Warpinator vs tosstome
Warpinator is Linux Mint's tool for sending files to other computers on the same network. tosstome covers the same job from a browser, and adds codes for devices that are not on the same network.
What the Warpinator README says
From github.com/linuxmint/warpinator (checked 2026-10-29):
- "Warpinator - send and receive files across a local network". Official packages are for Linux (Mint, Ubuntu, Arch, Flatpak). Android and Windows versions are listed as unofficial.
- Devices find each other with a shared group code. It is "set to 'Warpinator' by default" and the README recommends changing it "as soon as possible".
- "All devices must be on the same local subnet in order to connect." Firewalls need ports 42000 and 42001 open.
- The README warns that warpinator[.]com and warpinator[.]net are fake sites that may push malware.
Side by side
| Warpinator | tosstome | |
|---|---|---|
| Install | An app on each device | Nothing; a browser, or the CLI on a server |
| Network | Same local subnet | Same Wi-Fi, or any network with a 6-digit code |
| Works with no internet | Yes, LAN only | No, the page and signaling need internet |
| iPhone | Not listed | Yes, in Safari |
| Headless receiver | Desktop app | tosstome listen |
Which one to use
On a Linux Mint network without internet access, Warpinator is the right tool. When an iPhone is involved, when the two devices are on different networks, or when you cannot install anything, use tosstome.
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
- LocalSend vs tosstome
- KDE Connect vs tosstome
- Transfer files between two computers
- Snapdrop alternatives that still send peer to peer
Last checked 2026-10-28.