If you're shopping for a casting solution you'll keep hitting two names: Chromecast (Google's streaming protocol) and DLNA (the open home-network standard). They overlap more than people think — and LocalCast treats them as equals, so you never have to commit.
Chromecast is built into ~50M Google devices and Chromecast-built-in TVs. DLNA lives in ~1B devices across Samsung, LG, Sony, PlayStation, Xbox, Sonos and virtually every NAS. For sheer reach, DLNA wins.
Chromecast "wins" by virtue of being the thing you already own. Open LocalCast, pick your Chromecast from the device list, done.
Skip buying a Chromecast. Your Samsung, LG, Sony or Hisense already speaks DLNA. LocalCast finds it automatically and streams directly.
LocalCast lists them side by side. Pick whichever plays a particular file better — Chromecast for YouTube-style video, DLNA for long-tail formats from your NAS.
They're effectively tied. Both protocols hand off a URL to the target device, so real-world speed depends on the target hardware, your Wi-Fi and the source file — not the protocol. If a particular file stutters, switching protocols rarely helps; transcoding does.
LocalCast speaks Chromecast and DLNA. Free on Android and iOS.