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Local-first software (2019)

(www.inkandswitch.com)
863 points gasull | 1 comments | 05 Jul 25 14:45 UTC | HN request time: 0.303s | source
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ciju ◴[06 Jul 25 08:07 UTC] No.44478760[source]▶
We have been building a local-first browser app (PWA) for personal finance, based on double-entry accounting. https://finbodhi.com/

We do use online services like firebase for auth, and some service to fetch commodity prices etc, but rest of the data is stored in browser storage (sqlite) and backed to local disk (and soon dropbox). We also syncs data across devices, always encrypting data in transit.

I think it's the way to go, for most personal data applications.

replies(1): >>44481510 #
mirkodrummer ◴[06 Jul 25 15:23 UTC] No.44481510[source]▶
Try demo doesn't work on my iphone, it keeps spinning forever. Plus please take into consideration of removing the friction via signup, if it's real local first you don't need accounts in the cloud
replies(1): >>44487217 #
1. ciju ◴[07 Jul 25 06:05 UTC] No.44487217[source]▶
It might be that you’re trying it in Safari’s private mode. It works in regular mode, but private mode blocks storage, so the app can’t function there. We should improve the error message to make that clearer.

That said, the app is currently designed for desktop use—mobile UX is still on our roadmap.

As for signup: it helps us track and bill users. Building our own auth system for local-first would’ve been a full project on its own. Until better options exist for authorization and billing in local-first apps, we’ll stick with a cloud signup flow.