Dukto R6 was the small, quiet, “just drag a file onto another machine on the LAN” app for a whole generation of Windows and Linux users. It last shipped a real update in 2014, the download page on msec.it now redirects, and the SourceForge mirror is a museum piece. It still works on modern Windows if you can find the installer, and it still ignores every corporate captive portal because it never touches the internet. But nobody is fixing the small bugs, the mDNS discovery drifts off newer routers, and there is no macOS build that runs on Apple Silicon at all. People searching for Dukto alternatives want the same thing they liked about Dukto: no account, no cloud round-trip, and files that move at the speed of the local network. We compared seven that deliver exactly that.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | License | Platforms | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LocalSend | The direct successor | Free, open-source | Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile | Same LAN-only feel, active project |
| PairDrop | Browser-based Dukto | Free, open-source | Any browser | No install, works on kiosks and Chromebooks |
| Warpinator | Linux-first sysadmins | Free, open-source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Mint’s official transfer tool, mDNS discovery |
| Snapdrop | Two devices, thirty seconds | Free, open-source | Any browser | Pure WebRTC, no signup |
| Send Anywhere | Cross-network fallback | Freemium | Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile | Six-digit key when the LAN option fails |
| Feem | Long-term device pairing | Freemium | Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile | Persistent device list across sessions |
| OnionShare | Privacy-heavy transfers | Free, open-source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Tor-onion drop link, no discovery at all |
Why people leave Dukto
Nobody is fixing the discovery bug. Dukto uses IP broadcast to find peers, and on a lot of newer home routers with client isolation on by default, two machines on the same Wi-Fi never see each other. There is no config screen for it. The workaround is to enter the peer’s IP manually every time.
Apple Silicon has no build. The last macOS binary is Intel-only, unsigned, and Gatekeeper rejects it on any current macOS. Rosetta can run it, but the release page has been dead for years and the source needs a Qt5 build to compile at all.
No mobile support that works. There is an old Android port and no iOS build. LocalSend and Send Anywhere both put a first-class mobile app on every platform, which is how most people actually want to move a file today.
No progress bar for big transfers. Dukto shows a spinner and a percentage, but not throughput or time remaining. On a slow Wi-Fi link with a 4 GB video, that is a real problem.
The alternatives
LocalSend: the direct successor
LocalSend is what a modernized Dukto would look like if the original author had kept shipping. It uses HTTPS over the LAN, mDNS for discovery, sends any file with a click, and refuses to talk to the internet at all. There is a real Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android build, all from the same Flutter codebase, and the project ships updates every few weeks.
Where it falls short: The Flutter runtime means a bigger install than Dukto’s 3 MB binary, roughly 40 MB on Windows. On restricted corporate Wi-Fi with client isolation, mDNS still fails, same as Dukto.
Pricing: Free and open-source.
vs Dukto: Same “no account, no cloud” model. Better discovery, real mobile apps, active development.
Migrating from Dukto: Install on both machines, open the app, drag the file. There is nothing to configure.
Download: localsend.org
Bottom line: The default answer for anyone who liked Dukto and wants it to still work in 2026.
PairDrop: browser-based Dukto
PairDrop is a fork of Snapdrop with the parts most people were missing: pairing between devices on different networks with a temporary code, and persistent device names. Open the site on two machines and they see each other. Drag a file across. No install, no account, no cloud storage step in the middle.
Where it falls short: Runs entirely in the browser, so no OS-level integration and no auto-updater on the sending side. Big transfers can stall if either browser tab loses focus on mobile.
Pricing: Free and open-source. Self-hosting is optional if you don’t trust the public instance.
vs Dukto: No install anywhere. Works between LAN peers and, with pairing, between different networks.
Migrating from Dukto: Open pairdrop.net on both machines and drop the file.
Download: pairdrop.net
Bottom line: The right pick when you cannot install anything on one of the two machines.
Warpinator: Linux-first sysadmins
Warpinator is Linux Mint’s built-in LAN transfer tool, but the project ships Windows and Flatpak Linux builds as well. It uses mDNS the same way Dukto did, adds gRPC for the transfer channel, and gets you a small tray icon that shows every device on the subnet. On Windows the installer is straightforward and does not need Mint underneath.
Where it falls short: No macOS build. Nobody has stepped up to port it. The Windows build is community-maintained and lags the Linux release cadence by a version or two.
Pricing: Free and open-source.
vs Dukto: Similar model. Better encryption. Actively maintained.
Migrating from Dukto: Install on both machines, allow the firewall prompt, transfer.
Download: github.com/linuxmint/warpinator
Bottom line: For homelabs and Linux desktops that also need to talk to a Windows box.
Snapdrop: two devices, thirty seconds
Snapdrop is the original browser-based AirDrop clone. Open snapdrop.net on two devices on the same network, click the peer icon, drag the file. It uses WebRTC for a peer-to-peer channel, so the data never leaves the LAN even though the discovery signaling touches the Snapdrop server. Zero configuration.
Where it falls short: No cross-network mode, no pairing, no persistent device list. If you close the tab, the connection dies. The public server has had occasional signaling outages over the years.
