Local-first software, articulated by Ink & Switch, flips the cloud-first default: your data lives on your device. The network enables collaboration and backup — it doesn’t gatekeep access.

The seven ideals (Ink & Switch):

1. Fast — no network round-trip for reads/writes; everything is local
2. Multi-device — data syncs across your devices when connected
3. Offline — full functionality without a connection
4. Collaboration — real-time or async collaboration still possible
5. Longevity — the software works in 10 years even if the vendor is gone
6. Privacy — data doesn’t have to leave your device
7. User control — you own your data, you can export it, you can move

Why cloud-first became the default:

Collaboration and real-time sync are genuinely hard to implement locally. Cloud databases give you these for free. The cost is dependency — on uptime, on the vendor, on a connection.

The enabling technology:

CRDTs (Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types) are what make local-first sync practical. They allow independent edits on multiple devices to merge without a central authority deciding who wins.

Good fits for local-first:

• Note-taking, writing tools (Obsidian, Logseq)
• Creative tools (local asset storage with optional cloud)
• Developer tools (git is the original local-first system)

See also:

• CRDTs — Conflict-Free Replicated Data Types
• Data Ownership and Portability
• Barefoot Developer Philosophy