StreamDrop

StreamDrop is a zero-storage, end-to-end encrypted file transfer tool. Files are encrypted in the sender’s browser and streamed through the server in real time.

How it works

• Sender opens the web app and selects files
• StreamDrop generates share links (the decryption key stays in the URL fragment after #)
• Receiver opens the link and downloads; decryption happens locally in the browser

Quick start (local)

bun install
bun run dev

Open http://localhost:3000.

CLI

The StreamDrop CLI allows you to securely send and receive files directly from your terminal.

Installation

macOS / Linux (Homebrew)

brew tap AntonyLeons/tap
brew install streamdrop-cli

Windows (Scoop)

scoop bucket add antonyleons https://github.com/AntonyLeons/homebrew-tap.git
scoop install streamdrop-cli

From Source Ensure you have Bun installed, then build the binary:

bun install
bun run cli:build
./dist/streamdrop-cli --help

Usage

Send a file:

streamdrop send ./myfile.zip

(Or use ./dist/streamdrop-cli send ./myfile.zip if running from source)

Receive a file:

streamdrop receive "<share-url>"

(Or use ./dist/streamdrop-cli receive "<share-url>" if running from source)

Release binaries: GitHub Releases include prebuilt CLI binaries for macOS, Linux, and Windows, plus matching .sha256 checksum files.

Deploy

Requirements

• Bun (runtime)

Run in production

bun install --production
PORT=3000 NODE_ENV=production bun run start

Environment variables

• PORT (default: 3000)
• NODE_ENV (set to production to disable the local startup log)
• PUBLIC_ORIGIN (recommended in production: https://streamdrop.app)
• MAX_SESSIONS (default: 50000)
• MAX_RECEIVERS (default: 2000)
• SESSION_TTL_MS (default: 86400000)
• REAPER_INTERVAL_MS (default: 60000)

Self-hosting

If you don't trust the public server or want full control, StreamDrop is easy to self-host. All encryption happens client-side, but self-hosting gives you:

• Full control over connection metadata
• No reliance on third-party infrastructure
• Full auditability

Star the repo if you find this useful! It helps others discover StreamDrop.

Reverse proxy examples

StreamDrop keeps long-lived HTTP connections open (for Server-Sent Events (SSE) signaling, WebRTC P2P direct streaming, and fallback streaming downloads). Configure your reverse proxy with generous read/idle timeouts. The server itself disables Bun's idle timeout (idleTimeout: 0 in server.ts).

Nginx:

location / {
    proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
    proxy_http_version 1.1;
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    
    # Critical for persistent event streams (SSE) / streaming
    proxy_read_timeout 86400s;
    proxy_send_timeout 86400s;
}

Caddy (Caddyfile):

your-domain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:3000 {
        transport http {
            response_header_timeout 24h
        }
    }
}

Traefik (docker-compose labels):

labels:
  - "traefik.http.routers.streamdrop.rule=Host(`your-domain.com`)"
  - "traefik.http.services.streamdrop.loadbalancer.server.port=3000"
  # Increase idle timeout for long-running connections
  - "traefik.http.middlewares.streamdrop-timeout.plugin.traefik-plugin-response-modifier.responseHeaderTimeout=86400"

Cloudflare: If using Cloudflare as your CDN/proxy, be aware that Cloudflare has a default 100-second timeout. For best experience with large file transfers:

• Use Cloudflare Tunnel with cloudflared (no hard timeout)
• Or configure a longer timeout via Page Rules → Origin Error Page Pass Thru
• Or use Argo Tunnel for uninterrupted streaming

Docs (dev)

• docs/implementation.md

iOS / Safari Compatibility

StreamDrop includes full fallback support for iOS and Safari. While Apple's WebKit engine does not currently support ReadableStream in fetch() bodies, StreamDrop automatically detects iOS and Safari and falls back to a highly optimized XMLHttpRequest chunking implementation. It is fully functional on all platforms!

Support the project

If you find StreamDrop useful, consider:

• Starring the repo to help others discover it
• Supporting my open-source work: