ShareDrop was one of the first tools to bring AirDrop-style, peer-to-peer transfer to the browser, and the original open-source version still does exactly that. But the live sharedrop.io that most people land on was acquired by LimeWire in 2025, and multiple independent user reports now say it uploads your files to LimeWire's servers and pushes a cryptocurrency. Beamaroo keeps the part you came for: files go straight from one browser to the other, encrypted end-to-end, never touching a server.
Beamaroo vs ShareDrop
An honest, side-by-side look. Where ShareDrop wins, we say so.
| Feature | Beamaroo | ShareDrop |
|---|---|---|
| Peer-to-peer over WebRTC | Yes — always direct browser-to-browser, files never uploaded to a server | Only in the original open-source/self-hosted version; the live sharedrop.io now uploads files to LimeWire's servers per user reports |
| Files stored on a server | Never stored or read — files go direct; if a direct link is blocked, an encrypted Cloudflare TURN relay forwards ciphertext it can't read | Yes on the live site since the 2025 LimeWire acquisition, per multiple user reports |
| Account or install needed | None — open a browser tab to send or receive | None — browser-based, no install |
| Pairing verification | One-time human code like beam-7-otter-quartz plus QR, cryptographically checked over the DTLS fingerprints | Same-IP auto-discovery or a shared room link; no cryptographic pairing-code check |
| Verified delivery | Receiving device hash-checks every file and the confirmation returns to the sender — "Delivered ✔ — verified on their device" | No receiver-side hash-check returned to the sender |
| Works across the internet, not just LAN | Yes — with an encrypted relay (Cloudflare TURN) when a direct link is blocked | Yes — the classic version works same-network and across networks |
| Same-network auto-discovery (no code) | No — you always exchange a code or QR | Yes — devices on the same public IP appear automatically as avatars |
| Open-source / self-hostable | No | Yes — original is MIT-licensed on GitHub and can be self-hosted as true P2P |
| Very large multi-gigabyte files | Limited today — received files held in tab memory before saving (stream-to-disk planned) | Also streams within the browser session; both devices must stay online |
| Both devices online at once | Required — it's a live beam, not a locker | Required — live transfer, no store-and-forward |
| Price | Free | Free (open-source self-host free; live site free but routes into LimeWire's hosted model) |
People search for a ShareDrop alternative because the tool they trusted changed underneath them. ShareDrop launched around 2014 as a genuinely peer-to-peer, AirDrop-for-the-web tool where files went device-to-device and Firebase handled only presence and signalling. In early 2025 it was acquired by LimeWire — the same company that acquired Snapdrop in February 2025 — and the live sharedrop.io pivoted toward uploading files to LimeWire's servers and promoting a cryptocurrency.
The change wasn't loudly announced, which is what unsettled long-time users. A uBlockOrigin badware report was filed against sharedrop.io in February 2025, followed by Hacker News threads and Trustpilot complaints. For a typical visitor, the live service now stores files on a server and is no longer the private, server-free transfer most people came for.
The genuinely private ShareDrop still exists — it's MIT-licensed on GitHub and can be self-hosted, along with community mirrors like sharedrop-classic. But self-hosting (and configuring your own Firebase) is out of reach for most non-technical users, so the trustworthy path is the hard one and the easy path is the one people no longer trust. Beamaroo aims to give you the private behaviour on the easy path: open a tab, share a code, beam the file.
When ShareDrop is the better pick
ShareDrop is the better choice when you want zero-setup, same-Wi-Fi convenience or full control over the code. If your devices share a network and you'd rather have avatars just appear than type or scan a code, the classic ShareDrop's auto-discovery is genuinely nicer for same-office use. And if you're technical and want a fully open-source, MIT-licensed tool you can audit and run on your own infrastructure — a completely private instance you own end to end — the self-hosted ShareDrop is something Beamaroo doesn't offer, since Beamaroo isn't open-source. Just make sure you're running the GitHub or a trusted community-mirror version, not the LimeWire-operated live site.
Questions
What happened to ShareDrop?
The original ShareDrop launched around 2014 as true peer-to-peer, browser-based file transfer. In early 2025 it was acquired by LimeWire, and the live sharedrop.io now — per multiple independent user reports — uploads files to LimeWire's servers and promotes a cryptocurrency. The original open-source version is still on GitHub under the MIT licence and can be self-hosted as genuine P2P.
Is sharedrop.io still safe to use?
The open-source code is fine and self-hostable, but the public sharedrop.io site was flagged as badware by uBlockOrigin in 2025 over unannounced server uploads and crypto promotion. If you specifically want private, server-free transfer, the live site no longer behaves the way it originally did.
How is Beamaroo different from ShareDrop?
Beamaroo is always peer-to-peer — files go straight browser-to-browser, encrypted end-to-end, and never touch a server. It adds a one-time human pairing code (like beam-7-otter-quartz) that's cryptographically verified, plus verified delivery: the receiving device hash-checks each file and the confirmation returns to the sender. ShareDrop's classic model uses same-network discovery or a shared link and has no equivalent code check or delivery confirmation.
Do I need an account or an install for Beamaroo?
No. There's no account to send or receive, and nothing to install. You open a browser tab, share the code or QR with the other device, and beam. It works across the internet, not just the same Wi-Fi.
Do both devices have to be online at the same time?
Yes. Beamaroo is a live beam, not a locker — the two devices connect directly and the file moves in real time, so both must be online at once. There's no server-side holding area where files wait for the other person to pick them up later. The same is true of ShareDrop's live transfer.
Can Beamaroo handle very large files?
Small and medium transfers are fine. Right now, received files are held in the browser tab's memory before you save them, so very large multi-gigabyte transfers are limited today. Streaming straight to disk is planned to lift that ceiling.