The Local-First Landscape
We're building xNet because we believe users should own their data. We're not alone — here are the projects pushing this vision forward, compared layer by layer. We encourage you to explore them all.
How to read this page. Projects are grouped by layer: some compete with xNet directly, others are building blocks it uses, or mature products it learns from. We maintain this comparison ourselves, so treat it as informed but opinionated. Status claims are footnoted with sources, and every section shows when it was last verified.
Spotted something stale or unfair? Edit the data on GitHub.
43
Projects compared
35
More acknowledged
5
Layers
Products you can use today
Last verified: June 2026End-user apps compared on ownership, offline, and collaboration. This is where the xNet App competes directly — from cloud-first workspaces to local-first knowledge tools.
| Project | Maturity | Local-first | Offline | Collab & comms | License | AI / agents | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| xNet App 1 2 3 | pre-release | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | P2P real-time + chat, presence & calls | MIT | xnet CLI + SKILL.md agent surface | Free |
| Notion | production | ✗ No | ◐ Partial 4 | Real-time (server), comments | Proprietary | Notion AI (cloud) | Freemium |
| Airtable | production | ✗ No | ✗ No | Real-time (server) | Proprietary | Airtable AI (cloud) | Freemium |
| Obsidian | production | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Paid sync; collab via plugins | Proprietary (free personal) | Community plugins / MCP | Free; paid sync |
| Anytype 6 | production | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Spaces (P2P network) | Source-available | Local AI agents (prototype) | Free; paid tiers |
| Logseq | production | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ◐ Partial 5 | AGPL-3.0 | Community plugins | Free |
| Joplin | production | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Shared notebooks (server) | AGPL-3.0 | Plugins | Free; paid cloud |
| AppFlowy | beta | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Real-time (cloud) | AGPL-3.0 | AI meeting notes; local models | Free; cloud plans |
| AFFiNE | beta | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | Real-time (Yjs cloud) | MIT (Community Edition) | Built-in AI workspace | Free; cloud plans |
xNet App 1 2 3 pre-release
- Local-first
- ✓ Yes
- Offline
- ✓ Yes
- Collab & comms
- P2P real-time + chat, presence & calls
- License
- MIT
- AI / agents
- xnet CLI + SKILL.md agent surface
- Pricing
- Free
- Best for
- A workspace you fully own — documents, databases, canvas, tasks, chat
- Rich text
- TipTap + Yjs
- Databases
- 15 property types, views
- Canvas
- Infinite canvas
- Plugins
- 4-layer system
- Data ownership
- Local, encrypted
- Platforms
- Desktop (Electron), Web; mobile in development
- Self-host
- P2P; optional Hub (backup, relay, search)
Notion production
- Local-first
- ✗ No
- Offline
- ◐ Partial 4
- Collab & comms
- Real-time (server), comments
- License
- Proprietary
- AI / agents
- Notion AI (cloud)
- Pricing
- Freemium
- Best for
- Team workspace with mature SaaS polish
- Rich text
- Block editor
- Databases
- Full (views, relations)
- Canvas
- No
- Plugins
- Integrations API
- Data ownership
- Cloud
- Platforms
- Desktop, Web, Mobile
- Self-host
- No
Airtable production
- Local-first
- ✗ No
- Offline
- ✗ No
- Collab & comms
- Real-time (server)
- License
- Proprietary
- AI / agents
- Airtable AI (cloud)
- Pricing
- Freemium
- Best for
- Relational tables and automations as SaaS
- Rich text
- Rich field type
- Databases
- Full (views, automations)
- Canvas
- Interfaces
- Plugins
- Extensions + scripts
- Data ownership
- Cloud
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile
- Self-host
- No
Obsidian production
- Local-first
- ✓ Yes
- Offline
- ✓ Yes
- Collab & comms
- Paid sync; collab via plugins
- License
- Proprietary (free personal)
- AI / agents
- Community plugins / MCP
- Pricing
- Free; paid sync
- Best for
- Personal knowledge on plain Markdown files
- Rich text
- Markdown
- Databases
- Bases (core, 1.9+)
- Canvas
- Canvas (core)
- Plugins
- Huge community ecosystem
- Data ownership
- Local files
- Platforms
- Desktop, Mobile
- Self-host
- Files on disk; sync optional
Anytype 6 production
- Local-first
- ✓ Yes
- Offline
- ✓ Yes
- Collab & comms
- Spaces (P2P network)
- License
- Source-available
- AI / agents
- Local AI agents (prototype)
- Pricing
- Free; paid tiers
- Best for
- Local-first personal knowledge base with typed objects
- Rich text
- Block editor
- Databases
- Relations + views
- Canvas
- Graph + canvas
- Plugins
- No
- Data ownership
- Local, E2EE, P2P
- Platforms
- Desktop, Web, Mobile
- Self-host
- Self-hosted nodes
Logseq production
- Local-first
- ✓ Yes
- Offline
- ✓ Yes
- Collab & comms
- ◐ Partial 5
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- AI / agents
- Community plugins
- Pricing
- Free
- Best for
- Open-source outliner PKM
- Rich text
- Outliner (Markdown / Org)
- Databases
- DB version (beta)
- Canvas
- Whiteboards
- Plugins
- Community plugins
- Data ownership
- Local files / local DB
- Platforms
- Desktop, Mobile
- Self-host
- Files on disk
Joplin production
- Local-first
- ✓ Yes
- Offline
- ✓ Yes
- Collab & comms
- Shared notebooks (server)
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- AI / agents
- Plugins
- Pricing
- Free; paid cloud
- Best for
- E2EE notes across every platform
- Rich text
- Markdown
- Databases
- No
- Canvas
- No
- Plugins
- Plugin ecosystem
- Data ownership
- Local + E2EE sync
- Platforms
- Desktop, Mobile, Terminal
- Self-host
- Joplin Server
AppFlowy beta
- Local-first
- ✓ Yes
- Offline
- ✓ Yes
- Collab & comms
- Real-time (cloud)
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- AI / agents
- AI meeting notes; local models
- Pricing
- Free; cloud plans
- Best for
- Open-source Notion alternative
- Rich text
- Block editor
- Databases
- Grid, board, calendar
- Canvas
- No
- Plugins
- Limited
- Data ownership
- Local + optional cloud
- Platforms
- Desktop, Mobile
- Self-host
- Full (AppFlowy Cloud)
AFFiNE beta
- Local-first
- ✓ Yes
- Offline
- ✓ Yes
- Collab & comms
- Real-time (Yjs cloud)
- License
- MIT (Community Edition)
- AI / agents
- Built-in AI workspace
- Pricing
- Free; cloud plans
- Best for
- Docs + whiteboard hybrid, open source
- Rich text
- BlockSuite editor
- Databases
- Table views
- Canvas
- Edgeless mode
- Plugins
- In development
- Data ownership
- Local + optional cloud
- Platforms
- Desktop, Web, Mobile
- Self-host
- Full
Worth knowing
Linear · Cloud issue tracker with a local-feeling sync engine Coda · Cloud docs + tables + automations Notesnook · Zero-knowledge E2EE notes; self-hostable sync Standard Notes · Audited E2EE notes (Proton) Outline · Open-source team wiki (server-based) Capacities · Object-based PKM studio Heptabase · Visual whiteboard knowledge base Tana · AI-native knowledge graph; API + MCP server Reflect · E2EE networked notes; MCP server Bear · Polished Mac/iOS Markdown notes (CloudKit E2EE) Craft · Polished document workspace Roam Research · Outliner pioneer, now low-velocity Twos · Lightweight notes, tasks & lists Evernote · Legacy notes baseline
- 1. xNet is pre-release; its rows reflect shipped behavior (see the roadmap), not future plans. source
- 2. Data is encrypted at rest with encryption-first authorization; end-to-end encrypted channels are on the roadmap. source
- 3. Plugin layers are first-party today; isolation for untrusted third-party plugins is still in development. source
- 4. Per-page opt-in offline shipped Aug 2025, with limits (e.g. database row caps). source
- 5. Logseq split into file-based and DB versions (May 2026); the DB version is in beta with real-time sync in alpha. source
- 6. Source-available under the Any Source Available License — not OSI open source. source
App frameworks
Last verified: June 2026What you'd build a local-first app with: schemas, stores, hooks, and sync in one package. xNet's SDK competes here. Convex and InstantDB are included as cloud-first baselines because framework buyers routinely weigh them against these tools.
| Project | Maturity | License | Sync topology | Conflict model | Identity / auth | AI / agents | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| xNet 1 | pre-release | MIT | P2P (WebRTC); optional Hub | Yjs + Lamport LWW | DID:key + UCAN 2 | xnet CLI + SKILL.md + files-first checkout | Full-stack local-first apps: typed data + rich text + canvas + comms |
| Jazz 3 | alpha | MIT | Sync server (Jazz Cloud or self-host) | CoJSON CRDTs (own engine) | Built-in (accounts, passkeys) | — | Greenfield TS apps wanting batteries-included sync + auth |
| Triplit 4 | production | AGPL-3.0 | Sync server (WebSocket) | LWW per-attribute | External (JWT) | — | Typed full-stack sync with relational queries |
| LiveStore | beta | Apache-2.0 | Event log; pluggable backends (Cloudflare, S2) | Event-log rebase | External | MCP server support (0.4) | Event-sourced client state with SQLite reactivity |
| DXOS 5 | beta | MIT | P2P (MESH) | Automerge (ECHO) | Built-in (HALO) | Composer AI workflows | P2P collaborative apps with built-in identity |
| Evolu | beta | MIT | Relay server (self-hostable) | CRDT (Evolu protocol) | Mnemonic-derived owner keys | — | E2EE personal-data apps on SQLite |
| RxDB | production | Apache-2.0 + premium plugins | Replication to many backends (CouchDB, GraphQL, Supabase, …) | Revision-based; custom handlers; CRDT plugin | External | — | Mature offline-first JS database with broad replication targets |
| TinyBase | production | MIT | MergeableStore sync; Yjs / Electric integrations | Mergeable store (CRDT) | External | — | Tiny reactive local store with optional CRDT sync |
| Fireproof | beta | MIT / Apache-2.0 | Encrypted live sync via gateways | Merkle CRDTs | Connector-based | AI-first docs; Vibes DIY builder | Drop-in embedded document DB for AI-generated apps |
| Convex 6 7 | production | FSL-Apache-2.0 | Server-authoritative reactive queries | Server authority (transactions) | Convex Auth / external | AI Agent component + MCP server | Reactive cloud backend with strong DX (not local-first) |
| InstantDB 6 | production | Apache-2.0 | Server-authoritative; offline cache | Server rebase (optimistic writes) | Built-in auth + permissions | "Backend for AI-coded apps"; hosted MCP server | Realtime relational backend with auth + presence |
xNet 1 pre-release
- License
- MIT
- Sync topology
- P2P (WebRTC); optional Hub
- Conflict model
- Yjs + Lamport LWW
- Identity / auth
- DID:key + UCAN 2
- AI / agents
- xnet CLI + SKILL.md + files-first checkout
- Best for
- Full-stack local-first apps: typed data + rich text + canvas + comms
- Schema
- TypeScript defineSchema()
- React hooks
- useQuery / useMutate / useNode
- Type safety
- Full inference
- Platforms
- Electron + Web; mobile in development
- Self-host
- No server required; optional Hub (backup, relay, search)
- Encryption
- Encrypted at rest; E2EE channels on roadmap
Jazz 3 alpha
- License
- MIT
- Sync topology
- Sync server (Jazz Cloud or self-host)
- Conflict model
- CoJSON CRDTs (own engine)
- Identity / auth
- Built-in (accounts, passkeys)
- AI / agents
- —
- Best for
- Greenfield TS apps wanting batteries-included sync + auth
- Schema
- CoValues (TypeScript)
- React hooks
- useCoState
- Type safety
- Full inference
- Platforms
- Web + React Native
- Self-host
- Self-host sync server; cloud scales to zero
- Encryption
- Built-in encryption
Triplit 4 production
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- Sync topology
- Sync server (WebSocket)
- Conflict model
- LWW per-attribute
- Identity / auth
- External (JWT)
- AI / agents
- —
- Best for
- Typed full-stack sync with relational queries
- Schema
- TypeScript
- React hooks
- useQuery
- Type safety
- Full inference
- Platforms
- Web + Mobile
- Self-host
- Self-host server
- Encryption
- Transport (TLS)
LiveStore beta
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Sync topology
- Event log; pluggable backends (Cloudflare, S2)
- Conflict model
- Event-log rebase
- Identity / auth
- External
- AI / agents
- MCP server support (0.4)
- Best for
- Event-sourced client state with SQLite reactivity
- Schema
- Schema-first SQLite tables
- React hooks