Pricing: Free and open-source. Self-hosting is a small Node service.
vs Dukto: No install. LAN-only. Slower for very large files than a native app.
Migrating from Dukto: Bookmark the site on both machines, drop the file.
Download: snapdrop.net
Bottom line: The right pick for a one-off transfer between two machines you do not manage.
Send Anywhere: cross-network fallback
Send Anywhere uses direct P2P when both devices are on the same LAN and falls back to a relay when they are not. The signature feature is a six-digit numeric key: you paste it on the receiving machine and the transfer starts. It has real desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux, plus mobile clients, plus a browser upload page.
Where it falls short: The free tier caps single transfers at around 10 GB and file expiry at 48 hours. The relay path uses cloud storage in the middle, so it is not the pure LAN model Dukto had.
Pricing: Free for up to 10 GB per transfer. Pro plan at around 6 USD per month lifts the cap and removes ads.
vs Dukto: Adds a working cross-network mode. Feels heavier because of the cloud step.
Migrating from Dukto: Install on both machines, share the key from one, paste on the other.
Download: send-anywhere.com
Bottom line: The pick when your LAN is not reliable and you sometimes need to send outside it.
Feem: long-term device pairing
Feem sits on your desktop as a persistent device list, more like a chat app than a one-shot transfer tool. Devices you have paired once show up every session, transfers queue in the background, and you can send text snippets between machines the same way you send files. Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile all use the same protocol.
Where it falls short: The free tier is time-limited on some feature paths (ad-supported transfers, capped file size), and the Pro upgrade is a one-time purchase per device rather than a shared license. UI density is higher than Dukto’s.
Pricing: Free with ads. Pro is a one-time purchase around 10 USD per device.
vs Dukto: Persistent devices, plus mobile. Not as strictly LAN-only.
Migrating from Dukto: Install everywhere, name each device, transfers become drag-and-drop.
Download: feem.io
Bottom line: The right pick for a household with the same four or five devices moving files daily.
OnionShare: privacy-heavy transfers
OnionShare is not a LAN tool at all, but it solves the same “send a file without a cloud account in the middle” problem for a different threat model. It spins up a Tor hidden service on your machine and hands you a .onion URL. The recipient loads it in Tor Browser and downloads. Nothing goes through anyone else’s server.
Where it falls short: The Tor circuit is much slower than a LAN, usually a few hundred KB/s at most. Both sides need Tor. It is overkill for “send a roommate a photo.”
Pricing: Free and open-source.
vs Dukto: Different tool for a different use case. No LAN discovery. Strong metadata protection.
Migrating from Dukto: Install OnionShare, drop the file, share the onion link over any channel.
Download: onionshare.org
Bottom line: For journalists, researchers, and anyone whose “send a file” needs anonymity, not speed.
How to choose
Pick LocalSend if you want the closest thing to Dukto in the same shape, on every platform, with a real maintainer behind it. It is the default answer.
Pick PairDrop if you cannot install software on one of the two machines. Kiosks, guest laptops, and locked-down work computers are exactly where a browser-based drop tool wins.
Pick Warpinator if you live on Linux and need to occasionally send to a Windows box. It is the tool most Linux distros already assume you have.
Pick Send Anywhere if your transfers cross networks, not just LANs, and the six-digit key model appeals more than the pairing dance.
Pick OnionShare if the sender or receiver needs anonymity guarantees. It is not fast, but it is the only option here that hides who you are.
Stay on Dukto if you have a very specific setup that already works, you do not care about mobile, and you are on a legacy Windows box you never plan to update. Otherwise its abandonment cost is real.
FAQ
Is LocalSend really the same as Dukto?
Very close. Same “no account, no cloud” pitch, same one-click send, same LAN-only default. LocalSend adds real mobile apps, HTTPS on the transfer, and an active maintainer, which is what Dukto stopped having around 2014.
Can I still download Dukto in 2026?
The msec.it page is not consistently up, but the SourceForge mirror still hosts the old Windows and Linux installers. The macOS build is Intel-only and unsigned, so recent macOS versions will refuse it without workarounds. Treat it as legacy software.
What is the fastest way to send a file between two computers on the same Wi-Fi?
If both machines can run software, LocalSend is fastest because it uses HTTPS over the LAN with no relay. If one machine cannot install anything, PairDrop or Snapdrop in a browser is the next quickest option.
Are these LAN transfer apps safe on a shared Wi-Fi network?
The ones that use HTTPS or WebRTC encrypt the transfer channel end to end, so a nearby snooper cannot read the file. LocalSend, PairDrop, Warpinator, and Snapdrop all fall in that category. Dukto itself sends in cleartext, which is one more reason to leave it.
Do any of these work between two machines on different networks?
Yes. Send Anywhere is designed for it. PairDrop’s device-pairing mode also works across networks. LocalSend and Warpinator are LAN-only by design. OnionShare goes over Tor, which works anywhere both sides have internet.
What replaced Dukto for open-source LAN sharing?
LocalSend is the community’s de facto answer for the same shape of tool. Warpinator is the answer inside the Linux Mint ecosystem. PairDrop covers the browser case that Dukto never did.
