LANBucket vs LocalSend
Two clean, no-account tools for sharing files on your local network, built for different jobs. The comparison below shows which one fits your setup.
TL;DR: LocalSend is the better pick when you need to send a file between two devices across platforms, including phones. LANBucket wins for a room full of Windows PCs at a LAN party, where many people download the same large files at once.
Both tools keep everything on your local network, need no account, and work without an internet connection. They diverge once more than two devices are involved.
Feature comparison
| Feature | LANBucket | LocalSend |
|---|---|---|
| No setup or configuration | Yes | Yes |
| No account or sign-in required | Yes | Yes |
| Distributed (many-to-many) transfers | Yes | No. LocalSend sends directly from one device to another, one transfer at a time. |
| On-the-fly compression | Yes | No. LocalSend transfers files without automatic compression. |
| Automatic peer discovery | Yes | Yes |
| Stays on your local network | Yes | Yes |
| Share any file with drag & drop | Yes | Yes |
| Works without the internet | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-platform (macOS, Linux, mobile) | No. LANBucket is Windows-only for now. | Yes. LocalSend runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. |
| Open source | No | Yes |
Where LANBucket pulls ahead
Distributed, many-to-many transfers
LocalSend sends a file directly from one device to another, one transfer at a time. That works fine for "send this photo to my laptop", but at a LAN party where ten people all want the same 40 GB folder, everyone pulls from a single source and the transfers slow down. LANBucket takes a different approach: every device that has part of a file shares it with the others. The more people downloading, the more the load spreads, and the faster everyone finishes.
On-the-fly compression
LANBucket compresses files as they are sent and decompresses them on arrival, in real time. For content that compresses well, transfers finish faster with no manual zipping. LocalSend sends files as-is.
Where LocalSend pulls ahead
Cross-platform and mobile support
LocalSend runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. If you need to move a file from your phone to a Mac, LocalSend does it. LANBucket is Windows-only for now.
Open source
LocalSend is open source, which some users prefer. LANBucket is free but not open source.
Which should you use?
Choose LANBucket if you're on Windows and sharing large files with several people at once (a LAN party, a study group, a home network), where distributed transfers and compression save time.
Choose LocalSend if you need cross-platform or phone-to-computer transfers, or you want an open-source tool for the occasional one-to-one send.
Get LANBucket free
Free on the Microsoft Store. No account, no ads, no internet required.