Local-first Database
Why Holy Resource saves locally first and syncs second.
Holy Resource is local-first: the working copy of your church data lives on your device.
How it works
When you perform an action (member update, attendance check-in, donation entry), it is written locally first. Sync is optional and can be enabled later.
Benefits of Local-first
- Speed: Instant UI responses. No "loading" spinners while waiting for a server.
- Privacy: Your sensitive member data stays on your physical machine.
- Reliability: The app works 100% of the time, even if your internet connection is down.
- Ownership: You can back up and move your database file whenever you want.
Local-first does not mean single-device forever
You can still coordinate across devices by enabling:
- LAN sync (same network)
- Server sync (internet)
You choose one sync target at a time for the active branch. Holy Resource does not run LAN sync and server sync together for the same branch session.
But if sync is unavailable, local work continues and can be reconciled later.
Data Storage Location
Holy Resource stores its data in a standard application data folder on your system.
Performance at Scale
By utilizing SQLite, Holy Resource can handle thousands of members and years of transaction history without slowing down. Since the data is processed locally by your computer's CPU and SSD, search and reporting are significantly faster than cloud alternatives.