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PairDrop vs OnionShare: catalog facts
PairDrop	OnionShare
Free Free and open source under the GPL.	Free Free and open source under the GPL.
Web, Self-hosted	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
No app, no account; both sides just open a page Pairing codes make transfers work across different networks	No account and no third-party server ever holds your files Also hosts a static site or an ephemeral chat room over the same mechanism
Connections may fall back to a relay when direct peer-to-peer fails Both devices must have the page open at the same time	Both sides need Tor, and transfers are slow Your machine must stay online for the whole transfer
Web application, Self-hosted	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License: GPL-3.0
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.