Computer ↔ Computer

Transfer files between two computers, minus the rituals

Two computers on the same desk shouldn't need a USB stick shuttle, an email to yourself, or a cloud round-trip to swap a folder. BIShare moves files directly between any two computers — Windows, Mac, or Linux, in any combination — over the network they already share. One side can even use a plain browser.

The USB-stick shuffle, and other rituals

The stick means finding it, hoping it's formatted right (NTFS won't write on a Mac), and walking it back and forth. Network shares mean permissions, workgroups, and a settings safari on both machines. Email caps you at 25 MB, and the cloud sends your file on a round trip through a data center just to cross the room. Every one of these is a workaround for the same missing feature — computers talking to each other directly. That's the feature.

How the direct route works

  • Both machines, one tool

    Install BIShare on Windows, Mac, or Linux — any mix. A machine you can't install on (a locked-down work laptop, a friend's PC) can send and receive from a browser tab instead.

  • They find each other

    On the same network, the two computers appear to each other automatically. Drag a file — or a whole folder — onto the other machine, and it lands end-to-end encrypted at Wi-Fi speed, with nothing stored anywhere in between.

  • No router? Improvise one

    No shared network around — a move-in day, a client site? A phone hotspot counts as a network, with zero internet needed. Both computers join it and the transfer runs exactly the same.

USB stick, cloud, or direct?

USB driveCloud driveBIShare
No hardware to find, format, or carry
One hop — no upload-then-download detour
No NTFS-vs-Mac formatting headaches
Multi-gigabyte folders at local Wi-Fi speed
Nothing left behind on a server

Computer-to-computer transfer, answered

Can I transfer between two computers without a router?

Yes — any phone's hotspot works as the meeting point, with no internet required. Both computers join the hotspot and transfer directly. On a normal home or office network, the router does the same job.

Does it work between Mac and Windows?

Yes, in both directions — and Linux too, in any combination. Every platform runs the same protocol, so a Mac ↔ Windows transfer behaves exactly like PC ↔ PC. No SMB shares, no drivers, no format juggling.

Can I send an entire folder?

Yes — drag a folder in and it arrives as a folder, structure intact. For a whole user profile's worth of data, send in a few large batches so each one is easy to verify on arrival.

How fast is it?

As fast as the network between the machines — typically 40–50 MB/s on ordinary Wi-Fi 5, more on wired or newer Wi-Fi. A 10 GB folder is minutes, because it crosses the room instead of crossing the internet twice.

Is it safe to use on an office network?

Transfers are end-to-end encrypted device-to-device, so other machines on the network see only ciphertext. Nothing is uploaded to a server, and the receiving computer has to explicitly accept each incoming transfer.

Retire the USB stick

Two computers, one direct hop — free, encrypted, on every desktop OS.

Use it right now

Related guides