Is It Crazy to Build a Local App in a Browser-First, AI-Driven World?

Every day, the PH feed is packed with shiny new SaaS tools—most of them browser-based, many of them AI-infused. It’s exciting, no doubt. But compared to a time not so long ago, something seems missing: local desktop apps.

They’re rare now, and it makes me wonder—are native apps still worth building, or have they quietly slipped into the realm of nostalgia?

After all, web apps offer clear benefits for both users and makers or investors. Users don’t have to install anything, updates are seamless, and their data is accessible from any device with a browser. For investors, the advantages are just as compelling: a single tech stack, easier user onboarding, lock-in effects, and plenty of levers for driving growth and virality.

And yet, here on Product Hunt, the occasional local app still gets a warm reception. Which raises a question I keep thinking about:

Do local apps—especially those built by small indie teams—still have a future as a business model?

Or are we looking at a future where native desktop software becomes a niche product for power users, tinkerers, or the privacy-obsessed?

Will your average user five years from now even know how to install an app that isn’t from an app store?

Will they be willing to download something from a website, bypass macOS or Windows warnings, and double-click their way through security prompts just to launch a tool?

As a user, do you still install and use local apps?

As a maker, do you think there’s still room for building native desktop software, or are we witnessing the slow extinction of a once-dominant category?

Would love to hear your perspective.