blixtSame code, any distance
The room and the other side of the world are the same gesture: drop a file, share the code, compare six digits. LAN mode when there is no internet at all.
Comparison
Blixt vs LocalSend, PairDrop & Snapdrop
These three nailed local sharing: open an app or a browser tab, see the device across the room, drop a file. Free, open source, no accounts. Blixt covers the same room — and everything beyond it: the same code flow works across the internet, with resume, relays for hard NATs, and link aggregation.
| LocalSend / PairDrop / Snapdrop | Blixt | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free and open source | Free plan; flat paid plans |
| Same-network sends | Yes — their home turf | Yes — LAN mode over direct, pinned QUIC |
| Fully offline, no server | LocalSend: yes. PairDrop and Snapdrop need their web server to load | Yes — LAN mode uses no signaling server at all |
| Across the internet | LocalSend and Snapdrop: no. PairDrop: only between devices paired in advance | Yes — the same code flow; direct QUIC or HTTPS, relays on :443 for hard NATs |
| Resume after a drop | No — a failed transfer starts over | Yes — missing chunks only, verified against a MAC-protected journal |
| Link aggregation | No | Multiconnect bonds Ethernet + Wi-Fi + a tethered phone (Basic plan and up) |
| Channel verification | TLS or WebRTC encryption; trust models vary by tool | TLS 1.3, fail-closed certificate pinning, and a 6-digit SAS compared out of band |
| Zero-install receiving | PairDrop and Snapdrop run in a browser tab | bCloud share links open in any browser, any device |
| Mobile today | LocalSend ships mobile apps; PairDrop works in mobile browsers | Android Preview 0.1.0: Sideloaded debug APK; Android 10+, arm64. iOS is planned. bCloud share links work in any mobile browser |
Credit where due
Where LocalSend, PairDrop & Snapdrop are the better choice
- Everyone is on the same Wi-Fi and phones are involved.LocalSend’s mobile apps hand a photo from a phone to a laptop with production releases across mobile platforms. Blixt currently has only Android Preview 0.1.0: Sideloaded debug APK; Android 10+, arm64. iOS is planned.
- Zero-install moments. PairDrop and Snapdrop need nothing but a browser tab on both sides — hard to beat for a one-off handoff to a stranger in the same room.
- Casual, small, quick. A screenshot to the machine next to you does not need resume, relays, or plans.
And they’re free and open source.All three publish their code; Blixt’s code is not public. If your transfers never leave the room and never break mid-way, these tools are a fine answer and we won’t pretend otherwise.
The other direction
Where Blixt wins
Gets through hard networks
ICE/STUN hole punching for direct paths; when a corporate firewall blocks everything, a relay on :443 that looks like ordinary web traffic.
Built for files that matter
A MAC-protected journal identifies missing verified blocks, BLAKE3 verifies every chunk, and Multiconnect can use selected links in parallel.
When it’s work, not a party trick
Priority support on the Max plan, bCloud share links with passwords and expiry, S3 integration, and a CLI for scripts.