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.
Replies
Product Hunt
I have a strong preference for local apps! Whenever there's a tool that I use regularly, I find that opting for the app enhances my overall experience compared to using the browser version. I believe that having dedicated apps can improve functionality and convenience, which is why I always opt for them when available.
@juan That's basically my position, too. I just happen to see that younger or less experienced users not only prefer web apps, they're often not used to the concept of native apps at all. And to be honest, that's not surprising, considering their first computer was most likely a smartphone. And given the complexity to get the IT department of their employer to allow installing an unknown app on their computer.
I think local apps still have their place for performance-critical tools like Cursor or when security is paramount. In my niche, competitors offer desktop versions mainly for security reasons, but it's definitely a secondary offering (not their lead product).
As both a user and maker, I've found web apps are the priority while desktop versions serve specific needs that browsers can't handle as well. The web-first approach just makes more sense for most situations these days I guess
@jean_willame I‘ve thought a lot about that hybrid approach, in the end it seemed too complex for me as a solo dev. I followed the story of Insomnia (API client) in specific detail for this. For a use case where large data sets are involved and network functions are needed as well, this will be the way to go.
The stakeholders and controllers in my day job loathe SAAS models. They are old school and want to buy it once and/or pay for upgrades as needed. As a bonus, your work doesn't come to a screeching halt with desktop apps if your ISP has a hiccup.
These days, local is a great USP!
@logan_eason That’s interesting. I‘ve often heard quite the opposite: controllers love SaaS as the TCO is lower than for desktop apps. May I ask what industry your day job is in?
Great observation, actually this is happening for long time since the advent of SaaS. One time license fee was replaced by monthly fee. There are counter movements like ONCE by Jason Fried.
Web apps are fastest to iterate, compared to mobile and desktop native apps. You can give option for PWA (Progressive Web Apps). They can be installed like native apps, I use Typefully and Youtube music like this as I use them everyday.
Talking about the choice, I would prefer native apps if I use them everyday. For me Code editors, Obsidian, Todoist, Scrivener.
i think there's still a space for local apps, but their purpose will evolve. Maybe we'll see them cater more to privacy-focused users or for industries where performance and offline functionality are crucial.
@thamiziniyan_supa That‘s just my observation, too. And while Gen Z may be small, at least when it comes to B2B apps, rather sooner than later, they will be the ones who count.
Check out https://www.producthunt.com/posts/preswald-2 - its browser based but uses pyodide so it runs locally rather than in a remote runtime. I think there's certainly a push for running things locally
https://www.producthunt.com/posts/preswald-2 @amrutha____ thank you, will look into it in more detail later.
Did users ask you about privacy? For a browser-based local app, I‘ve got asked about it as soon as they learned it‘ll run in the browser, even if you could use it without an internet connection at all.
Preswald
https://www.producthunt.com/posts/preswald-2 @amrutha____ @stefanfis They did! Users can also use the OSS fully locally (without the browser).
Not at all! While the world is browser-first and AI-powered local apps still offer unmatched performance, privacy and offline access. Think of apps like Notion, Slack or Photoshop they thrive locally too. If your users benefit from faster processing, data security or offline functionality a local app makes total sense.
Jupitrr
I actually really like local apps. They give me a stronger sense of control, and performance wise, they rely on my machine... and less on the server or internet connection. That kind of speed and reliability still matters to me.
CoLaunchly
Great question. As a user, I still install native apps, but only when they clearly offer a better experience than a browser can. Tools like VS Code or Raycast come to mind. But the convenience of web apps has definitely raised the bar.
From a builder's point of view, I think there's still a place for native desktop software. It makes the most sense for tools that need deep OS integration, offline access, or high performance. That said, getting users to download and trust a local app is much harder today. Security prompts, app store gatekeeping, and the lack of discoverability can make it a tough sell.
Still, for the right kind of product and audience, native apps can stand out. Power users, devs, and privacy-focused folks still care about performance and ownership. It's probably a smaller market now, but it's also one that values quality and tends to stick around.
Great question, and I'm wondering the same. While I personally am comfortable with using web apps for most things (ideally they are offline first), there are benefits to native apps that were already pointed out, including performance, native feel and integration.
I think there is also another aspect, slightly orthogonal to native vs web, which is the operational cost: Building a native, offline app which doesn't require any online infrastructure is appealing for non-subscription based offerings. This is the route I went with https://www.producthunt.com/products/motoflow#motoflow as well: The idea was to provide it as a one time purchase to unlock everything and having a great integration with the Apple ecosystem. Both led me to building native apps for the different devices (Mac, Watch, iPhone). In this case, the iPhone app would have been an unlikely candidate for going the web route (maybe possible via progressive web apps, not 100% sure though), but the Mac app could as well have been an online service, SaaS. Instead I rely on iCloud for data sync between devices and users do not even have to create an account for my app (other than their existing Apple ID that is).
I personally try to avoid more and more subscriptions, and I have some hope that other makers will also join the movement of providing more one time purchase apps again, especially when there isn't any running operational cost. When it comes to AI features, there are already the new patterns of pay-by-usage emerging, instead of trying to cover it with recurring subscription payments alone.
So, I think the monetization and potential desire for one-time-purchase software can be very related to native vs web as well, at least in some cases, and I think they will at least be niche markets for the native apps still.