What they're great at
Snapdrop and LocalSend are AirDrop for everyone: free, open source, and direct. Snapdrop runs in the browser — open the same page on two devices on the same network and drag a file across. LocalSend is an app on all the major platforms doing the same thing with a bit more polish. Transfers go device-to-device, nothing is stored anywhere, and nearby transfers of big files are about as fast as your Wi-Fi allows. For the "get this photo from my phone to this laptop, now, once" problem, they're hard to beat and we won't pretend otherwise.
The boundary
Everything above depends on the two devices being on the same local network at the same time, both switched on, both attended. Which means:
- No different-network transfers. Phone on 4G, laptop on office Wi-Fi? Home machine to work machine? Nothing happens.
- Nothing is kept. "Nothing stored" is a feature right up until you need the same file again tomorrow.
- No third parties. There's no link to send a client or a friend across the internet — the other person has to be next to you, on your network.
What MoveMyWork is for
MoveMyWork is the other shape of tool: it relays through a server, so distance stops mattering. Copy text or drop a file on one device and it's waiting on the rest — the Windows tray app syncs copies automatically, and everything else uses the web app. Your clips and files build up a searchable history (3 GB and files up to 250 MB on the free plan), and any of them can become a share link with a passphrase, expiry and revoke for someone with no account at all. The everyday flow is in our guide to moving files between your phone and laptop.
And for the in-the-room case, MoveMyWork now has Nearby: pick one of your other devices (or pair one with a 6-letter code) and the file goes straight across, browser to browser - never through our servers, no size limit, nothing kept. It needs both devices to reach each other, which usually means the same wifi; when they can't, you're told and offered the normal upload. That's the same boundary Snapdrop and LocalSend live inside, so the honest difference is what happens outside it.
Side by side
| Snapdrop / LocalSend | MoveMyWork | |
|---|---|---|
| Works across networks | No — same network only | Yes |
| Keeps a history | No — nothing stored, by design | Yes, searchable |
| Link for a third party | No | Yes — passphrase, expiry, revoke |
| Nearby speed | Excellent — direct | Direct too (Nearby), or via server from anywhere |
| Cost | Free, open source | Free plan; Pro optional |
Both tools described as at the time of writing (August 2026); MoveMyWork's Nearby arrived October 2026.
When Snapdrop or LocalSend is the better choice
Same room, one file, right now, and you'd rather not open a website at all - use them. LocalSend in particular is a proper app with nothing to sign in to. MoveMyWork's Nearby covers the same ground from the browser (nothing touches a server, wifi speed, no size limit), so if you already use MoveMyWork you may not need a second tool; plenty of people still sensibly run both. If you're also weighing the paired-devices tools, our KDE Connect comparison covers that corner of the map.
Frequently asked
Can LocalSend send files over the internet?
No — at the time of writing it transfers directly between devices on the same local network. That's the design, and it's why it's fast and private. For devices on different networks you need a tool that relays through a server, which is what MoveMyWork does.
Does Snapdrop store my files anywhere?
At the time of writing, no — transfers go directly between the two browsers and nothing is kept. The flip side is there's no history: if you need the file again tomorrow, you transfer it again.
Does MoveMyWork store my files?
Yes — that's the point of it. Files are stored encrypted at rest so any of your signed-in devices can fetch them later, and so you can share them by link. You can delete anything, and free-plan files are kept for a limited period. It is not end-to-end encrypted. If nothing-leaves-the-room matters most, use Nearby - MoveMyWork's own device-to-device send, which stores nothing - or LocalSend.
Which should I use for privacy?
For a one-off transfer between two devices in the same room, LocalSend, Snapdrop, or MoveMyWork's Nearby - all three go device to device and store nothing. Use the rest of MoveMyWork when the devices are apart, when you want a history, or when the recipient is a third party who just needs a link.