Send Anywhere vs tosstome
Send Anywhere made the 6-digit key popular: the sender gets a number, the receiver types it in, and the files arrive. tosstome uses the same idea for devices on different networks, so the two feel alike. They differ in apps, links and what happens around the transfer.
How Send Anywhere works
From the Send Anywhere help center, How to send files and the free user policy notice (checked 2026-10-29):
- "A 6-digit key is a security code that is designed for one-time use within 10 minutes."
- A share link "is valid for 48 hours". For free accounts, link downloads are capped: "10GB monthly download limit per free user account".
- "Sending by six-digit keys remains unlimited for file transfers."
- Directly To Device sends a transfer notification to a selected device, which can then receive "without needing to enter a key or link".
- Wi-Fi Direct transfers work without internet, but are "only available for Android devices".
- There are apps for Android, iOS and desktop, a website, a Chrome extension and an Outlook add-in.
Side by side
| Send Anywhere | tosstome | |
|---|---|---|
| 6-digit code | Yes, valid 10 minutes, one use | Yes, valid while the page is open |
| Share link | 48 hours; free accounts limited to 10 GB of link downloads a month | No stored links; an inbox link to your own computer |
| Same Wi-Fi discovery | Not described in the help article | Yes, nearby devices appear on their own |
| Offline (no internet) | Android Wi-Fi Direct | No |
| Install needed | Website or apps | Browser only; CLI optional |
| Receive on a headless computer | Not described | Yes, tosstome listen |
| Text messages | Not described in the help article | Yes |
Which one to use
Send Anywhere is the better choice when you want a link someone can open later, when you need native apps with history, or when two Android phones have no internet at all. tosstome is simpler when you just want two devices in front of you to talk: open a page on both, and on the same Wi-Fi you do not even need the code. It also gives a computer or server a permanent inbox.
What tosstome does
- Runs in the browser. Nothing to install on the sending side.
- Devices on the same network see each other automatically. On different networks, one device shows a 6-digit code and the other types it in.
- Files go device to device over WebRTC when the networks allow it. If a direct connection does not come up within a few seconds, they go through a relay on Cloudflare that forwards the bytes and keeps nothing.
- An optional command line tool,
tosstome listen, keeps an always-on inbox on a computer. It prints a link and QR code; open it on a phone and files land in a folder on that computer, with no browser open on the computer side. - Text messages and links travel the same way as files, with a Copy button on the receiving side.
- Nothing is stored. If the receiver is offline, nothing is sent.
What tosstome does not do (yet)
- The relay is protected by TLS between each device and Cloudflare, but it is not end-to-end encrypted yet. Direct WebRTC transfers are encrypted end to end by the browser (DTLS).
- A receiving browser keeps the file in memory until you save it, so very large files are better received with the command line tool, which writes straight to disk.
- Both sides must be online at the same time. There is no "upload now, download tomorrow".
- It is new. Browser-side device pairing and end-to-end encryption on the relay are still being built.
Related
- WeTransfer vs tosstome
- Quick Share vs tosstome
- Share files between devices on different networks
- Snapdrop alternatives that still send peer to peer
Last checked 2026-10-28.