AirDroid alternative without an account
AirDroid Personal vs Personal Device Bridge: accounts, file size limits, transfers across networks, encryption and remote features, side by side.
Personal Device Bridge is an alternative to AirDroid Personal if you want to move files between an Android phone and a Windows PC across networks without creating an account. Both can transfer over the internet; AirDroid Personal also runs on macOS and the web, supports iPhone and lets the PC control the phone, while Personal Device Bridge has no account, no per-file cap and Noise end-to-end encryption.
At a glance
- No account, not even for transfers over the internet.
- No file size limit; only free space on the receiver counts.
- End-to-end encryption with the Noise protocol.
- Free to use.
- The phone can drive the PC as a touchpad and keyboard.
Step by step
Install without signing up
Get the Windows app and the Android APK from this site. There is no sign-up screen.
Pair at home
On the same Wi-Fi, click Add device on the PC and tap Scan QR code on the phone, then approve when the 6-digit codes match.
Send across networks
Later, from mobile data or another Wi-Fi, send as usual. The devices connect directly or through an encrypted relay (Connect over the internet).
Set permissions
Choose what each device may do under Permissions; sensitive features stay off until you allow them.
Side by side
| Feature | PDB | AirDroid |
|---|---|---|
| PC | Windows · Linux (CLI) | Windows · macOS · Web |
| Phone | Android | Android · iOS |
| Works without an account | Yes | PartlyAccount needed except for Nearby |
| Transfers between different networks | YesDirect, or an encrypted relay | YesFree plan: 30 MB per file |
| Encrypted between devices | YesEnd-to-end (Noise) | Not documented |
| Clipboard sync | Yes | Yes |
| Phone notifications on the PC | Yes | Yes |
| Phone as touchpad and keyboard for the PC | Yes | NoThe PC controls the phone instead |
| Korean 공동인증서 and HWP documents | Yes | No |
| Open source | No | No |
| Free to use | Yes | PartlyPaid plan for more |
Checked on against each vendor’s own documentation. Products change, so please check the sources.
Where the other app does more
- AirDroid Personal runs on macOS and in a web browser as well as Windows, and supports iPhone.
- AirDroid lets the PC control the phone. Personal Device Bridge works the other way: the phone controls the PC.
- Both transfer files between different networks.
When Personal Device Bridge is the better fit
- You don’t want an account; AirDroid needs one except for its Nearby feature.
- You send large files over the internet; AirDroid’s free plan allows 30 MB per file.
- You want documented end-to-end encryption (Noise) between your devices.
- You move a 공동인증서 or print HWP files.
Questions
Is Personal Device Bridge really free?
Yes. Personal Device Bridge is free to use, with no account to create.
Can I control my phone from the PC?
No. Personal Device Bridge works the other way round: your phone can act as a touchpad and keyboard for the PC.
Do my files go through your servers?
No. They go directly between your devices, end-to-end encrypted. Only if a direct path is impossible is the still-encrypted traffic relayed, and the relay can’t read it.
Is there a Mac or iPhone version?
There is no iPhone app, and macOS is not officially supported. There are apps for Android and Windows, plus a command-line tool for 64-bit Linux. AirDroid Personal covers macOS and iPhone.