OurStick

Questions

How is it different from…

WeTransfer, Dropbox, Google Drive: They upload your files to their servers first, and the free plans have size limits. OurStick uploads nothing anywhere: the files go from your computer to theirs, encrypted, with no limit on size and no account.
Magic Wormhole, croc, sendme: Great for sending files once, from a terminal. OurStick is an app with a window, the stick stays (the same link keeps working), it follows what you add, and the receiver chooses what to get.
Syncthing, Resilio Sync: They keep folders in sync both ways between devices you set up together. OurStick is one-way and read-only: you share a stick with anyone by sending a link, and they cannot change what is on it.
LocalSend: Works only on the same network. OurStick works across the internet too.
OnionShare: Goes through Tor, which hides who talks to whom but is slow for big files. OurStick connects the two computers directly whenever it can.
A real USB stick (a flash drive): No drive to buy, carry or post, and no size but your own disk's. And unlike a real one, you can add things after you have given it away.

Using it

Does my computer have to stay on?: Yes, with OurStick running, while others get your stick: the files come from your computer, and there is no copy anywhere else. A download that stops goes on where it left off when you are back.
Does the other person need OurStick?: Yes. The link opens a page that explains this and lets them download OurStick; they then copy the link into it. There is no way to download a stick in a browser.
Is there a size limit?: No limit of OurStick's own: a stick can be as big as your disk, with as many files. The sender keeps no second copy of the files, and the receiver needs room for what they get plus a little more (about 1 GB) while it downloads.
How fast is it?: When the two computers can reach each other directly, as fast as your connections allow. When they cannot (some strict networks), the data passes through a public relay, at up to about 10 Mbit/s, while OurStick keeps looking for a direct path.
What if I change or delete a file on my stick?: People who have the stick get the new version of a changed file. A file you delete stays with them; OurStick never deletes anything on their computer, and never overwrites a file they changed themselves.
Can I share with many people?: Yes: send the same link to as many as you like. They all download from your computer, so many at once share your upload speed.
How do I stop sharing?: Choose “Change the sharing link…” for the stick: the old link stops working for everyone, and you send the new one to the people you want. Or remove the stick.
Phones? Intel Macs?: Not yet. OurStick runs on Windows, on Macs with Apple silicon (M1 and later), and on Linux (Ubuntu 22.04 and Debian 12 or newer).

Trust

Is it open source?: Yes, under the Apache-2.0 licence: the code, its design and its decisions are on GitHub.
How is it encrypted? Has it been audited?: Files and the list of what is on a stick are encrypted on your computer with the stick's own key, which only the link carries: how it works. It has not yet been reviewed by an independent auditor. To report a security problem, write to hi@ourstick.com.
What if the link leaks?: Anyone who has it can read the stick. Change the stick's link, and the old one stops working at once. The connection itself is encrypted too, so recording the traffic does not help someone who gets the link later.
Does it track me or talk to your servers?: There are no OurStick servers in the way. The app talks only to the other computer and, to find it, to the public relays and lookup service of n0, the makers of the networking library it uses. No analytics, no accounts. See Privacy.
How do I hear about new versions?: OurStick does not check for updates by itself. New versions are on GitHub Releases: choose Watch → Custom → Releases there, or follow its feed.
Why do Windows and my browser warn about the installer?: The Windows installer is not signed yet (a certificate costs money every year). Choose Keep, then More info and Run anyway. The Mac app is signed and notarized by Apple.
Was it written with AI?: Yes, with Claude as a programming partner, as the commits say. Every change is planned, reviewed and tested, and the decisions are written down in the repository for anyone to read.

The project

Is it free? How will you make money?: Free and open source. Later there may be a paid service that keeps a stick online while your computer is off. What works today stays free.
Who makes it?: About.