AnySend is a peer-to-peer file transfer tool that runs entirely in the browser. No app to install, no account to create, no file size limit. Files go directly from one device to another — nothing is uploaded to any server.
Think of it as AirDrop for the web — except it works between iPhone and Android, Mac and Windows, phone and Smart TV. If the device has a modern browser, AnySend works.
Sender Receiver
│ │
│ opens anysend.to │ opens anysend.to
│ drops file │ enters 6-char code
│ │
└──── WebRTC DataChannel ───┘
(direct P2P, encrypted)
no server in the middle
When the sender drops a file, the frontend connects to a lightweight WebSocket signaling server and requests a room. The server returns a 6-character room ID (ABC123). This ID is all the receiver needs.
When the receiver enters the code, the signaling server facilitates a standard WebRTC offer/answer exchange and ICE candidate negotiation. Once both peers have exchanged candidates, the P2P DataChannel opens — the signaling server's job is done.
Files are sliced into 64KB chunks and sent over the RTCDataChannel. Flow control is handled via the bufferedAmountLowThreshold API — the sender pauses when the DataChannel buffer exceeds 256KB and resumes when it drains to 64KB. This prevents Chrome's 16MB hard buffer limit from stalling large transfers.
For files > 50MB, the receiver uses the browser's Origin Private File System (OPFS) to stream chunks directly to disk as they arrive. This keeps memory usage flat at ~64KB regardless of file size — no more RangeError: Array buffer allocation failed on 400MB transfers.
For files ≤ 50MB, chunks are held in memory and combined into a Blob for a direct download trigger.
WebRTC DataChannels are encrypted with DTLS 1.2+ by default — the same encryption used in WebRTC video calls (Google Meet, etc.). No additional encryption layer is needed.
| Method | Problem |
|---|---|
| AirDrop | Apple devices only. Same room required. |
| Nearby Share | Android + Windows only. Same network required. No iPhone. |
| WeTransfer | Files uploaded to their servers. 2GB limit on free tier. 7-day expiry. |
| Bluetooth | ~3 MB/s. Impractical for anything over a few MB. iPhone doesn't support BT file transfer to non-Apple devices. |
| 25MB attachment limit. | |
| Compresses photos and videos. Large files blocked. | |
| Google Drive | Requires account. Files stored on Google's servers. |
AnySend — works between any two devices, any file size, no server storage, no account.
| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Frontend | TypeScript, Vite, vanilla DOM |
| P2P transfer | WebRTC DataChannels (RTCDataChannel) |
| Large file streaming | Origin Private File System (OPFS) |
| QR generation | qrcode npm package |
| PWA | vite-plugin-pwa, Workbox |
| Signaling server | Node.js + ws (WebSocket) |
| Frontend hosting | Vercel |
| Signaling hosting | Render |
| ICE/TURN | Standard STUN + TURN for NAT traversal |
- Same Wi-Fi: 50–200 MB/s (limited by local network, not AnySend)
- Cross-network: Limited by the sender's upload bandwidth
- Memory usage (receiver): ~64KB regardless of file size (OPFS streaming)
- Supported file size: No limit — tested to 4GB+
| Browser | Send | Receive |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome 86+ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Edge 86+ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Firefox 80+ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Safari 15+ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Chrome Android | ✅ | ✅ |
| Safari iOS 15+ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Samsung Internet | ✅ | ✅ |
OPFS (large file streaming) requires Chrome/Edge 86+ or Safari 15.2+. Firefox OPFS support added in Firefox 111. On unsupported browsers, files ≤ 50MB still work via in-memory mode.
Step-by-step guides for common device combinations:
- iPhone to Android — no native option exists, this is the easiest method
- Android to iPhone
- Transfer files between two phones
- iPhone to iPad
- iPhone to PC (Windows) — no iTunes, no cable
- iPhone to Mac — when AirDrop fails
- Android to Mac — skip Android File Transfer
- Android to PC
- Phone to Laptop — any phone, any laptop
- PC to iPhone — no iTunes
- Mac to iPhone
- Windows to Android
- AirDrop Alternative for Windows & Android — cross-platform AirDrop
- Send Large Files Free — no size limit
- WeTransfer Alternative — no 2GB cap, no server storage
- Share Photos Without Losing Quality — WhatsApp compresses yours
- Send Files Anonymously — no account, no logs
- Transfer Without a USB Cable — fully wireless
- Share Files on the Same Wi-Fi — fastest local method
- Share Files with Someone Far Away — works across countries
- School Chromebook File Sharing — no admin rights needed
- Chromebook to Phone
- No server storage — files are never uploaded anywhere
- No accounts — no email, name, or password required
- No transfer logs — the signaling server records connection events (room create/join), not file content
- Encrypted in transit — WebRTC DTLS 1.2+ on all DataChannel traffic
- IP addresses — used for WebRTC connection establishment (standard WebRTC behaviour). Use a VPN if you need to mask your IP from the recipient.
The signaling server is a standalone Node.js/WebSocket process with no external dependencies beyond ws. To point the frontend at your own signaling server, set the VITE_WS_URL environment variable at build time.
The frontend is a static site — deployable to any CDN (Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, S3+CloudFront).
- Snapdrop / Pairdrop — LAN-only, no cross-network support
- Wormhole.app — P2P but 5GB limit on free tier
- Send Anywhere — requires app install
AnySend differs in: cross-network P2P (not LAN-only), no file size limit, OPFS streaming for large files, no app install on either side.
MIT — do whatever you want with it.
Made with WebRTC, OPFS, and a deep frustration with AirDrop being Apple-only.