- useStore / useQuery (multi-store)
- Type safety
- Full inference (Effect)
- Platforms
- Web, Expo, Node
- Self-host
- Client-first; sync backend optional
- Encryption
- App-defined
DXOS 5 beta
- License
- MIT
- Sync topology
- P2P (MESH)
- Conflict model
- Automerge (ECHO)
- Identity / auth
- Built-in (HALO)
- AI / agents
- Composer AI workflows
- Best for
- P2P collaborative apps with built-in identity
- Schema
- TypeScript (ECHO)
- React hooks
- useQuery
- Type safety
- Full inference
- Platforms
- Web + Electron
- Self-host
- P2P; optional agent infra
- Encryption
- Encrypted P2P
Evolu beta
- License
- MIT
- Sync topology
- Relay server (self-hostable)
- Conflict model
- CRDT (Evolu protocol)
- Identity / auth
- Mnemonic-derived owner keys
- AI / agents
- —
- Best for
- E2EE personal-data apps on SQLite
- Schema
- Typed SQL
- React hooks
- useQuery / useEvolu
- Type safety
- Full inference
- Platforms
- Web, React Native, Electron
- Self-host
- Self-host relay
- Encryption
- E2EE sync
RxDB production
- License
- Apache-2.0 + premium plugins
- Sync topology
- Replication to many backends (CouchDB, GraphQL, Supabase, …)
- Conflict model
- Revision-based; custom handlers; CRDT plugin
- Identity / auth
- External
- AI / agents
- —
- Best for
- Mature offline-first JS database with broad replication targets
- Schema
- JSON Schema
- React hooks
- Observables; React bindings
- Type safety
- TypeScript types
- Platforms
- Browser, Node, RN, Capacitor, Electron
- Self-host
- Backend of your choice
- Encryption
- Encryption plugin (at rest)
TinyBase production
- License
- MIT
- Sync topology
- MergeableStore sync; Yjs / Electric integrations
- Conflict model
- Mergeable store (CRDT)
- Identity / auth
- External
- AI / agents
- —
- Best for
- Tiny reactive local store with optional CRDT sync
- Schema
- Tabular + key-value (optional schemas)
- React hooks
- useTable / useValue + more
- Type safety
- TypeScript
- Platforms
- Browser, Node, RN
- Self-host
- Optional WS sync server
- Encryption
- App-defined
Fireproof beta
- License
- MIT / Apache-2.0
- Sync topology
- Encrypted live sync via gateways
- Conflict model
- Merkle CRDTs
- Identity / auth
- Connector-based
- AI / agents
- AI-first docs; Vibes DIY builder
- Best for
- Drop-in embedded document DB for AI-generated apps
- Schema
- Schemaless JSON docs
- React hooks
- useLiveQuery / useDocument
- Type safety
- TypeScript
- Platforms
- Browser, Node, edge
- Self-host
- Self-host gateway
- Encryption
- Encrypted at rest + in sync
Convex 6 7 production
- License
- FSL-Apache-2.0
- Sync topology
- Server-authoritative reactive queries
- Conflict model
- Server authority (transactions)
- Identity / auth
- Convex Auth / external
- AI / agents
- AI Agent component + MCP server
- Best for
- Reactive cloud backend with strong DX (not local-first)
- Schema
- TypeScript
- React hooks
- useQuery
- Type safety
- Full inference
- Platforms
- Web, React Native
- Self-host
- Self-host (Docker)
- Encryption
- Cloud at-rest / TLS
InstantDB 6 production
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Sync topology
- Server-authoritative; offline cache
- Conflict model
- Server rebase (optimistic writes)
- Identity / auth
- Built-in auth + permissions
- AI / agents
- "Backend for AI-coded apps"; hosted MCP server
- Best for
- Realtime relational backend with auth + presence
- Schema
- Schema-as-code
- React hooks
- useQuery (InstaQL)
- Type safety
- TypeScript
- Platforms
- Web, React Native
- Self-host
- Possible (open source)
- Encryption
- Cloud TLS
Worth knowing
- 1. xNet is pre-release; rows reflect shipped behavior, not roadmap. source
- 2. UCAN is community-stewarded since Fission, its original steward, wound down in 2024. source
- 3. Jazz skipped 1.0: v2 (alpha) introduces a new API — partial table sync, durable streams, files. source
- 4. Triplit 1.0 shipped Mar 2025; release velocity has slowed since. source
- 5. DXOS's flagship app Composer is explicitly not production-ready. source
- 6. Included as a cloud-first baseline: server-authoritative rather than local-first, but commonly evaluated alongside these frameworks.
