Developer interest in local-first software is continuing to grow rapidly in 2024. At the same time, it’s also apparent that developers currently have different views on what they consider to be ‘local-first software’, ranging from narrower to broader definitions. This prompted us to take a closer look at the origins and evolution of local-first.
LocalFirst: You Keep Using That Word
If you’ve been following the local-first scene over the past few years, you already know a good definition for the term “local-first” is hard to pin down. Part of the reason is that most people write software for money … and true local-first software is harder to capitalize. “Local-first” is a direct attack on vendor lock-in of all forms: data, formats, protocols, apps, services, and even environments. But the fact your employer can’t exploit this technology with a new revenue model (yet) is a minor problem.
Local-first software: pragmatism vs idealism
What is Local-first Software?
A look at local-first software, the idea that you can have the collaboration of cloud apps while still fully owning your data.
Local-First Software Unconference · Luma
On Sat September 23, 2023, immediately following the Strange Loop conference, we are holding a community event for everybody interested in local-first software…
Local-first software: You own your data, in spite of the cloud
A new generation of collaborative software that allows users to retain ownership of their data.
Local-first software: You own your data, in spite of the cloud
A new generation of collaborative software that allows users to retain ownership of their data.
Local-first software: You own your data, in spite of the cloud
A new generation of collaborative software that allows users to retain ownership of their data.
Local-first software: You own your data, in spite of the cloud
A new generation of collaborative software that allows users to retain ownership of their data.
The Architecture Of Local-First Web Development — Smashing Magazine
An honest perspective on building local-first web apps in 2026, written for developers who’ve been doing this long enough to be skeptical of silver bullets.
Local-first Software
Exploring software architecture that returns data to users and enables collaboration in every tool.
Local-First Software: Taking Back Control of Our Data | a mini-doc
Local-first software: you own your data, in spite of the cloud
Local-first software: you own your data, in spite of the cloud Kleppmann et al., Onward! ’19 Watch out! If you start reading this paper you could be lost for hours following all the interesti…
A Local-First Case Study | jakelazaroff.com
How I built a local-first app for planning trips, and what I learned about the current state of the local-first ecosystem along the way.
