Skip to content
Sendoff
Join

From your Mac

AirDrop alternatives for Mac.

AirDrop is built in, but it only reaches Apple devices close by. These cover Android, Windows and people who aren't in the room.

The short answer

  • LocalSend for any device on the same Wi-Fi, Apple or not.
  • Blip for big files and folders to anyone, anywhere.
  • Quick Share to get files from an Android phone onto your Mac.
  • Sendoff for the same few people, by Gmail or iMessage, wherever they are. More below.

For built-in options like Mail Drop, Messages and Drive links, see the best file sharing apps for Mac.

LocalSend

LocalSend: free and open source, for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. It sends over your local network, so it works without the internet, and there’s no account. Transfers are encrypted, and you can add a PIN. Files land in Downloads unless you change it.

Keep in mind: both devices need LocalSend and the same network. It doesn’t work over the internet.

Blip

Blip: sends files and folders of any size, with no zipping, to your own devices or to someone across the world. It picks up where it left off if the network drops, and transfers are end-to-end encrypted. Blip says it’s free for non-commercial use, with plans for work.

Keep in mind: there are no web links. You send to other Blip users, so the other person needs the app too.

Quick Share, from an Android phone

Quick Share is Google’s way to share from Android. Google says a Pixel 8a or later, and certain Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor, Transsion and Motorola phones, can send to a Mac through AirDrop. On the Mac, set AirDrop to receive from Everyone, then click Accept. Going the other way, Google says a Pixel 9 or later (not the 9a) can receive from a Mac.

Keep in mind: it’s only for some phones, and only nearby. Other Android phones can share a QR code link instead, which Google keeps for 24 hours. More in Send files from your Mac to Android.

LocalSend vs AirDrop

Both send to devices near you. The difference is who’s on the other end.

  • Devices. AirDrop: iPhone, iPad and Mac only. LocalSend: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
  • Setup. AirDrop is built in. LocalSend has to be installed on both devices.
  • Range. AirDrop: within 30 feet (10 meters), with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. If you walk out of range mid-transfer, it carries on over the internet. LocalSend: the same local network.
  • Security. Both encrypt transfers. With AirDrop, the person can accept or decline each one. LocalSend lets you add a PIN.
  • Speed. Neither publishes a figure we can compare, and we haven’t tested them, so we won’t call a winner.

If AirDrop is the problem, not the answer, see AirDrop not working on your Mac?

Where Sendoff fits

These apps work well for someone nearby, or someone with the same app. Most files, though, go to the same few people: your accountant, your teammate, your mom. Sendoff is a Mac app that lives in the notch and sends to them by Gmail or iMessage, so they don’t need Sendoff, and they don’t need to be nearby. Drop the file, pick the person, press Send off.

It remembers how you reach each person and routes around what won’t work: a 48 MB video for someone you usually email goes by iMessage instead. It’s all keyboard, with 3 seconds to undo. Comparing with Apple’s own options? See AirDrop vs iMessage and Sendoff vs AirDrop.

Try Sendoff

Sendoff is not out yet. Join the waitlist below, and tick the beta box if you want to test it first.