- 7. FSL-Apache-2.0: source-available, converts to Apache-2.0 after two years; self-hostable via Docker since Feb 2025. source
Sync engines & embedded databases
Last verified: June 2026Engines that sync an existing database or backend into clients. xNet doesn't compete here — it brings its own store — but if you already have Postgres or SQLite, these are the tools to evaluate.
| Project | Maturity | License | Source of truth | Offline writes | Conflict model | AI / agents | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero 1 | production | Apache-2.0 | Postgres | ◐ Partial 2 | Server rebase (custom mutators) | — | Instant UI over an existing Postgres |
| Electric 4 | production | Apache-2.0 (Electric Sync) | Postgres (CDC, read-path) | ✗ No 3 | Server authority (your write API) | Electric Agents + Durable Streams | Streaming Postgres data into apps and agents |
| PowerSync | production | FSL-1.1 service / Apache-2.0 SDKs | Postgres, MongoDB, MySQL, SQL Server | ✓ Yes | Upload queue applied by your backend | — | Keeping in-app SQLite synced with existing databases |
| TanStack DB | beta | MIT | Pluggable collections (Electric, PowerSync, REST, …) | ✓ Yes 5 | Optimistic mutations; backend-defined | — | Reactive client store — the front door to several sync engines |
| Turso | production | MIT (database) + cloud service | SQLite (embedded replicas) | ◐ Partial 6 | Sync protocol (server primary) | Official MCP server | SQLite everywhere with embedded replicas and cloud sync |
| Ditto | production | Proprietary | Ditto mesh (CRDT store) | ✓ Yes | CRDTs | — | Offline mesh sync across BLE / LAN / cloud at the edge |
| Replicache 7 | maintenance | Open source (free) | Your backend (push/pull endpoints) | ✓ Yes | Server rebase of mutations | — | Proven sync pattern for existing backends (legacy choice) |
Zero 1 production
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Source of truth
- Postgres
- Offline writes
- ◐ Partial 2
- Conflict model
- Server rebase (custom mutators)
- AI / agents
- —
- Best for
- Instant UI over an existing Postgres
- Platforms / SDKs
- Web (React, others emerging)
- Hosting
- Self-host (Docker) or your infra
Electric 4 production
- License
- Apache-2.0 (Electric Sync)
- Source of truth
- Postgres (CDC, read-path)
- Offline writes
- ✗ No 3
- Conflict model
- Server authority (your write API)
- AI / agents
- Electric Agents + Durable Streams
- Best for
- Streaming Postgres data into apps and agents
- Platforms / SDKs
- Any HTTP client; TanStack DB collection
- Hosting
- Self-host or Electric Cloud
PowerSync production
- License
- FSL-1.1 service / Apache-2.0 SDKs
- Source of truth
- Postgres, MongoDB, MySQL, SQL Server
- Offline writes
- ✓ Yes
- Conflict model
- Upload queue applied by your backend
- AI / agents
- —
- Best for
- Keeping in-app SQLite synced with existing databases
- Platforms / SDKs
