Magic Wormhole
Hacker ApprovedRanked 2 of 17 file transfer apps by recommenders
Free open-source tool for sending files between computers with a typed code, valued for running on many platforms and in browsers. Critics report it fails in some cases and is slower than LocalSend.
Free open-source tool for sending files between computers with a typed code, valued for running on many platforms and in browsers. Critics report it fails in some cases and is slower than LocalSend.
27 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 21
- criticize it
- 6
- approval share
- 78%
Recommended in 8 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 21 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 3.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 8 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Simple typed code between computers
“The nice part of wormhole is that I can type the token phrase into another computer”
Comment from 29 Nov 2025 in “AltSendme: Another Alternative to MAgic Wormhole?” “Magic-wormhole is perfect for live 'hand-off' sharing”
Comment from 26 Jan 2026 in “Show HN: Bucket – Encrypted file sharing for people who live in the terminal” Free and open source on many platforms
“you can get magic wormhole clients for platforms that your SO uses through the usual distribution channels”
Comment from 18 Sep 2026 in “Show HN: Snapdrop: Instantly share files between devices. No setup, no signup” “They are available on many platforms with FOSS licenses with very limited centralization.”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “Show HN: WeTransfer Alternative for Developers” “the free and MIT licensed version”
Comment from 8 Sep 2026 in “Secure temporary file sharing for AI agents and humans” Runs in web browsers
“Wormhole can be run in the browser easily.”
Comment from 20 Nov 2025 in “Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10” “Just needs a WebRTC capable browser.”
Comment from 20 Nov 2025 in “Android and iPhone users can now share files, starting with the Pixel 10” Long-deployed and proven in use
“It works and has been deployed for a long time.”
Comment from 28 Apr 2026 in “Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop” “I've just been using magic-wormhole for this.”
Comment from 15 Jan 2026 in “Design and Implementation of Sprites”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Unreliable and fails in some cases
“craps out semi-regularly for me, and its a pita to script”
Comment from 29 Nov 2025 in “AltSendme: Another Alternative to MAgic Wormhole?” “croc has worked in places where MW has not”
Comment from 12 Jul 2026 in “Croc: Securely transfer files and folders between two computers” “Magic-Wormhole fails in all test cases.”
Comment from 28 Apr 2026 in “Localsend: An open-source cross-platform alternative to AirDrop”
Other file transfer apps people recommend
The four most recommended other file transfer apps, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LocalSend | 81 | 25 | 76% | 11 | — | Approved |
| Magic WormholeThis page | 21 | 6 | 78% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Kermit | 15 | 4 | 79% | 2 | — | — |
| croc | 13 | 3 | 81% | 5 | — | Approved |
| OpenSSH scp | 12 | 10 | 55% | 6 | — | — |
What people said
21 of the 30 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“there's wormhole (which also handles huge files)”
“you can get magic wormhole clients for platforms that your SO uses through the usual distribution channels”
“the free and MIT licensed version”
“The PAKE + nameplate system in Wormhole makes a lot of sense”
“I had the exact opposite experience.”
“croc has worked in places where MW has not”
“WORMHOLE (Unity, mostly see the lag in endless mode)”
“Magic-Wormhole fails in all test cases.”
“It works and has been deployed for a long time.”
“in Android I can do Share to....localsend to do it faster than with wormhole.”
“it is amazing to me how I can call `wormhole send --message hello`”
“They are available on many platforms with FOSS licenses with very limited centralization.”
“which works great, but it does install a lot of python modules to achieve it”
“Magic-wormhole is perfect for live 'hand-off' sharing”
“I've just been using magic-wormhole for this.”
“Wormhole requires synchronously communicating the password somehow”
“craps out semi-regularly for me, and its a pita to script”
“The nice part of wormhole is that I can type the token phrase into another computer”
“Just needs a WebRTC capable browser.”
“Wormhole can be run in the browser easily.”
“Use Signal, use Age, use magic-wormhole!”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.