Why Holochain?¶
Building with Holochain means you can design completely serverless applications that run on the devices of the users themselves. You get the performance and integrity of server-based applications with the resilience and user empowerment of distributed applications.
For client/server folks¶
Scalable¶
Performance scales linearly with new users, because everyone contributes useful computation and storage resources. Your app builds its own infrastructure with each new install. Capacity lives at the edges of the network, right where it’s most useful and accessible—the users’ own devices.
Resilient¶
No server means no centralized failure points. Holochain’s core takes care of connecting all the pieces that keep the application alive, from networking to authentication to data management to threat response. Nodes communicate directly with each other using an encrypted protocol, maintaining redundancy and adapting quickly to failures and attacks. In short, Holochain is built for anti-fragility.
Empowering¶
Users are in charge of their identity, data, and infrastructure. The app lives entirely in its users’ devices, so it’s easy for people and organizations to take ownership of their online activities without any special IT skills. This allows you to support your users’ privacy and independence without the hassles of regulatory compliance policies or on-premise deployments.
For DLT folks¶
Interoperable¶
Apps live in separate networks, but can easily bridge to each other or to the outside world, allowing data sharing and consistent identity. And with an ecosystem of small, versatile, single-purpose Holochain apps, you can combine modules to create new and more robust solutions, thereby leveraging the collective intelligence of the developer community.
Evolvable¶
Holochain supports fast and agile development, letting you create microservices that can be swapped and updated at will. You don’t have to have the code or application logic absolutely perfect before launch. You can add or replace code bundles, gradually upgrading components without disruption. Forks are tools again, rather than weapons.
Fast and lean¶
Holochain replaces global consensus with direct peer communication. Users run software on their own devices, replicating only the data they’re interested in, and reaching agreement at the speed of the internet. Meanwhile, a sophisticated immune system rapidly identifies and responds to network attacks.
Flexible¶
Holochain lets you build your distributed app your way. Public blockchain platforms impose one-size-fits-all solutions for data consistency, economics, governance, and access. Holochain isn’t a blockchain—it’s a versatile framework for building interconnected public, private, and hybrid networks. With very few assumptions baked in, you’re free to design your network to suit your own needs.