- Flutter, RN, web, Kotlin, Swift, .NET
- Hosting
- Cloud or self-host
TanStack DB beta
- License
- MIT
- Source of truth
- Pluggable collections (Electric, PowerSync, REST, …)
- Offline writes
- ✓ Yes 5
- Conflict model
- Optimistic mutations; backend-defined
- AI / agents
- —
- Best for
- Reactive client store — the front door to several sync engines
- Platforms / SDKs
- Web (framework-agnostic; React bindings)
- Hosting
- n/a (client library)
Turso production
- License
- MIT (database) + cloud service
- Source of truth
- SQLite (embedded replicas)
- Offline writes
- ◐ Partial 6
- Conflict model
- Sync protocol (server primary)
- AI / agents
- Official MCP server
- Best for
- SQLite everywhere with embedded replicas and cloud sync
- Platforms / SDKs
- Rust core; JS, Rust, Go, Python SDKs
- Hosting
- Turso Cloud; embedded
Ditto production
- License
- Proprietary
- Source of truth
- Ditto mesh (CRDT store)
- Offline writes
- ✓ Yes
- Conflict model
- CRDTs
- AI / agents
- —
- Best for
- Offline mesh sync across BLE / LAN / cloud at the edge
- Platforms / SDKs
- iOS, Android, RN, Flutter, .NET, JS
- Hosting
- Cloud (Big Peer); on-prem
Replicache 7 maintenance
- License
- Open source (free)
- Source of truth
- Your backend (push/pull endpoints)
- Offline writes
- ✓ Yes
- Conflict model
- Server rebase of mutations
- AI / agents
- —
- Best for
- Proven sync pattern for existing backends (legacy choice)
- Platforms / SDKs
- Web
- Hosting
- Your infra
Worth knowing
SQLite-Sync · CRDT extension for plain SQLite; agent-memory sync (Elastic 2.0) Dexie Cloud · Commercial sync for Dexie.js / IndexedDB Graft · Page-level lazy replication; SQLite VFS (SQLSync successor) CR-SQLite · CRDT extension making SQLite databases mergeable Cloudflare Agents · Durable Objects realtime + per-agent SQLite (PartyKit lineage)
- 1. Zero 1.0 — Rocicorp's first stable release — announced June 2026. source
- 2. Zero serves synced queries from a local cache with optimistic writes; full offline-first operation is not its design target. source
- 3. Electric Sync is read-path replication; writes go through your own API (documented write patterns). source
- 4. ElectricSQL repositioned as "the agent platform built on sync" (Electric Agents, Durable Streams); Electric Sync remains the Apache-2.0 Postgres sync engine. source
- 5. Persistence and offline support landed in TanStack DB 0.6 (Mar 2026). source
- 6. Offline writes are in beta. source
- 7. Maintenance mode: free and open-sourced, no new features; Rocicorp recommends Zero for new projects. source
CRDT & collaboration substrates
Last verified: June 2026CRDT libraries and collaboration infrastructure — building blocks rather than competitors. Most app frameworks above (including xNet) are built on one of these.
xNet uses Yjs for rich text and collaborative state, paired with its own Lamport-clock LWW layer for structured data.
