Pal Explorer (pal)

Peer-to-peer file sharing with end-to-end encryption. No cloud. No middleman.

Pal Explorer lets you share files directly with friends using P2P protocols. Files are encrypted before leaving your device, transferred via WebTorrent, and only decryptable by intended recipients.

All features free during beta. Download at palexplorer.com.

Quick Start

# Install CLI globally
npm install -g pal-explorer-cli

# Create your identity
pal init "YourName"
# Save the 24-word recovery phrase!

# Share a folder with a friend
pal share ~/Documents --visibility private --with Alice

# Start seeding
pal serve

# Download from a peer
pal download "magnet:?xt=urn:btih:..."

Adding Friends

pal invite --qr              # Generate invite link + QR code
pal add @alice                # Add by handle
pal add pal://eyJ...         # Add by invite link
pal nearby --add             # Auto-discover on LAN

Features

File Sharing

• Share files, folders, or entire drives via WebTorrent
• Private shares with per-recipient E2EE (XChaCha20-Poly1305)
• Public shares with global magnet links
• Web share links with expiry and download limits

Sync

• Push/pull directory sync between pals
• SHA-256 manifest-based delta sync
• Watch mode for automatic sync on file changes
• Conflict detection

Chat

• Real-time encrypted messaging between pals
• Chat history with conversation list

Groups

• Create named groups and organize pals
• Share with entire groups in one command (--with-group)
• Broadcast messages to all group members

Discovery & Presence

• LAN peer discovery via mDNS
• Federated handle system (@[email protected])
• DHT-based decentralized fallback
• Online/offline presence status

Security

• Ed25519 identities with private keys stored in OS credential manager
• XChaCha20-Poly1305 authenticated encryption for all private shares
• Per-recipient key wrapping -- each recipient gets a uniquely encrypted share key
• Key rotation on revocation -- removing a recipient triggers re-encryption
• BIP-39 recovery -- 24-word mnemonic phrase for identity backup
• Zero-knowledge server -- discovery server never sees your private key or files
• Signed server responses -- clients verify server authenticity
• Encrypted inbox -- message payloads encrypted end-to-end
• PIN lock -- protect the desktop app with a PIN code

CLI

The pal CLI includes 100+ subcommands.

Key Commands

pal init <name>                    # Create identity
pal register <handle>              # Register on discovery network
pal share <path> -v private -w bob # Share encrypted with a pal
pal serve                          # Start seeding
pal download <magnet>              # Download from magnet link
pal add @alice                     # Add a pal by handle
pal sync push ./project alice      # Push sync to a pal
pal status                         # System health dashboard
pal ext list                       # List available extensions

Global Flags

| Flag | Description | |:---|:---| | --json | Output as JSON | | --verbose | Verbose logging | | --quiet | Suppress non-essential output |

Run pe --help or pe <command> --help for full usage.

Desktop App

Download the desktop app at palexplorer.com/download.

Features: setup wizard, dark/light themes, system tray, drag-and-drop sharing, P2P chat, PIN lock, media streaming, extensions, file explorer, command palette (Ctrl+K), and workspaces.

Extensions

14 built-in extensions including virtual drive (WebDAV), folder sync, chat, groups, discovery, OAuth login, email notifications, and more. All free during beta.

Browse extensions at palexplorer.com/extensions.

pal ext list                              # List all extensions
pal ext enable @palexplorer/vfs           # Enable an extension
pal ext config @palexplorer/vfs port 1900 # Configure

AI Features

Palexplorer has built-in AI support — use any provider you like, including local AI with no API key.

| Provider | Key required | Privacy | |:---------|:-------------|:--------| | Ollama (local) | No | Files never leave your device | | Claude (Anthropic) | Yes | Query text only — no file contents | | OpenAI | Yes | Query text only — no file contents | | Gemini (Google) | Yes | Query text only — no file contents |

Quick setup (local/free):

# Install Ollama from https://ollama.com, then:
ollama pull llama3.2
pal ai config set --provider ollama

Features:

• Natural language CLI — pal ai "share my documents with alice for 7 days"
• AI chat assistant — "AI Assistant" in the GUI Chat page
• AI search — natural language file search (Bot icon in Search page)

See AI Assistant docs for full setup guides for all providers.

Configuration

| Key | Default | Description | |:---|:---|:---| | port | auto | Local seeder port | | storage_path | ./downloads | Default download directory | | max_connections | 50 | Max P2P connections | | bandwidth_cap | 0 | Upload cap in KB/s (0 = unlimited) |

Config file: ~/.config/palexplorer-cli/config.json

Links

• Website
• Download
• Extensions
• Discord

License

Proprietary. All rights reserved. See palexplorer.com/license.