fzf
Focus: fuzzy finder and shell. Shares command line and open source with Magic Wormhole. Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.8 (Magic Wormhole: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
Desktop App
Magic Wormhole
Send files between computers using a short, one-time code.
Rating
4.6 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Intermediate
Works on
Cross-Platform
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Magic Wormhole?
Magic Wormhole is a free command-line tool that sends files, folders or short pieces of text from one computer to another. The sender gets a short, easy-to-say code, the receiver types it in and the transfer starts. Codes work only once and do not need to be remembered, and tab-completion helps with typing.
Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.
Pros: what Magic Wormhole does well
- No account or setup on either side
- Short single-use codes are easy to share
- Handles whole folders as well as files
Cons: where it falls short
- Both people need the tool installed
- Runs in the terminal only
Who Magic Wormhole is for
People who often move files between their own machines or to a colleague.
Who can skip it
Anyone who prefers a drag-and-drop sharing app.
Magic Wormhole alternatives
Not sold on Magic Wormhole? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
ripgrep
Focus: search tool and developer tool. Shares command line and open source with Magic Wormhole. Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.8 (Magic Wormhole: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
bat
Focus: file viewer and developer tool. Shares command line and open source with Magic Wormhole. Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.7 (Magic Wormhole: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
fd
Focus: file search and developer tool. Shares command line and open source with Magic Wormhole. Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.7 (Magic Wormhole: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
restic
Focus: backup, encryption and snapshots. Shares command line and open source with Magic Wormhole. Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.7 (Magic Wormhole: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
zoxide
Focus: terminal, navigation and shell. Shares command line and open source with Magic Wormhole. Adds macOS, Linux and Windows. Rated 4.7 (Magic Wormhole: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
Free alternatives to Magic Wormhole
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
croc
Focus: encryption. Shares file transfer and command line with Magic Wormhole. Adds macOS, Windows and Linux. Rated 4.7 (Magic Wormhole: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
rclone
Focus: cloud sync and backup. Shares file transfer and command line with Magic Wormhole. Adds Windows, macOS and Linux. Rated 4.7 (Magic Wormhole: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit
Lightshot
Focus: screenshots, annotation and screen capture. Shares sharing with Magic Wormhole. Adds Windows, macOS and Chrome. Rated 4.4 (Magic Wormhole: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.4Visit
LocalSend
Focus: airdrop alternative and dropbox alternative. Shares file transfer and open source with Magic Wormhole. Adds Windows, macOS and Linux. Rated 4.7 (Magic Wormhole: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit
scrcpy
Focus: android, screen mirroring and phone control. Shares open source and github with Magic Wormhole. Adds Windows, macOS and Linux. Rated 4.7 (Magic Wormhole: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit
BleachBit
Focus: disk cleaner, privacy and free space. Shares open source and github with Magic Wormhole. Adds Windows and Linux. Rated 4.5 (Magic Wormhole: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.5Visit
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