| Project | Maturity | Kind | License | Data types | Network story | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yjs | production | CRDT library | MIT | Text, maps, arrays, XML | Network-agnostic providers (WebRTC, WS) | The default CRDT for collaborative editors (used by xNet) |
| Automerge 1 | production | CRDT library | MIT | JSON-like docs + text | automerge-repo (WS, BroadcastChannel) | Versioned local-first documents |
| Loro | production | CRDT library (Rust + WASM) | MIT | Rich text, movable trees, counters | Network-agnostic | High-performance CRDTs with time travel |
| Y-Sweet | production | Yjs sync server | MIT | Yjs documents | WebSocket; S3-backed persistence | Drop-in hosted or self-hosted Yjs backend |
| Liveblocks | production | Collaboration SaaS | Proprietary | Presence, storage, comments, text editors | Managed cloud | Adding multiplayer + AI copilots to SaaS apps |
| Fluid Framework | production | Shared data structures + service | MIT | Distributed data structures (SharedTree) | Azure Fluid Relay / self-host | Microsoft-ecosystem realtime collaboration |
Yjs production
- Kind
- CRDT library
- License
- MIT
- Data types
- Text, maps, arrays, XML
- Network story
- Network-agnostic providers (WebRTC, WS)
- Best for
- The default CRDT for collaborative editors (used by xNet)
Automerge 1 production
- Kind
- CRDT library
- License
- MIT
- Data types
- JSON-like docs + text
- Network story
- automerge-repo (WS, BroadcastChannel)
- Best for
- Versioned local-first documents
Loro production
- Kind
- CRDT library (Rust + WASM)
- License
- MIT
- Data types
- Rich text, movable trees, counters
- Network story
- Network-agnostic
- Best for
- High-performance CRDTs with time travel
Y-Sweet production
- Kind
- Yjs sync server
- License
- MIT
- Data types
- Yjs documents
- Network story
- WebSocket; S3-backed persistence
- Best for
- Drop-in hosted or self-hosted Yjs backend
Liveblocks production
- Kind
- Collaboration SaaS
- License
- Proprietary
- Data types
- Presence, storage, comments, text editors
- Network story
- Managed cloud
- Best for
- Adding multiplayer + AI copilots to SaaS apps
Fluid Framework production
- Kind
- Shared data structures + service
- License
- MIT
- Data types
- Distributed data structures (SharedTree)
- Network story
- Azure Fluid Relay / self-host
- Best for
- Microsoft-ecosystem realtime collaboration
Worth knowing
- 1. Automerge 3.0 (Jul 2025) cut memory use roughly 10x, making long-history documents practical. source
Protocols & P2P primitives
Last verified: June 2026Identity, transport, and federation primitives — the broader decentralized-data ecosystem. These are potential transports, identity systems, and federation peers rather than competitors.
xNet sits at the application layer: WebRTC for transport and DID:key + UCAN for identity.
| Project | Maturity | Scope | Data model | Sync | Identity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AT Protocol | production | Social protocol | Signed repos (Lexicons) | Federated relays | DID:plc | Bluesky-style social apps |
| Nostr | production | Event protocol | Signed JSON events | Relays (WebSocket) | secp256k1 keys | Censorship-resistant social + payments |
| ActivityPub | production | Federation protocol | ActivityStreams (JSON-LD) | Server-to-server federation | HTTPS actors | Fediverse interop (Mastodon et al.) |
| Matrix | production | Comms protocol | Event DAG per room | Federated homeservers | MXIDs + cross-signing | Decentralized E2EE chat |
| Hypercore / Pear | production | P2P runtime | Append-only logs | P2P (DHT) | Public keys | P2P apps + streaming |
| Iroh 1 | beta | Networking library | Content-addressed blobs | P2P (QUIC, hole-punching) | Public keys | Reliable direct connections between devices |
| libp2p | production | P2P networking stack | Transport-agnostic streams | Pubsub, DHT | Peer IDs (keys) | Composable P2P transports (IPFS, Ethereum) |
| IPFS | production | Content addressing | Merkle DAGs (CIDs) | DHT + gateways | Peer keys / CIDs | Content-addressed distribution |
| Willow | alpha | Sync protocol spec | 3D namespace (paths × authors × time) | Range-based reconciliation | Meadowcap capabilities | Fine-grained partial sync + capabilities |
| Holochain | beta | Agent framework | Agent chains + DHT | DHT gossip + validation | Agent keys | Agent-centric distributed apps |
AT Protocol production
- Scope
- Social protocol
- Data model
- Signed repos (Lexicons)
- Sync
- Federated relays
- Identity
- DID:plc
- Best for
- Bluesky-style social apps
Nostr production
- Scope
- Event protocol
- Data model
- Signed JSON events
- Sync
- Relays (WebSocket)
- Identity
- secp256k1 keys
- Best for
- Censorship-resistant social + payments
ActivityPub production
- Scope
- Federation protocol
- Data model
- ActivityStreams (JSON-LD)
- Sync
- Server-to-server federation
- Identity
- HTTPS actors
- Best for
- Fediverse interop (Mastodon et al.)
