Look, I’m just gonna be straight with you

Building an offline-first PWA is one of those things that sounds way easier than it actually is. If you’ve ever tried it, you know what I mean it’s a mess of caching, syncing, and praying your data doesn’t get lost or corrupted when you go back online.

I recently went down this rabbit hole with Zoho Catalyst’s DataStore and Sync services. And yeah, I have some strong opinions about it. Spoiler alert: it’s not some magic “plug and play” solution, but it’s way better than rolling your own or trying to shoehorn IndexedDB into your app.

Why Did I Even Bother?

Honestly? Because I was sick of apps that just stop working the moment Wi-Fi disappears. I wanted something real  a PWA that doesn’t care if you’re offline, that lets you keep adding and editing data, and then sorts itself out when you get back online.

I looked around for tools and stumbled on Catalyst. Their DataStore promised a local database feel, and Sync was supposed to handle the “oh crap, now the network is back” part without me writing complicated sync code.

Sounds too good to be true? I thought so too. But I figured I’d try it and see what happens.

The Good Stuff That Made Me Smile

• DataStore actually works like a local database. No weird IndexedDB callbacks. The API feels clean and intuitive.
• Sync just… works. I didn’t have to write dozens of network listeners or build a Frankenstein engine. Sync ran quietly in the background  pushing, pulling, merging.
• Reactive UI. My app updated instantly  even offline  because the local DataStore change reflected immediately.

The Stuff That Made Me Want to Throw My Laptop Out the Window

• Setup is not exactly plug and play. You need to define models carefully, get permissions right, and debug random sync quirks.
• Conflict resolution = last-write-wins by default. Great for simplicity, not so great for critical data. You’ll likely need some custom logic.
• Debugging Sync is painful. Since syncing happens in the background, figuring out why something didn’t sync feels like guessing in the dark.
• Complex offline queries? Forget it. If your app needs deep relations or advanced queries offline, you’ll need to simplify your model or rethink your structure.

How It All Fits Together (Without the BS)

Here’s the high-level flow when you use DataStore + Sync:

• Your app talks to DataStore  the local database.
• Add/update data  it’s stored locally right away.
• When online, Sync pushes your changes to the Catalyst cloud.
• The backend merges remote changes, stores the master copy.
• Sync pulls new changes from other devices/users.
• Your UI updates  all without you writing manual logic.

Bottom line: this just works in the background. You’re not micromanaging it constantly.

Should You Use It?

If you’re building a:

• Field tool
• Note-taking or journaling app
• Inventory system that must work in poor connectivity

… then yes. DataStore + Sync will save you weeks of work.

But if you need:

• Fine-grained control over every conflict
• Relational data with deep joins
• Complex, multi-user transaction management

… then you might need more glue logic or even another solution.

Final Thoughts From Someone Who’s Been There

Offline-first apps are a pain in the neck. Catalyst’s DataStore and Sync won’t solve everything, but they take away the worst parts  the firefighting, the data corruption, the sync spaghetti.

If you’re tired of fighting IndexedDB, network listeners, and sync hell, give Catalyst a shot. It’s not perfect  but it’s a damn good start.