Self-Hosted Edge Drop Alternatives: Cliff Drop, QRDrop, Flitdrop

Microsoft retired Drop, the Edge browser feature that sent notes and files between your devices through OneDrive, in Edge 152 on August 27, 2026. If you want a replacement that doesn't depend on Microsoft's cloud, Cliff Drop is the closest match: a self-hosted web app with a Drop-style message timeline. QRDrop shares a folder from your PC to any phone with a QR code, Flitdrop sends files between a PC and a phone without a phone app, and LocalSend does device-to-device transfers with an app on each end.

Edge Drop (edgedrop.app) shares the name but is a different kind of tool: a clipboard manager for one Windows PC, made by the team behind this site. It's covered at the end for people who landed here looking for it.

The alternatives compared

Cliff Drop: the closest thing to Drop's timeline

Cliff Drop describes itself as "a self-hosted, cross-device text and file sharing web app inspired by Microsoft Edge Drop." It's built for a single user. You send text and files into a chat-style timeline grouped by day, and every open device sees new items straight away.

• Content: plain text with automatic link detection, and files by drag-and-drop, click-to-upload or pasting an image, with thumbnails for images.
• Finding things: full-text search with filters for text, links and files.
• Access: password login (hashed with Argon2id) and session cookies; installable as a PWA on phones and desktops.
• Storage: SQLite on the server or on Turso, and files on local disk or S3-compatible storage such as MinIO, Backblaze B2 or Cloudflare R2.

The catch is that you run it. The README covers deploying to an Ubuntu server as a systemd service with a script, running it with PM2, or starting it directly with npm start, plus an Nginx reverse-proxy example for HTTPS. You're responsible for keeping it updated, backed up and reachable. Change the default password after the first login, as the README says.

Choose Cliff Drop if you liked Drop's "message yourself" thread and want it on a server you control, reachable from anywhere.

QRDrop: share a folder with a QR code

QRDrop turns the folder you're in into a small web server on your local network. It prints a URL, a three-word password and a QR code; scanning the QR code on a phone opens the folder already signed in.

uvx qrdrop

That command runs it without installing (it needs Python 3.11 or later through uv). pip install qrdrop and pipx install qrdrop install it permanently, and a Docker image is published as itsloopyo/qrdrop.

By default anyone with the password can download, upload, delete and rename files in that folder. Add --upload to allow uploads and downloads only, or --readonly for downloads only. The share stops when you press Ctrl+C in the terminal.

Choose QRDrop for quick, one-off transfers of a folder of exports to a phone or another computer on the same network. Use --readonly unless you need the phone to send files back.

Flitdrop: phone to PC without a phone app

Flitdrop calls itself "The AirDrop for Windows". You install it on the computer (Windows, macOS or Linux) and scan a QR code once with your phone; after that, the phone sends and receives through its browser or an Apple Shortcut, with nothing to install.

• Security: end-to-end encryption with XChaCha20-Poly1305. The key is shared through the QR code, not over the network, and you can revoke devices.
• Windows integration: a Send to → Flitdrop option in File Explorer's right-click menu.
• No router needed: the computer can create its own Wi-Fi hotspot for the phone to join.
• Clipboard: the computer keeps a local, searchable history of copied items, with retention by count and age.

Its README lists the limits: the phone can't receive while its screen is locked or the browser is in the background, both devices must be on the same network, and files are capped at 8 GB by default (16 GB maximum). SmartScreen may warn about the Windows installer. Flitdrop is source-available under FSL-1.1-ALv2, with each release converting to Apache 2.0 two years after it ships.

Choose Flitdrop if you move files between a mix of iPhones, Android phones and PCs and don't want an app on the phone.

LocalSend: an app on every device

LocalSend is a free, open-source app for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS that sends files and text to nearby devices over the local network, using HTTPS and an optional PIN, with no account or internet connection. It doesn't need a server or a terminal, but every device needs the app. LocalSend vs Edge Drop covers setup and firewall tips.

How to choose

1. You want a thread you can reach from anywhere, like Drop: Cliff Drop, if you can run a server. Otherwise a cloud folder such as OneDrive.
2. You want to hand a folder to a phone right now: QRDrop.
3. You move files between your own phone and PC every day: Flitdrop (no phone app) or LocalSend (app on both).
4. You want Android-to-Windows sharing from Google: Quick Share for Windows. See clipboard shelf or Nearby Share for moving files.
5. You need the same text on two Windows PCs: Windows clipboard sync or a shared keyboard-and-mouse tool; see how to share your clipboard between two Windows PCs.

Where Edge Drop fits

Edge Drop doesn't send anything between devices. It's a clipboard manager: a shelf that slides out from the edge of the screen with everything you've copied on that PC (text, links, images and files), which you click to paste or drag into other apps. It was never part of Microsoft Edge and wasn't affected by Drop's retirement.

It pairs with the tools above. Receive photos with Flitdrop or LocalSend, copy them in File Explorer, and they wait on the shelf until you drag them into a document or chat. What is Edge Drop? explains how it works, and what happened to Microsoft Edge Drop covers where Drop's old files went.

FAQ

Is Cliff Drop the same as Edge Drop?

No. Cliff Drop is a self-hosted sharing web app inspired by Microsoft's Drop. Edge Drop (edgedrop.app) is a Windows clipboard manager.

Can you move old Microsoft Drop messages into Cliff Drop?

None of these tools imports Drop history. Microsoft's retirement notice in Edge said files you shared are saved in your OneDrive, while text notes had to be downloaded separately. Download the files from OneDrive and upload or send them with whichever tool you pick.

Which of these works without the internet?

QRDrop, Flitdrop and LocalSend all work on a local network without internet; Flitdrop can even create its own hotspot. Cliff Drop works offline only if the server is on your local network.

Is QRDrop safe to leave running?

Treat it as a temporary share. By default it allows uploads, deletes and renames for anyone with the password, so use --readonly for one-way sharing and stop it with Ctrl+C when you're done.

Related reading

• What Happened to Microsoft Edge Drop in 2026?
• LocalSend vs Edge Drop: Share Across Devices or Stage on PC
• Quick Share on Windows: What It Does and How to Use It
• How to Share Your Clipboard Between Two Windows PCs

Sources

• Microsoft Edge release notes for Stable Channel (Microsoft Learn) — "Drop is retired" in version 152.0.4191.53, August 27, 2026.
• Cliff Drop README — features, stack, authentication, deployment, licence.
• QRDrop README — commands, permissions flags, Docker image, licence.
• Flitdrop README — pairing, encryption, hotspot, clipboard history, limits, licence.
• LocalSend — platforms, local-network transfers, licence.
• Quick Share for Windows (Google) — Android to Windows sharing.

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How to Install Guide · First 10 Minutes Guide · Drag & Drop Guide · Edge Drop vs Win+V · Support