Matrix production
- Scope
- Comms protocol
- Data model
- Event DAG per room
- Sync
- Federated homeservers
- Identity
- MXIDs + cross-signing
- Best for
- Decentralized E2EE chat
Hypercore / Pear production
- Scope
- P2P runtime
- Data model
- Append-only logs
- Sync
- P2P (DHT)
- Identity
- Public keys
- Best for
- P2P apps + streaming
Iroh 1 beta
- Scope
- Networking library
- Data model
- Content-addressed blobs
- Sync
- P2P (QUIC, hole-punching)
- Identity
- Public keys
- Best for
- Reliable direct connections between devices
libp2p production
- Scope
- P2P networking stack
- Data model
- Transport-agnostic streams
- Sync
- Pubsub, DHT
- Identity
- Peer IDs (keys)
- Best for
- Composable P2P transports (IPFS, Ethereum)
IPFS production
- Scope
- Content addressing
- Data model
- Merkle DAGs (CIDs)
- Sync
- DHT + gateways
- Identity
- Peer keys / CIDs
- Best for
- Content-addressed distribution
Willow alpha
- Scope
- Sync protocol spec
- Data model
- 3D namespace (paths × authors × time)
- Sync
- Range-based reconciliation
- Identity
- Meadowcap capabilities
- Best for
- Fine-grained partial sync + capabilities
Holochain beta
- Scope
- Agent framework
- Data model
- Agent chains + DHT
- Sync
- DHT gossip + validation
- Identity
- Agent keys
- Best for
- Agent-centric distributed apps
Worth knowing
p2panda · Rust toolkit for encrypted group P2P apps Solid · RDF data pods (WebID) Earthstar · Private offline-first databases (Willow-aligned) OrbitDB · P2P database over IPFS Secure Scuttlebutt · Historic P2P social protocol GunDB · Realtime decentralized graph database Ceramic · Web3 identity / data network Farcaster · Crypto-native social protocol
- 1. 1.0 release candidates published; the final 1.0 was not yet confirmed at the time of writing. source
What are you trying to do?
A quick orientation. Every path below is a good choice for its job — including the ones that aren't xNet.
Use a product today
- Personal knowledge
- Obsidian, Logseq, Anytype — or the xNet App for typed nodes + canvas + databases + chat
- Team workspace
- Notion, Airtable — or xNet if ownership matters more than SaaS maturity
- E2EE notes right now
- Joplin, Notesnook, Standard Notes
Build an app
- Existing Postgres / SQL backend
- Zero, Electric Sync, PowerSync — often via TanStack DB
- Greenfield TypeScript local-first
- xNet, Jazz, LiveStore, Evolu
- AI agents / AI-coded apps
- Electric Agents, InstantDB, Convex — or xNet for agent-readable, user-owned workspaces
Need a primitive
- Collaborative documents
- Yjs, Loro, Automerge
- P2P transport / content addressing
- Iroh, libp2p, Hypercore, IPFS
- Federated social
- AT Protocol, ActivityPub, Nostr
When the alternatives are the better choice
xNet is pre-release software combining several layers that are usually separate. If your need matches one of these, pick the specialist.
Mature SaaS workspace with enterprise support
Notion, Airtable, Linear
Incremental sync onto an existing Postgres app
Zero, Electric Sync, PowerSync
Agent infrastructure at cloud scale
Electric Agents, Cloudflare Agents, Convex
Offline mesh across BLE / LAN in production
Ditto
Just a rich-text CRDT
Yjs, Loro, Automerge
E2EE standalone notes, today, on every device
Joplin, Notesnook, Standard Notes
Federated social protocol
AT Protocol, ActivityPub, Nostr
Where xNet Fits
xNet combines TypeScript-inferred schemas, a dual CRDT strategy (Yjs for rich text + Lamport LWW for structured data), React hooks, P2P sync with an optional Hub, and an agent surface (xnet CLI + SKILL.md) — plus an app you can live in: documents, databases, canvas, tasks, chat, and calls.
Building a React app?
Want local-first with minimal boilerplate? Start here.
Need a social protocol?
Check out AT Protocol or
Nostr.