Compare • Holdem vs DropPoint
Holdem vs DropPoint: The Best Free DropPoint Alternative for Windows
DropPoint deserves respect: a free, open-source shelf that brought the Dropover idea to Windows, macOS, and Linux years ago, earning ~1,000 GitHub stars. But its last release was v1.2.1 in September 2022 (an August 2026 commit modernized Electron 21→43 without cutting a release), it runs on heavyweight Electron, and summoning it means an awkward Shift+CapsLock chord. Holdem is the modern, actively maintained answer for Windows.
Holdem vs DropPoint: side-by-side
| Feature | Holdem | DropPoint |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & license | Free, open-source (MIT) | Free, open-source (GPL-3.0) |
| Platforms | Windows 10/11 | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Tech stack & size | Tauri + Rust + TypeScript — tiny installer, near-zero background CPU | Electron + Node.js — release installers run ~54–78MB per asset |
| Trigger | Mouse shake mid-drag or global hotkey; shelf appears at cursor | Shift+CapsLock anywhere (Shift+Tab on macOS) or tray icon; no shake gesture |
| Supported content | Files, folders, web images (URLs & text on the roadmap) | Files and folders |
| Tray & instances | Quiet tray app, auto-launch, one floating shelf that auto-hides | Minimizes to tray; supports multiple instances; new instances open at mouse location |
| Virtual desktops | Tray-based, reachable everywhere | Windows needs a manual Task-view step (“Show this window on all desktops”) |
| Maintenance | Active — frequent releases with auto-update | Slow — no release since v1.2.1 (Sep 2022); Aug 2026 branch update |
| Design | Minimal dark floating shelf | Functional multi-window Electron UI (taste differs — try both) |
Weight: why the stack matters in a tray app
A shelf runs all day in the background, so its runtime is the product. DropPoint is an Electron app — the same Chromium + Node foundation as Slack and VS Code — and its own release page tells the story: a Windows zip around 77MB, a macOS dmg up to ~79MB. That is fine for a main app, but heavy for a utility whose job is to hold three files for thirty seconds. Holdem is built with Tauri and Rust, which reuses the system webview instead of shipping Chromium: the result is a far smaller install, negligible idle CPU, and instant summon. Both approaches work; only one disappears into the tray.
Trigger: shake vs Shift+CapsLock
This is the daily-experience gap. With DropPoint you press Shift + Caps Lock (an unusual chord that collides with typing habits) or dig out the tray icon — and on Windows, if you use virtual desktops, you must first perform a one-time Task-view ritual to pin the window across desktops. With Holdem you simply shake the mouse while already dragging — the shelf materializes exactly where your cursor is — or tap the hotkey. No chord to memorize, no per-desktop setup, nothing between intention and shelf.
Maintenance: releases vs branch activity
Software rots when operating systems move on. DropPoint's public record — v1.2.1 released September 2022, no release since, one August 2026 modernization commit (Electron 21→43, Node 22, CI), 26 open issues — means Windows 11 changes, new browsers, and HiDPI quirks land in an app patched sporadically. That is not an attack: open-source maintainers move on, and the GPL code remains available for anyone to fork. But if you are choosing a shelf to rely on daily, an actively developed app (Holdem, with Tauri auto-updates via update.json) is the safer bet — which is exactly why Holdem exists rather than as a DropPoint fork.
Where DropPoint honestly wins
Cross-platform. Full stop. If your workflow spans Windows, macOS, and Linux, DropPoint is the only free open-source shelf covering all three, and its multiple-instances model suits people who keep several staging piles open. The GPL-3.0 license also guarantees the code stays open, which matters to free-software purists (Holdem's MIT license is more permissive instead). Windows-only users give up nothing by switching.
FAQ: Holdem vs DropPoint
Is DropPoint still maintained?
Sporadically: no new release since v1.2.1 (September 2022), though the default branch saw an August 2026 modernization (Electron 21→43, Node 22, CI). Day to day it still works, but the release cadence is slow. Holdem is under active development (see the changelog).
How do Holdem and DropPoint differ technically?
DropPoint is built on Electron + Node.js (installers ~54–78MB per its release assets) while Holdem uses Tauri + Rust, which produces a far smaller binary and near-zero background resource use. Both are free and open-source — DropPoint under GPL-3.0, Holdem under MIT.
How do you summon each shelf?
DropPoint: press Shift+CapsLock anywhere (Shift+Tab on macOS) or click the tray icon — there is no mouse-shake gesture. Holdem: shake the mouse while dragging, or press the customizable global hotkey, and the shelf appears at your cursor.
Does DropPoint work across virtual desktops?
Only with manual setup on Windows: its README instructs you to open Task view, right-click the window, and tick “Show this window on all desktops.” Stickiness works by default on other OSes. Holdem runs as a tray app designed to be reachable everywhere.
What content can each hold?
DropPoint holds files and folders. Holdem holds files, folders, and images dragged directly from the browser, with URL and text-snippet drops on the roadmap.
Which free open-source shelf should I pick?
If you need Windows, macOS, and Linux covered by one tool today, DropPoint is cross-platform and free. If you are on Windows and want the lightest, actively maintained shelf with shake-to-summon and browser-image support, pick Holdem.
Sources
- DropPoint on GitHub — GPL-3.0, Electron, Shift+CapsLock / Shift+Tab triggers, tray behavior, virtual-desktop step
- DropPoint v1.2.0 release assets — installer sizes (~54–79MB across platforms)
- DropPoint homepage — feature rundown, hotkey, tray
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