Zynk vs Magic Wormhole

Magic Wormhole has a serious security model and a broad ecosystem, but every transfer needs a fresh code with just 16 bits of entropy by default, and both ends need the CLI. Zynk is end-to-end encrypted too, remembers your devices, and sends by name or phone number, no code ceremony.

Download Zynk CLI Visit Magic Wormhole

CLI plus a real app behind it

You send to the same people more than once and don't want to exchange a new code every time.
You want a CLI backed by a native app with a menu-bar tray, conversations, preview, and signing under one account.
You want recipients who don't have a CLI to receive through a browser link.
You want devices that stay paired, with encryption locked to those devices instead of a 16-bit one-time code.

Feature by feature

Feature by feature, what Zynk does and what Magic Wormhole does.

Feature	Zynk	Magic Wormhole
File sizeEven	No file-size cap on direct transfers.	Arbitrary-sized files per docs.
InstallZynk wins	App or CLI for senders. Link recipients use a browser.	CLI required on both ends. Sender and receiver exchange a one-time code out of band.
EncryptionZynk wins	End-to-end encrypted. Each receiver device has its own permanent key that locks the file, not a short code that could be guessed.	PAKE/SPAKE2 per session, but default codes have only 16-bit entropy. A code shared insecurely lets an attacker succeed reliably.
Network pathEven	Direct when possible, relay fallback.	Direct TCP with Transit Relay fallback. Similar model.
Native appZynk wins	Yes. macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV.	No first-party app. Third-party GUIs exist (GNOME Warp, mobile clients) but are separate projects.
Menu bar and trayZynk wins	Lives in the macOS menu bar and the Windows and Linux system tray. Drop a file onto a contact, paste a message, or see who's online without opening the main window.	No.
Finder and share menuZynk wins	Right-click "Send with Zynk" in Finder and Windows Explorer. Send from the iOS, Android, and macOS share menus.	No.
ConversationsZynk wins	Every device and every contact gets its own chat: text messages, emoji reactions, edits, replies, and full history.	No.
Voice notesZynk wins	Record a voice note with a waveform inside the app and send it like any other file.	No.
In-app previewZynk wins	Optional preview for PDFs, video, audio, images, markdown, and code with syntax highlighting.	No. Files land wherever the CLI writes them.
PDF signingZynk wins	Open a PDF, draw or type a signature, send the signed copy back. No third-party portal.	No.
Share linksZynk wins	Yes.	No managed link flow.
Remembered contactsZynk wins	Sign in with your phone number. Your devices and contacts stay with you across sessions.	No persistent identity. A new code is generated per transfer.
Recurring useZynk wins	Send to the same person by name, phone number, or device. No ceremony.	New code generated and exchanged out of band for every transfer.

File sizeEven

Zynk: No file-size cap on direct transfers.
Magic Wormhole: Arbitrary-sized files per docs.

InstallZynk wins

Zynk: App or CLI for senders. Link recipients use a browser.
Magic Wormhole: CLI required on both ends. Sender and receiver exchange a one-time code out of band.

EncryptionZynk wins

Zynk: End-to-end encrypted. Each receiver device has its own permanent key that locks the file, not a short code that could be guessed.
Magic Wormhole: PAKE/SPAKE2 per session, but default codes have only 16-bit entropy. A code shared insecurely lets an attacker succeed reliably.

Network pathEven

Zynk: Direct when possible, relay fallback.
Magic Wormhole: Direct TCP with Transit Relay fallback. Similar model.

Native appZynk wins

Zynk: Yes. macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Android TV.
Magic Wormhole: No first-party app. Third-party GUIs exist (GNOME Warp, mobile clients) but are separate projects.

Menu bar and trayZynk wins

Zynk: Lives in the macOS menu bar and the Windows and Linux system tray. Drop a file onto a contact, paste a message, or see who's online without opening the main window.
Magic Wormhole: No.

Finder and share menuZynk wins

Zynk: Right-click "Send with Zynk" in Finder and Windows Explorer. Send from the iOS, Android, and macOS share menus.
Magic Wormhole: No.

ConversationsZynk wins

Zynk: Every device and every contact gets its own chat: text messages, emoji reactions, edits, replies, and full history.
Magic Wormhole: No.

Voice notesZynk wins

Zynk: Record a voice note with a waveform inside the app and send it like any other file.
Magic Wormhole: No.

In-app previewZynk wins

Zynk: Optional preview for PDFs, video, audio, images, markdown, and code with syntax highlighting.
Magic Wormhole: No. Files land wherever the CLI writes them.

PDF signingZynk wins

Zynk: Open a PDF, draw or type a signature, send the signed copy back. No third-party portal.
Magic Wormhole: No.

Share linksZynk wins

Zynk: Yes.
Magic Wormhole: No managed link flow.

Remembered contactsZynk wins

Zynk: Sign in with your phone number. Your devices and contacts stay with you across sessions.
Magic Wormhole: No persistent identity. A new code is generated per transfer.

Recurring useZynk wins

Zynk: Send to the same person by name, phone number, or device. No ceremony.
Magic Wormhole: New code generated and exchanged out of band for every transfer.

What we noted

Magic Wormhole is a CLI for secure code-based handoffs.
If you live on the command line and send to people who also have the CLI, Magic Wormhole's code-based model is clean and dependency-light. Zynk's app-and-CLI combo is for when the other end isn't in a terminal, or you send to the same people repeatedly.