Front-ends are a lot easier to write when your database handles live sync for you, but the existing solutions rely on heavyweight cloud APIs instead of putting the smarts at the edge, where it belongs. I started from a different set of constraints, and arrived at a lightweight embedded database that uses a git-like data model to offer cryptographic causal consistency across browsers, edge functions, and anywhere TypeScript runs.
It’s designed to make building full-featured apps as simple as calling `db.put({ hello: "world" })` and syncing them as easy as calling `connect(db, remote)`. People are using Fireproof for AI character chat[1], personal finance[2], and hedge funds[3], and we aim to be simple enough for novice coders to build enterprise-critical apps. Fireproof makes product owners dangerous, because just a little bit of code can define an application’s workflow and data model. See the code sample below.
The reactive APIs[4] are designed for live collaboration so your user interfaces update automatically, making it an easy way to add query collaboration to legacy dashboards, or write new interactive tools for your team. Merkle CRDTs[5] provide multi-writer safety while maintaining tamperproof data provenance, conflict tracking, and deterministic merges. The storage engine writes content-addressed encrypted files that can be synced via commodity backends like S3 or Cloudflare[], without sacrificing data integrity.
Our contributors include legends like Damien Katz, Meno Abels, Mikeal Rogers, and Alan Shaw. Fireproof is open source (Apache/MIT) and we know there are rough edges, so we hope this post stirs up collaborators![6] Please `npm install @fireproof/core` and give us feedback[7]. We are on the stable side of beta, so it’s a great time for the adventurous to join. I’m excited to see all the apps people write now that it’s easy!
[1] https://github.com/fireproof-storage/catbot/tree/main
[2] https://fireproof.storage/posts/quickcheck:-print-checks-at-...
[3] https://fireproof.storage/posts/contributor-spotlight:-danie...
[4] https://use-fireproof.com/docs/react-tutorial
[5] https://fireproof.storage/posts/remote-access-crdt-wrapped-m...
We'll be doing a drum machine bike ride in Atlanta in December. Ping me on discord if you want to join.