Snapdrop alternative
Snapdrop Alternative: Private, Cross-Platform File Sharing
Snapdrop changed after it was acquired by LimeWire, and many users now want a replacement they can trust. Flitdrop shares between iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac and Linux over your local Wi-Fi, end to end encrypted, free and with no account.
The honest answer first: Snapdrop was acquired by LimeWire and the snapdrop.net experience is no longer what many people relied on, so users worried about privacy and reliability are looking for a replacement. Flitdrop is the private, cross OS answer. It needs nothing installed on the phone, keeps every file on your local Wi-Fi with end to end encryption so nothing ever goes through a server or the cloud, works between any phone and any computer, both ways, and sends the clipboard in one tap too, not just files. It is a real desktop app that stays discoverable, rather than a browser tab both sides must keep open at once.
Why replace it
What Changed With Snapdrop
Snapdrop was acquired by LimeWire and the site experience changed, so people who valued its privacy and simplicity want a dependable replacement.
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Acquired by LimeWire
Snapdrop was acquired by LimeWire and the snapdrop.net experience changed, which left long time users unsure about privacy and trust.
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A flaky browser tab
It ran as a WebRTC browser tab that both devices had to keep open at once, which felt fragile whenever a tab was closed or a phone slept.
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Text by hand, no resume
It focused on quick one-off sends: text went as a message you typed or pasted, and resuming an interrupted big transfer was not part of the flow the way it is with Flitdrop, which also sends the clipboard in one tap.
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A private replacement
Flitdrop is the private replacement: files stay on your local Wi-Fi, end to end encrypted, never through a server or the cloud.
Getting started
How Flitdrop Replaces Snapdrop
Install the app on your computer once, pair your phone with a single scan, then send over your Wi-Fi.
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1
Install on your computer
Install the lightweight Flitdrop app once on Windows, Mac or Linux; there is nothing to install on the phone.
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2
Scan once to pair
Scan a QR code one time to pair your iPhone or Android; the phone simply uses its browser as a lightweight web app.
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3
Send over your Wi-Fi
Both devices stay on the same local Wi-Fi and transfer peer to peer, so files move fast and stay off the cloud.
Everything is end to end encrypted, with no account to create and privacy first by design.
The difference
Why Flitdrop Is a Better Fit
A real desktop app, private by design, that also sends the clipboard in one tap and resumes big files across every OS.
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Nothing on the phone
Nothing to install on the phone: scan a QR code once and use the browser, just the way Snapdrop felt but paired to a real app.
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Always discoverable
A real desktop app that stays discoverable in the background, instead of a browser tab both sides must keep open at once.
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Clipboard and big files
It sends the clipboard both ways in one tap and resumes big files, up to 16 GB, if the Wi-Fi drops, so it covers more of what you actually send.
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Any phone, any computer
iPhone, Android and Samsung on the phone, Windows, Mac and Linux on the computer, both ways, all free.
Private by design
Your Files Stay on Your Wi-Fi
Flitdrop is not an internet or cloud service. Transfers go directly device to device over your local Wi-Fi, everything is end to end encrypted, and there is no account, so nothing is ever uploaded to a server.
It is source available, so anyone can inspect how the sharing works, and it stays free for local transfers on your own network.
Frequently asked
What happened to Snapdrop?
Snapdrop was acquired by LimeWire, and the snapdrop.net experience changed after that. Many long time users started looking for a replacement they could trust for privacy and reliability. Flitdrop is a private, cross platform answer that keeps every file on your own local Wi-Fi.
Is Snapdrop safe, and does it upload to the cloud now?
Snapdrop itself relied on a browser tab and a signalling server to connect two devices. Flitdrop takes a different approach: it is not an internet or cloud service, transfers go directly device to device over your local Wi-Fi, and everything is end to end encrypted with no account, so your files never pass through a server.
Is there a Snapdrop alternative that works with iPhone?
Yes. Flitdrop works with iPhone, Android and Samsung on the phone side, and Windows, Mac and Linux on the computer side, in every combination. You scan a QR code once to pair an iPhone, then send full quality photos, videos and files over your Wi-Fi.
Do I need to install an app?
Only the computer needs the Flitdrop app, which installs on Windows, Mac or Linux. The phone installs nothing: it just uses its browser as a lightweight web app after a one time QR scan.
Is Flitdrop free?
Yes. Flitdrop is free on your own network with 30 files a day, with no account and no subscription. Flitdrop Pro, one payment for life, removes the daily limit. You can download it from the official GitHub releases page.
Does it work without internet?
Yes. Flitdrop transfers over your local Wi-Fi, so as long as both devices are on the same network the sharing works even when the internet connection is down, and nothing is routed through the cloud.
Do both devices need the page open at once?
No. Unlike a browser tab that both sides must keep open at the same time, Flitdrop is a real desktop app that stays discoverable in the background. Your paired phone can send to it whenever they are on the same Wi-Fi.
Ready for a private Snapdrop replacement?
Install Flitdrop on your computer, keep your phone exactly as it is.
Windows, Mac and Linux