When a tool can run locally in the browser, you skip the awkward middle step of uploading a file to a stranger’s server, waiting for a queue, then downloading the result. Edits feel immediate. Failures are easier to inspect. And the privacy story is simpler: drafts stay on the device unless a feature explicitly needs the network.
What “browser-first” means here
- Prefer Web APIs, WASM, and client libraries over a remote worker
- Use the server for hosting, auth, and the few jobs that truly need it
- Say clearly when something leaves the tab (CDN runtimes, mail, OAuth)
Heavy media suites still use ffmpeg and friends on the VPS when that is the honest way to get quality and speed. Everything else tries to stay local first.
Trade-offs we accept
First loads can be chunky when a WASM runtime downloads. Mobile CPUs are slower than a beefy server. Those are real costs — and worth it when the alternative is shipping your spreadsheet, PDF, or source snippet off-device for a one-off transform.