Local-first: One step backwards, two steps forwards

While the whole world is captivated by AI, another revolution is quietly taking place in the software world: local-first software. This new paradigm puts your device – instead of the cloud – back at the center. But what does this mean exactly, and why is local-first the next logical step in software development?

The future, built on the past

What is local-first? To understand this, we first need to go back in time a bit. In the early days of software, everything was on a single device. If you didn’t have an internet connection, you could still open and edit your files. But if your hard drive crashed or your laptop was stolen, you lost everything.

The cloud was the solution. By storing data in large data centers, everything becomes accessible from any device with internet, and backups can be made automatically. A huge improvement for the user experience. For developers, however, the cloud brings and the isn’t exactly appealing either.

Furthermore, a stable internet connection is necessary to use cloud-based software. Everyone knows it – “Sorry, I can’t play this right now because your internet connection dropped for a second”. These kinds of problems painfully highlight the limitations of cloud-only solutions, not to mention the .

Local-first software offers an alternative here. It combines the advantages of local storage with the power of cloud synchronization. Data is stored locally, allowing you to work even without an internet connection. In the background, the software synchronizes with the server and makes backups as soon as a stable internet connection is available. This not only provides a better user experience but can also significantly improve the .

The term local-first was coined by the research lab Ink & Switch, who provide a more detailed explanation of this new paradigm in this article.

Ahead of its time?

While some already use local-first principles, most are still cloud-first. Is this because the status quo is hard to break, because Product Managers don’t yet see the value, or because the average team doesn’t have to realize this? Because one of the key tools enabling local-first, sync engines - which synchronize data from your device with others - are not yet at a point where they are easily deployable everywhere. Nevertheless, it’s already worthwhile to keep an eye on sync. There are many promising engines that, even though you have to jump through a few extra hurdles (such as, write-path sync, data-conflicts, rollbacks, and persistence), are already very cool to use.

Already the future?

Local-first is not just a step back to local software, but a smart balance between the benefits of data on your device and the cloud. It offers speed, privacy, and a very pleasant DX. Although the ecosystem is still emerging, the benefits of building with local-first tech are already noticeable, and learning about it is a good investment for the future. We are definitely keeping an eye on all developments!

Want to collaborate on a local-first solution? Get in touch!