entirely in the browser and can connect to clients beyond your local network with \"public\" rooms", "context": "", "use_case": "Browser-based file sharing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop"}, {"id": 766586928, "item_id": 47911683, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47911683", "by": "kevinsync", "date": "2026-04-26", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "PairDrop [0] gets the job done as a \"good enough\" cross-platform / cross-device AirDrop replacement", "excerpt": "PairDrop [0] gets the job done as a \"good enough\" cross-platform / cross-device AirDrop replacement if you're on the same network. For practical, casual use with non-tech users (likely on cellular or not the same network), you do need an internet connection though (you can make a temporary \"room\" that you both join to then facilitate the transfers), and the caveat there is that method transfers slower than if you're ", "context": "", "use_case": "file sharing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What file sharing apps do you guys use?"}, {"id": 735931328, "item_id": 45995708, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45995708", "by": "aagha", "date": "2025-11-20", "version": null, "stance": "recommend", "quote": "I prefer https://pairdrop.net/ ; nicer interface", "excerpt": "I prefer https://pairdrop.net/ ; nicer interface", "context": "", "use_case": "Browser-based file sharing", "switched_from": "", "story": "Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10"}]}