What is Pairchute?
Pairchute is a single web page that opens a direct, encrypted WebRTC connection between two browsers. Files stream from one disk to the other. There is no upload step, no cloud copy, and no account — because there is no server that could hold any of it.
- Cost
- $0, forever
- No servers means nothing to pay for.
- Path
- browser → browser
- Encrypted end-to-end. Nothing in the middle.
- Size limit
- none by design
- Streams to disk — 100 GB is within design.
How do you send a file with Pairchute?
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Create an invite. One computer clicks “Create invite” and gets a short block of text. It contains connection details and keys — never file data.
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Exchange it once. Send the text over any channel you already trust. The other side clicks “Paste invite” — it reads straight from the clipboard — and sends one reply back.
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Drag files in. The direct pipe opens, both screens show the same 6-digit safety code, and files stream disk-to-disk until done.
Built for very large transfers
No size limit
Receives stream straight to disk, so memory never fills. 100 GB disk images are the design target.
Resume anywhere
Progress is saved locally. If the connection drops at 80 GB, reconnect and continue from 80 GB.
Verified end to end
Every block is hash-checked; the whole file is verified against a Merkle root before it counts as received.
Paired devices stay trusted
The first exchange pairs the devices cryptographically. Later invites are sealed and auto-accepted.
LAN fast, internet capable
On the same network, transfers run at wire speed. Across the internet, as fast as the slower side.
Honest failure
If a direct path can't be opened, Pairchute says so plainly — it never silently routes through anything.
Privacy
Most tools promise not to look at your files. Pairchute can't look: there is no server, no analytics, no account, and the page makes no network requests except loading its own static files. The connection is end-to-end encrypted with keys generated on your devices, and the 6-digit safety code lets you verify there is no one in the middle. This is verifiable in your browser's network tab, not a policy you have to trust.
Honest limits
Both tabs must stay open. There is no server to hold the transfer — if either side closes the page, the stream pauses until you reconnect. Progress is saved.
Some networks refuse direct connections. Strict corporate or carrier NATs can block WebRTC. Pairchute has no relay fallback on purpose — it tells you instead of quietly routing through a server.
Very large receives need disk streaming. That uses the File System Access API — on in Chrome and Edge, off by default in Brave (enable brave://flags → "File System Access API", restart), absent in Firefox/Safari. Without it, receives are limited to what fits in memory (512 MB).
The invite exchange is manual — once. Copy-pasting two text blobs is the price of having no signaling server. Paired devices skip most of it next time.
Speed: on a gigabit LAN, 100 GB takes roughly 15 minutes (≈13.5 min at line rate — in practice the disks set the pace). Across the internet the ceiling is the sender's upload bandwidth: the same 100 GB over a 40 Mbit/s uplink takes around six hours — and survives interruptions along the way.
Technology
Built on three open web standards: WebRTC data channels for the direct pipe, Web Crypto for keys and end-to-end encryption, and the File System Access API for disk-streaming receives.
Product information reviewed .
FAQ
Is it really free? What's the catch?
Free, no catch. A static page with no servers costs almost nothing to host. If it saves you time, there's a Bitcoin tip jar in the corner.
Where do my files actually go?
Straight from one computer to the other over an encrypted WebRTC channel. They are never uploaded anywhere, not even temporarily.
What's the real size limit?
Your disk. Receives stream to disk with the File System Access API (Chrome and Edge out of the box; Brave after enabling its "File System Access API" flag), so 100 GB+ transfers are fine. Browsers without it are limited to what fits in memory.
What happens if the connection drops mid-transfer?
Progress is saved on both sides. Exchange a fresh invite and the transfer resumes from the last verified block — even after a reboot.
Do both computers have to be online at the same time?
Yes — that's what "no server" means. There is nowhere for the file to wait. Both tabs open, transfer runs, done.
What is the 6-digit code after connecting?
A safety code derived from the encryption keys on both ends. If both screens show the same code, no one is sitting in the middle of your connection.
What can pairchute.com see about me?
A request for a static page — the same as any website. No analytics, no cookies, no account, and invites never touch the site. Your files and metadata stay between the two computers.