FilePizza and Beamaroo share the same honest core: files travel directly browser-to-browser over WebRTC, encrypted end-to-end, and never touch a server. The difference is what happens at the edges. Beamaroo pairs the two devices with a one-time human code plus a QR handshake that cryptographically verifies the connection, then reports "Delivered, verified on their device" once the receiving browser has hash-checked every file.
Beamaroo vs FilePizza
An honest, side-by-side look. Where FilePizza wins, we say so.
| Feature | Beamaroo | FilePizza |
|---|---|---|
| Browser-to-browser P2P over WebRTC | Yes | Yes |
| Files stored on a server | Never — server only introduces the two devices | Never — same server-free model |
| End-to-end encryption | Yes, DTLS | Yes, DTLS |
| Account to send or receive | None | None |
| Cryptographic peer verification | One-time human code + QR (SAS over DTLS fingerprints); wrong or intercepted code burns the channel | Secret URL, plus optional upload password — no short-code peer check |
| Verified-delivery receipt | Yes — receiving device hash-checks files, confirms back to sender | No — shows transfer progress, not a verified-on-their-device receipt |
| One-to-many distribution (one link, many downloaders) | No — a single paired one-to-one beam | Yes — one URL multiple people can download at once |
| Self-hostable / open-source | No | Yes — open-source, self-hostable, plus a Cloudflare Tunnel fork |
| Both devices online at the same time | Required — it's a live beam | Required — same live constraint |
| Encrypted relay when a direct connection is blocked | Yes — Cloudflare TURN forwards ciphertext it cannot read | No managed relay — direct WebRTC only; a TURN server would be a self-host configuration, not provided by file.pizza |
| Very large multi-gigabyte transfers | Limited today — received files held in tab memory before saving (stream-to-disk planned) | Service Worker streaming downloads help large files on the receiving side |
| Cost | Free | Free |
FilePizza pioneered browser-based peer-to-peer transfer and has earned real trust over years of use — around 10,000 GitHub stars and a v2 rewrite that moved to direct WebRTC, added mobile support, password protection, multi-file zip uploads and Service Worker streaming. If you already reach for it, the fundamentals are sound. People searching for an alternative usually aren't unhappy with the privacy model; they want two specific things it doesn't offer.
The first is proof of arrival. FilePizza signals that a transfer is in progress, but it doesn't send a confirmation back to the sender that the receiving device actually got the file intact. Beamaroo's receiving browser hash-checks every file and returns a receipt — "Delivered, verified on their device" — so you're not left guessing.
The second is how the connection is secured. With FilePizza, the security rests on keeping a word-slug URL secret (with an optional password). Anyone who gets that link is inside the transfer. Beamaroo instead pairs the two devices with a one-time human code and QR handshake that cryptographically verifies the peer over the DTLS fingerprints, so a wrong or intercepted code fails and the channel is burnt after a single guess.
When FilePizza is the better pick
FilePizza is the better choice when you need one link that many people can download at the same time — it's built for one-to-many distribution, whereas Beamaroo is a single paired one-to-one beam. It's also the right call if you want to self-host the transfer service on your own infrastructure or run an audited open-source codebase, since FilePizza is open-source and deployable (including a Cloudflare Tunnel fork) and Beamaroo is not. And if an optional upload password fits your workflow and you don't need cryptographic peer verification, FilePizza already covers you. FilePizza also bundles multiple files into a single zip and lets several people download from one link — handy for one-to-many sharing.
Questions
Is Beamaroo a drop-in replacement for FilePizza?
For one-to-one transfers, yes — both are free, account-free, and move files directly browser-to-browser over encrypted WebRTC with nothing stored on a server. Beamaroo adds a cryptographic pairing code and a verified-delivery receipt. FilePizza wins if you need one link that many people download at once, or you want to self-host.
How is Beamaroo's security different from FilePizza's?
FilePizza's security rests on keeping a secret URL private, with an optional upload password. Beamaroo verifies the actual connection with a one-time human code plus a QR handshake — a short-authentication-string over the DTLS fingerprints — so a wrong or intercepted code fails and the channel is burnt after one guess.
Do both devices have to be online at the same time?
Yes, for both tools. Beamaroo is a live beam, not a locker — there's no send-now-pick-up-later. FilePizza has the same constraint: the sender keeps the tab open until the recipient finishes downloading. Neither offers a cloud holding area.
Does Beamaroo store my files anywhere?
No. Files go directly browser-to-browser and are never uploaded to or stored on a server. When a direct connection is blocked, an encrypted relay (Cloudflare TURN) forwards ciphertext it cannot read. The server only introduces the two devices — it never sees file names, contents, or the code words. That's the same server-free model FilePizza uses.
Can Beamaroo handle very large files like FilePizza?
There's a real limitation today: Beamaroo currently holds received files in the browser tab's memory before saving, so very large multi-gigabyte transfers are constrained. Stream-to-disk is planned. FilePizza's v2 added Service Worker streaming downloads, which helps large files on the receiving side, so for huge single files it may fare better right now.
Is Beamaroo open-source or self-hostable like FilePizza?
No — Beamaroo isn't self-hostable, and that's a genuine point in FilePizza's favour. FilePizza is open-source, deployable on your own infrastructure (there's even a Cloudflare Tunnel fork), and has years of public auditing behind it. If self-hosting or an audited codebase matters to you, use FilePizza.