Cloud-first note apps are convenient until they aren't: a price hike, a shutdown, an outage, or an export format that loses your structure. Local-first apps flip the model. Your notes live on your device as open formats — usually Markdown — and sync is a layer you choose, not a service you're locked into.
The practical benefits are real. Full-text search is instant even offline. You can back up with any tool, version with git, and edit with any editor. If the app disappears tomorrow, your notes are still plain text files you can open in 20 years.
The trade-off is setup friction: choosing a sync solution (iCloud, Syncthing, a git repo) and handling conflicts. For many people, that trade is worth it. Tools like Obsidian, Logseq, and Zettlr prove that local-first no longer means primitive.
If you want to compare local-first options, filter our directory by platform and look for the Markdown and offline features tags.