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por Kronux Team local-first

Local-First Software: Privacy and Control in Your Hands

Most software today assumes the cloud. Your data syncs to a server. You need an account. “Sign in to continue.” For many apps, that’s convenient. For productivity tools that handle your schedule, activity, and work patterns, it’s a tradeoff worth questioning.

What Local-First Means

Local-first software stores and processes data on your device. No required cloud sync. No account to create. Your files, your database, your history—all on your Mac. You can back it up, export it, move it. It’s yours.

Why It Matters for Productivity Tools

Productivity apps see a lot: what you work on, when, for how long. Time trackers log app names and sometimes window titles. Calendar apps know your meetings. Note apps hold your thoughts. That data is sensitive. Putting it in the cloud means:

  • Third-party access — Terms of service, analytics, “product improvement”
  • Breach risk — Servers get hacked. Local data doesn’t.
  • Vendor lock-in — Leaving means exporting, if they allow it, and hoping the format is usable.

Local-first avoids all of that. Your data never leaves your machine unless you choose to export or sync.

The Tradeoffs

Local-first means no automatic cross-device sync (unless you set it up yourself). No team dashboards that rely on a central server. No “access from anywhere” without extra steps. For solo use, freelancers, and anyone who values privacy, those tradeoffs are often acceptable.

AI and Local-First

AI features often rely on cloud APIs. But local AI—via Ollama, Apple ML, or similar—runs models on your Mac. Your data stays put. Classification, suggestions, and analysis happen on-device. No API calls, no uploads. It’s the only way to get AI features without sacrificing local-first principles.

Finding Local-First Tools

Look for apps that:

  • Store data in standard formats (SQLite, JSON, plain files)
  • Don’t require accounts
  • Offer local AI or optional cloud features
  • Are transparent about where data lives

For time tracking, Kronux is built local-first: your logs, your database, and the AI model all run on your Mac. No cloud, no accounts, no uploads.