Best appsPublished November 10, 2026Updated November 10, 20269 min read

The best Pushbullet alternatives in 2026, by what you used it for

Pushbullet pushes links and files, mirrors Android notifications, sends texts from your computer and syncs copied text. No single app replaces all of that, so this list is organized by job, with what each alternative covers and where it stops.

Short answer

For most people, KDE Connect is the best free Pushbullet alternative: it is open source, runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, and covers links, files, notifications, texts and clipboard text over your own network. On Windows, Microsoft's built-in Phone Link handles texts, calls and notifications from an Android phone or an iPhone. For files alone use LocalSend or Quick Share, for self-hosted notifications from scripts use ntfy, and for a synced clipboard with a history use Clypy.

How this guide was checked

Pushbullet's features and prices were checked on its own Pro page, API documentation and Google Play listing in November 2026. Each alternative's platforms, price and license were checked on its own site, store listing or repository in the same month, the apps were not benchmarked against each other, and Clypy's behavior was checked against its source code.

Reviewed by the Clypy product team

On this page

Which Pushbullet job each alternative covers
The short list
What Pushbullet does today, and what it costs
Links and files: Chrome, LocalSend, Quick Share and Join
Notifications and texts: Phone Link and KDE Connect
Universal copy and paste: KDE Connect, Join and Clypy
Self-hosted push notifications: ntfy and Gotify
How this list was put together
Common questions
Official sources

Which Pushbullet job each alternative covers

App	Links and text	Files	Notifications	SMS	Clipboard
Pushbullet, for reference	Yes	25 MB free, 1 GB on Pro	From Android	100 a month free, unlimited on Pro	Pro only, text
KDE Connect	Yes, same network	Yes, same network	From Android	From Android	Text
Phone Link	Through copy and paste on supported phones	Android; iPhone for Insiders	Android and iPhone	Android and iPhone	Supported Android phones
Join	Yes	Yes	From Android	From Android, in a browser	Yes
LocalSend	Text, sent by hand	Yes, same network	No	No	No
Quick Share	No	Yes, nearby	No	No	No
Clypy	Yes, as synced clips	Pro, same network	No	No	Yes, with history and images
ntfy	Messages from scripts	As attachments	Only messages sent to it	No	No

The short list

Best free and open source all-rounder
KDE Connect
Runs on:
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android; iPhone with fewer features; GSConnect on GNOME
Price:
Free, open source
The closest free match to Pushbullet. Paired over your own network with no account, it shares links, text and files, mirrors Android notifications, sends texts and shares clipboard text. On GNOME, the GSConnect extension speaks the same protocol and pairs with the same Android app.
Where it stops: Both devices must be on the same network or reachable over a VPN, the clipboard carries text only, and the stable Mac build is for Apple silicon. With an iPhone, notification and text mirroring are missing and the clipboard only goes from phone to computer when you tap.
KDE Connect Clypy vs KDE Connect
Best for texts and notifications on Windows
Microsoft Phone Link
Runs on:
Windows 10 and 11, with an Android phone or iPhone
Price:
Free, built in
Already on Windows, it brings an Android phone's texts, calls, notifications and recent photos to the PC, and an iPhone's texts, calls and notifications. With Android 10 or later it also sends files both ways, and on Samsung Galaxy and selected other phones it shares copied text and images.
Where it stops: Windows only. With an iPhone it cannot send group messages or pictures, and message history clears when the Bluetooth connection ends; its iPhone file sharing is still limited to Windows Insiders.
Microsoft Phone Link Clypy vs Microsoft Phone Link
Best one-time purchase that covers most of Pushbullet
Join
Runs on:
Android, Chrome, Windows, macOS, Linux, web
Price:
One-time purchase ($4.99 after a 30-day trial)
Join covers more Pushbullet jobs than anything else here: links, files, Android notifications with replies, SMS from a browser, and clipboard sharing. It works through your Google account, so your devices do not have to share a network, and it integrates deeply with Tasker.
Where it stops: There is no iPhone app. Its Android app was last updated in December 2025 and its desktop app last released in July 2024, and the desktop app needs a browser open to receive pushes when it is not on the sender's network.
Join
Best for files between any two nearby devices
LocalSend
Runs on:
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iPhone
Price:
Free, open source
Sends files and text between any of its apps over your local network, with no account, no internet connection and HTTPS encryption, so it works the same between an iPhone and a Linux PC as between Android and Windows.
Where it stops: It sends what you choose, when both devices are on the same network. It does not mirror notifications, send texts or sync the clipboard.
LocalSend
Best built-in file sharing on Android
Quick Share
Runs on:
Android 6 and later, Chromebooks, Windows (app)
Price:
Free, built in
Built into Android, it sends files and whole folders to nearby phones, Chromebooks and, with Google's free Quick Share app, Windows PCs. On a Pixel 8a or later and certain Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, Honor, Transsion and Motorola phones it also sends to an iPhone, iPad or Mac through AirDrop.
Where it stops: It is for files between devices close to each other, not for links pushed to a device elsewhere, notifications or texts. The Windows app needs 64-bit Windows 10 or later.
Quick Share
Best for a synced clipboard history on every platformOur app
Clypy
Runs on:
macOS, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android
Price:
Free; Pro is $29.99 once
Clypy replaces universal copy and paste with a searchable clipboard history on each device. Pro syncs text, links and images between your devices with end-to-end encryption and no account, directly over Wi-Fi or through a relay that cannot read your clips, and its Send files moves files of any size between paired devices on the same network.
Where it stops: It does not mirror notifications or send texts, and it has no browser extension or web app. Sync and Send files are part of Pro, and phones cannot capture every copy automatically: Android saves every copy only while the Clypy keyboard is selected, and an iPhone saves when you open Clypy, share to it or use its keyboard.
Download Clypy
Best self-hosted replacement for Pushbullet's API
ntfy
Runs on:
Android, iPhone, web; server you can host yourself
Price:
Free, open source (paid hosted plans)
If you used Pushbullet for alerts from scripts, servers or home automation, ntfy replaces that: send a plain HTTP request to a topic and it appears as a notification on your phone or in your browser, with optional attachments and links. Use the hosted ntfy.sh or run the open source server yourself.
Where it stops: It carries messages you send it, not your phone's notifications, texts or clipboard. On iPhone, a self-hosted server has to forward a wake-up through ntfy.sh for prompt delivery.
ntfy

