Rethinking SaaS Architecture

Since the earliest days of web applications, most have followed the client-server architecture. The first web applications in the 1990s, such as Viaweb, used the browser as a client, with all logic handled on the server. Even decades later, the fundamental architecture remains largely unchanged in most SaaS products.

Today, the web platform has changed tremendously. Modern browsers provide compute capabilities, persistent local storage, rich user interface, and even low-level cryptographic primitives. Put together, the browser is no longer just a rendering component. It’s an operating environment.

And yet, most SaaS applications are still built around a remote backend, with the browser as a terminal. Of course, some problem domains call for a client-server architecture. Still, it’s worth questioning whether that architecture is always necessary, especially given how much the web platform has evolved.

We’re Going Local-First

After multiple prototypes, iterations, and time spent thinking about user trust, we decided to build our product in a way that doesn’t require a remote server or account registration. Your data stays on your device, and by design, not even we can see it. That’s a physical constraint, not just a policy. Cloud features like sync, collaboration, and third-party integrations will be optional.

This isn’t about claiming to be “more secure” — that’s a nuanced topic. For us, it’s about aligning the architecture with our values around user privacy. The less we store in our infrastructure, the better.

Cloud Only When You Want It

There are valid reasons to connect to the cloud. If you want to sync your workspace across devices, work as a team, or enable third-party integrations, we support those features. But we won’t force that choice as a requirement for using the product.

This isn’t a rejection of the server. There is at least one that delivers the application code to the browser. We chose local-first because it made sense for our goals. The web finally lets us build the local-first vision without compromise.

What’s Next

We’re currently rebuilding the product with this local-first architecture. It’s not available yet, but stay tuned. We’ll share updates as we get closer to launch.