SHAREit was the app everyone had a decade ago; LocalSend is the app privacy-minded people are switching to now. Both move files between devices without a cable — but they take opposite approaches to ads, tracking and trust. Here's a full, honest, feature-by-feature comparison to help you decide.
If you also want to weigh other options, we compare LocalSend with Send Anywhere and PairDrop in separate guides. This one focuses squarely on the SHAREit matchup.
Here's how the two apps stack up across the things that actually matter day to day. Green means the app does it well or cleanly; orange flags a limitation or a catch.
| Feature | LocalSend | SHAREit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Ads | None | Yes, ad-supported |
| Open source | ✓ Apache-2.0 | ✕ Closed |
| Account required | No | Optional/prompted |
| Tracking / analytics | None | Yes |
| Works offline (local) | ✓ | ✓ |
| End-to-end encryption | ✓ TLS | Limited |
| Files stay off servers | ✓ | Varies |
| Android | ✓ | ✓ |
| iOS | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ Native | ✓ |
| macOS | ✓ Native | Limited |
| Linux | ✓ | ✕ |
| Cross-internet sharing | ✕ Local only | ✓ |
| File-size limit | None | None |
| Send folders | ✓ | ✓ |
| Send text/links | ✓ | ✓ |
| Built-in media player | ✕ | ✓ |
| Bloatware / extra promos | None | Yes |
| Clean, minimal interface | ✓ | Cluttered |
| Auditable code | ✓ | ✕ |
| Transfer speed (local) | Fast | Fast |
The table shows the "what", but the "why it matters" is worth spelling out. Here's the honest ledger for each.
Both apps are free to download, but "free" means different things here. It's worth understanding what each really costs you.
| Cost factor | LocalSend | SHAREit |
|---|---|---|
| Download price | Free | Free |
| Paid tier | None | Optional ad-removal / extras |
| Ads | None | Yes |
| "Cost" to your privacy | Minimal | Data collection |
LocalSend is free in the fullest sense — no ads, no data harvesting, nothing to buy. SHAREit is free to install but monetised through advertising and data, which is the real price you pay for the extra features.
For privacy and a clean, ad-free experience, yes. LocalSend is open source, ad-free, and keeps files on your local network. SHAREit adds cross-internet sharing and media features but comes with ads and tracking.
It works, but it has drawn criticism over ads and past security concerns. LocalSend's open-source, no-tracking design is generally considered the safer option.
No. LocalSend has no ads at all, whereas SHAREit is ad-supported.
SHAREit, since it supports internet-based sharing. LocalSend is local-only, so for long-distance transfers you'd want SHAREit or an app like Send Anywhere.
For most people in 2026, we recommend LocalSend. If your transfers happen between devices in the same home or office — which is the vast majority of file-sharing — LocalSend's privacy, lack of ads, open-source transparency and broad platform support make it the clearly better daily driver. It simply does the core job more cleanly.
The one scenario where SHAREit still earns a place is genuine long-distance sharing over the internet, which LocalSend doesn't do. If that's a regular need, keep SHAREit for those cases — or look at Send Anywhere, which pairs internet sharing with a cleaner experience. Ready to try the privacy-first option? Grab it from the LocalSend download page.
Written and reviewed by Rehan Shah · July 2026