# Zmodem

Hacker Approved page: https://hackerapproved.com/p/zmodem/

5 people recommended Zmodem in Hacker News comments and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to October 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 12 months, in 3 threads. It does not meet the Hacker Approved badge rule.

3 of the 5 people who recommend it commented in one thread, “Fidonet: Technology, Use, Tools, and History”.

**Verdict:** People recommend Zmodem for fast file transfers with resumable downloads, and remember it as faster than other dial-up file transfer options of its time.

Summary written by Claude from 4 comments.

## Why people recommend it

- Fast file transfers (2 comments in the sample): "It was much slower than Z-Modem for pushing files around." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49160481)) "Was faster than txp/ip over plip/slip" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48377767))
- Resumable transfers (1 comment in the sample): "Zmodem and resumable transfers was so cool." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47580484))
- Impressive when first used (1 comment in the sample): "Zmodem was mind-blowing for us." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48373461))

## Other file transfer apps people recommend

- [LocalSend](https://hackerapproved.com/p/localsend/): 65 recommend, 14 mixed, 23 criticize
- [Magic Wormhole](https://hackerapproved.com/p/magic-wormhole/): 17 recommend, 3 mixed, 5 criticize
- [Kermit](https://hackerapproved.com/p/c-kermit/): 13 recommend, 1 mixed, 4 criticize
- [croc](https://hackerapproved.com/p/croc/): 12 recommend, 1 mixed, 2 criticize

## The badge

A product earns the Hacker Approved badge when at least 10 people recommend it, recommenders outnumber critics at least 2 to 1 (mixed feelings count toward neither side), it was recommended in at least 4 of the 12 months and in at least 5 different threads, and no single thread supplies more than half of the people who recommend it. Health and money products are never badged.

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Zmodem", https://hackerapproved.com/p/zmodem/ (5 recommend, 0 mixed, 1 criticize; Hacker News comments, November 2025 to October 2026).

Counts updated 2 Nov 2026, with data through October 31, 2026.