What Pushbullet does today, and what it costs

According to its own pages, Pushbullet does five main jobs: sending links, sending files, mirroring your Android phone's notifications on your computer, sending and receiving texts (SMS, plus replies in apps such as WhatsApp) from the computer, and universal copy and paste. The free plan covers links, notification mirroring, files up to 25 MB, 2 GB of storage and 100 messages a month. Pro, at $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year, raises the file limit to 1 GB and storage to 100 GB, removes the message limit, adds actions on mirrored notifications, and is the only way to get universal copy and paste, which syncs copied text. Pushbullet's apps page lists Android, Chrome, Firefox and Windows, and its iPhone app no longer appears on the App Store.

Notifications and texts: Phone Link and KDE Connect

This is the hardest job to replace. On Windows, Phone Link is built in: with Android 10 or later and both devices on the same Wi-Fi, it shows notifications, calls, and SMS and MMS from the last 30 days. With an iPhone on iOS 16 or later it handles texts, calls and notifications over Bluetooth, but not group messages or pictures. Away from Windows, KDE Connect mirrors Android notifications with replies for some messaging apps, and on Linux its SMS app reads and sends texts. Join mirrors notifications and sends SMS from a browser.

None of these mirror an iPhone's notifications or texts to a Mac or Linux computer; KDE Connect lists both as missing on iOS.

Universal copy and paste: KDE Connect, Join and Clypy

Pushbullet only offers this on Pro, and it carries copied text. KDE Connect shares clipboard text free on your network; since Android 10 stops background apps reading the clipboard, sending from the phone takes a tap on Send clipboard in its notification, or its Quick Settings tile on Android 14 and later. Join shares the clipboard manually or automatically. Clypy keeps a searchable history on each device, and with Pro syncs it, images included, across Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android, on Wi-Fi or away from it.

Self-hosted push notifications: ntfy and Gotify

If you used Pushbullet's API to send alerts from scripts or home automation, a self-hosted notification server replaces that part. ntfy, dual-licensed under Apache 2.0 and GPLv2, takes a message as an HTTP PUT or POST to a topic and shows it in its Android, iPhone and web apps; the hosted ntfy.sh is free without signing up, with paid plans for reserved topics. Gotify is a similar MIT-licensed server with a REST API and an Android app, but its site lists no iPhone app.

ntfy's documentation says a self-hosted server should forward a wake-up through ntfy.sh (the upstream-base-url setting) for iPhones, because iOS restricts background work; without it, delivery can take hours.

How this list was put together

Clypy makes this guide and one of the apps on it. Each app's platforms, price, license and latest release were checked on its own site, store listing or repository in November 2026. LocalSend, ntfy, Gotify, GSConnect and KDE Connect all had releases or code updates between August and November 2026; Join's Android app was last updated in December 2025. Pushbullet's facts come from its Pro page, API documentation and Google Play listing. The apps were not benchmarked against each other or tested hands-on for this page.

Common questions

What is the best free alternative to Pushbullet?

KDE Connect, for most people. It is free and open source, runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android, and covers links, files, notification mirroring, texts and clipboard text, as long as your devices are on the same network.

Is there a Pushbullet alternative for iPhone?

Pushbullet's iPhone app no longer appears on the App Store. On an iPhone, LocalSend sends files and text, Phone Link brings texts and notifications to a Windows PC, ntfy receives notifications from scripts, and Clypy syncs your clipboard with your other devices. KDE Connect's iPhone app cannot mirror notifications or texts.

Is there an open source or self-hosted Pushbullet alternative?

Yes. KDE Connect, GSConnect and LocalSend are open source and work over your own network with no server. For push notifications from your own scripts, ntfy and Gotify are open source servers you can run yourself.

Does Pushbullet still exist in 2026?

Yes. Its site, Android app and Pro plan are still offered in November 2026, with Pro at $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year. Its apps page lists Android, Chrome, Firefox and Windows, and its Android app was last updated in August 2025.

What can replace Pushbullet on Linux?

KDE Connect, which KDE says is available on all major distributions and works with any desktop, or GSConnect on GNOME. Join's desktop app and Clypy also run on Linux, and LocalSend covers files.