PairDrop vs Send: Local or Link-Based Sharing?

Quick Verdict

PairDrop and Send solve different problems. PairDrop is for instant, local file transfers between nearby devices — think AirDrop. Send is for sharing files with anyone via encrypted, expiring links — think WeTransfer. Pick based on your use case, not which is “better.”

Overview

PairDrop is a peer-to-peer file sharing tool inspired by Apple’s AirDrop. Devices on the same network discover each other automatically, and files transfer directly between browsers via WebRTC — nothing touches the server. No accounts, no links, no storage.

Send is a fork of the discontinued Firefox Send. Upload a file, get an encrypted link with a download limit and expiry time. Files are end-to-end encrypted in the browser before upload. Share the link with anyone — they don’t need to be on your network.

Feature Comparison

Feature	PairDrop	Send
Transfer method	Peer-to-peer (WebRTC)	Upload → link → download
Discovery	Auto-discover on LAN	Manual link sharing
Encryption	WebRTC (DTLS)	End-to-end (browser-side AES-GCM)
File size limit	None (peer-to-peer)	Configurable (default ~2.5 GB)
Expiring links	N/A	Yes (time + download count)
Password protection	N/A	Yes
Server storage needed	None	Yes (stores encrypted files)
Account required	No	No
Text/message sharing	Yes	No
Multiple recipients	Yes (all LAN devices)	Yes (anyone with the link)
Offline transfer	No (needs server for signaling)	No (needs server for storage)
Mobile support	Browser-based (all platforms)	Browser-based (all platforms)
External sharing	With TURN server only	Yes (anyone with the URL)
License	GPL-3.0	MPL-2.0

Installation Complexity

PairDrop is about as simple as self-hosting gets. One container, no database, no persistent storage. Files never touch the server — it only handles WebRTC signaling.

# PairDrop — that's the entire stack
services:
  pairdrop:
    image: ghcr.io/schlagmichdoch/pairdrop:v1.11.2
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    restart: unless-stopped

Send requires two containers (app + Redis) and persistent volume storage for uploaded files. Configuration involves setting BASE_URL, upload limits, and expiry defaults.

# Send — needs Redis + storage volume
services:
  send:
    image: registry.gitlab.com/timvisee/send:v3.4.27
    ports:
      - "1443:1443"
    volumes:
      - ./uploads:/uploads
    environment:
      - REDIS_HOST=redis
    depends_on:
      - redis
  redis:
    image: redis:7-alpine

Winner: PairDrop — single container, zero configuration, zero storage.

Performance and Resource Usage

PairDrop’s server component is a lightweight Node.js signaling server. Since files transfer directly between browsers, the server handles almost no data. RAM usage is negligible (~30 MB).

Send stores files on the server (encrypted), so disk usage scales with transfer volume. The Node.js app itself is lightweight (~50-80 MB RAM), but Redis adds another ~30 MB, and you need disk space proportional to your upload limits.

Metric	PairDrop	Send
RAM (idle)	~30 MB	~80-110 MB (app + Redis)
Disk usage	None	Proportional to uploads
Network load on server	Signaling only (~KB)	Full file upload + download
Containers	1	2 (app + Redis)
Bandwidth impact	Direct between peers	Server acts as intermediary

Winner: PairDrop — minimal resource usage since files bypass the server entirely.

Community and Support

PairDrop has ~4,500 GitHub stars and active development. It’s a fork of Snapdrop with significant improvements (rooms, persistent pairing, text sharing). Documentation covers Docker deployment and TURN server setup.

Send has ~4,800 GitHub stars. It’s a maintained fork of Firefox Send (discontinued by Mozilla in 2020). The maintainer (timvisee) keeps it updated, and there’s a separate docker-compose repo with deployment examples.

Winner: Tie. Both have similar community sizes and active maintenance.

Use Cases

Choose PairDrop If…

• You transfer files between your own devices frequently
• You want AirDrop-like functionality across all platforms
• Privacy is paramount — files should never touch a server
• You share files with people on the same network (office, home)
• You want zero-maintenance deployment

Choose Send If…

• You share files with people who aren’t on your network
• You need expiring, password-protected download links
• End-to-end encryption of stored files matters
• You’re replacing WeTransfer or similar link-sharing services
• You need to control how many times a file can be downloaded

Final Verdict

Use both. They’re complementary, not competing. PairDrop replaces AirDrop for local transfers — fast, private, serverless. Send replaces WeTransfer for remote sharing — encrypted links with expiry and download limits.

If you can only pick one: PairDrop for personal/home use (most file sharing happens between your own devices), Send for team/business use (sharing files with clients, partners, or anyone outside your network).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can PairDrop work across different networks?

Yes, but it requires a TURN server (like coturn) to relay WebRTC connections. Without a TURN server, PairDrop only works between devices on the same LAN or VPN.

Are files on Send truly end-to-end encrypted?

Yes. Encryption happens in the browser before upload. The server stores only encrypted blobs. The decryption key is part of the URL fragment (after #), which is never sent to the server.

Can I run both on the same server?

Absolutely. PairDrop uses ~30 MB RAM and zero disk. Send uses ~110 MB RAM plus disk for stored files. They serve different purposes and don’t conflict.

What happens when a Send link expires?

The encrypted file is automatically deleted from the server. Neither the file nor its metadata is recoverable.

Related

• How to Self-Host PairDrop
• How to Self-Host Send
• Send vs WeTransfer
• Self-Hosted Alternatives to AirDrop
• Self-Hosted Alternatives to WeTransfer
• Best Self-Hosted File Sharing Tools
• Docker Compose Basics