PairOnce

ALTERNATIVE · SNAPDROP

A Snapdrop alternative that runs in the browser

The closest replacement for Snapdrop is PairDrop, the open-source fork: devices on the same network show up on their own, and it adds pairing across networks.

PairOnce is a second option in the browser with nothing to install. Devices on the same Wi-Fi appear at the top of the pairing card, one tap apart; a QR code or six-digit code connects devices across networks; and files and messages are encrypted end to end, with a safety code you compare on both screens.

Both are free and need no account. PairDrop fits when you want to host your own server or meet in a public room; PairOnce fits when you want the same page to work on one Wi-Fi and across the internet, with large files that carry on after a dropped connection.

Step by step

  1. Open PairOnce on both devices. paironce.com in any current browser on a phone or a computer.
  2. Connect. On the same Wi-Fi, the other device appears under On this Wi-Fi: tap Connect. On any other network, scan the QR code or type the six-digit code. A page opened from a QR code or link asks you to confirm first: tap Connect.
  3. Compare the safety code. Both screens show the same code; click Approve device.
  4. Send. Tap Choose files or Message or link; the other side accepts and saves. Next time, tap Connect next to the device and skip the code.

Snapdrop, PairDrop and PairOnce side by side

Snapdrop: the original browser tool for sending files on one network. In early 2025 LimeWire took it over, and snapdrop.net now leads to LimeWire’s service.

PairDrop: free and open source (GPL-3.0), a fork of Snapdrop. It lists devices on the same network, in the same public room or paired earlier; devices pair with a six-digit code or a QR code and then find each other on any network; public rooms use a five-letter code; you can host your own copy with Docker or Node.js. Details are in the PairDrop README.

PairOnce: free, no ads, no account, in the browser on every device. Devices on one Wi-Fi find each other; a QR code or six-digit code connects devices across networks, directly when possible and through an encrypted relay otherwise. Everything is encrypted with AES-256-GCM before it leaves the sending device, and a safety code lets both people check they are talking to each other.

Large files that carry on

Files go up to 2 GB each when the receiving browser is Chrome or Edge on a computer or an Android phone, Firefox on a computer, or Safari on iOS 26 or later.

If the connection drops in the middle of a file over 16 MB, the transfer continues where it stopped once the same two devices reconnect within 30 minutes, with both pages still open, when the receiving browser is Chrome or Edge on a computer or an Android phone, Firefox on a computer, or Safari on iOS 26 or later. In a local test on 2 November 2026, a 1.5 GiB file was cut at about 40%, carried on from where it stopped instead of from zero, and arrived identical to the original (the SHA-256 checksums matched).

Limits, and when this is not the right tool

  • A file can be up to 2 GB over a direct connection when the receiving browser saves straight to disk (Chrome or Edge on a computer or Android, Firefox on a computer, Safari on iOS 26 or later). Other browsers take up to 50 MB per file and hold 100 MB of received files at a time.
  • Files over 2 GB need PairOnce Pro on one of the two devices. Then a file can be up to 10 GB, received the same way, and the relay carries 5 GB a month.
  • When the two devices cannot reach each other directly, an encrypted relay carries the data. Each device can send and receive 200 MB a month that way, counted together; a direct connection has no monthly limit.
  • Both pages must stay open until everything has arrived: keep the phone’s screen on and the browser in front.
  • PairOnce moves things between two devices that are open at the same time. It is not cloud storage: nothing waits on a server for later.

Other ways to do it

  • PairDrop. Free and open source; finds devices on the same network, pairs devices or uses public rooms across networks, and can be self-hosted.
  • LocalSend. Free and open source, very fast on one network; mainly used through its app on both devices. The web version also works only on one network and not with the app yet.
  • AirDrop or Quick Share. Built in, between Apple devices or between Android phones and Windows PCs.

Common questions

Is PairOnce a fork of Snapdrop or PairDrop?

No. It is its own project. Like them it runs in the browser and connects devices with WebRTC, and it adds a QR or six-digit code, end-to-end encryption with a safety code, and resume for large files.

Does it work when the two devices are on different Wi-Fi networks?

Yes. Connect with the QR code or the six-digit code. The files go directly between the two browsers when the networks allow it; otherwise an encrypted relay forwards them without being able to read them. See sending between different Wi-Fi networks.

Can I send from a terminal or a server?

Yes. With Node.js 22 or later, run `npx paironce pair` once and then `npx paironce send report.pdf`; the phone or computer only needs paironce.com open in a browser. The command-line tool is open source (Apache-2.0).

Is PairOnce free?

Yes. Sending files and text is free, with no sign-up and no ads.