ZerithDB is a local-first, peer-to-peer application platform that eliminates the need for traditional backend infrastructure. Think of it as Supabase — but instead of a centralized server, your users' browsers form a resilient, encrypted mesh network.
- No backend to manage. No servers, no databases, no DevOps.
- Works offline. All data lives locally first, syncs opportunistically.
- Conflict-free by design. CRDT-based sync means merges just work.
- Private by default. Public/private key identity — no passwords, no auth servers.
ZerithDB is in alpha. APIs will change. Feedback is our oxygen — open an issue.
Traditional backend infrastructure is complex, expensive, and centralized. ZerithDB offers a different path:
- Infinite Scalability: Your infrastructure scales with your users. Each new user adds computing and storage power to the network.
- Zero Latency: Data is read and written to a local database (IndexedDB) instantly. Sync happens in the background.
- Privacy by Design: Data is encrypted end-to-end. Since there's no central server, there's no single point of failure or data breach.
- Development Speed: Go from
npx zerithdb initto a live, syncing app in minutes. Focus on your UI, not your API.
import { createApp } from "zerithdb-sdk";
const app = createApp({ appId: "my-todo-app" });
// Write data — persisted locally via IndexedDB
await app.db("todos").insert({ text: "Ship ZerithDB v1", done: false });
// Query with a MongoDB-like API
const todos = await app.db("todos").find({ done: false });
// Enable real-time P2P sync — no server config needed
app.sync.enable();
// Authenticate with a keypair (no passwords, no servers)
const identity = await app.auth.signIn(); // generates or loads a keypair
console.log(identity.publicKey); // "did:key:z6Mk..."That's it. No .env files. No docker-compose.yml. No cloud accounts.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| 🗄️ Local Database | IndexedDB-backed via Dexie. MongoDB-style query API. Reactive live queries. |
| 🔄 CRDT Sync | Yjs-powered conflict-free sync. Merge without servers. Works across browser tabs, devices, and peers. |
| 🕸️ P2P Network | WebRTC mesh via simple-peer. Minimal signaling server (only for initial handshake). |
| 🔐 Keychain Auth | Ed25519 keypair identity. Sign-in is generateKey(). No email, no OAuth, no passwords. |
| 📦 Modular SDK | Tree-shakeable. Use only what you need. Works with React, Vue, Svelte, or vanilla JS. |
| ⚡ Zero Config CLI | npx zerithdb init bootstraps a full project in seconds. |
If you're new here, follow these beginner friendly steps to get ZerithDB running on your machine:
| Step | Action | Command | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initialize | npx zerithdb@latest init my-app |
Creates your project folder. |
| 2 | Go to Directory | cd my-app |
Enters the folder you just created. |
| 3 | Install | npm install |
Gets all the tools needed for the app. |
| 4 | Start App | npm run dev |
Launches the app in your local browser. |
Note: You need Node.js installed to run these commands!
pnpm add zerithdb-sdk
# or
npm install zerithdb-sdkimport { createApp } from "zerithdb-sdk";
const app = createApp({
appId: "my-app-unique-id", // namespaces your local DB
sync: {
signalingUrl: "wss://signal.zerithdb.dev", // optional: use our hosted relay
// or: signalingUrl: "ws://localhost:4000" // self-hosted
},
});import { createApp, GoogleDriveBackupTarget } from "zerithdb-sdk";
const app = createApp({ appId: "my-app-unique-id" });
const backup = app.backup(
new GoogleDriveBackupTarget({
accessToken: await getGoogleDriveAccessToken(),
folderId: "drive-folder-id",
}),
{
collections: ["todos", "settings"],
intervalMs: 30 * 60 * 1000,
}
);
backup.start();The backup adapter periodically exports the selected IndexedDB collections as a JSON snapshot and uploads it through a cloud target. ZerithDB includes Google Drive and Dropbox targets; applications remain responsible for obtaining the provider access token through their own OAuth flow.
flowchart TB
subgraph browser["Your Browser"]
direction LR
SDK["ZerithDB SDK"]
SYNC["Sync Engine\n(CRDT)"]
P2P["P2P Network Layer\n(WebRTC mesh)"]
SDK -->|writes| SYNC
SYNC -->|broadcast| P2P
end
subgraph storage["Local Storage"]
DB["Local DB\n(IndexedDB)"]
end
SDK -->|persist| DB
SYNC -->|flush| DB
SIG["Signaling Server\n(WS relay)"]
PEER["Other Peer Browser"]
P2P -->|handshake only| SIG
SIG -->|peer discovery| PEER
P2P <-.->|"direct P2P\n(after handshake)"| PEER
The signaling server never sees your data. It only brokers the initial WebRTC handshake. After that, peers communicate directly.
| Package | Version | Description |
|---|---|---|
zerithdb-sdk |
 |
Main developer-facing API |
zerithdb-db |
 |
IndexedDB adapter (Dexie wrapper) |
zerithdb-sync |
 |
CRDT sync engine (Yjs) |
zerithdb-network |
 |
WebRTC P2P layer |
zerithdb-auth |
 |
Keypair identity management |
zerithdb-core |
 |
Internal types, events, utilities |
zerithdb-cli |
 |
npx zerithdb init CLI tool |
# Scaffold a new ZerithDB app
npx zerithdb init <app-name>
# Add features interactively
npx zerithdb add auth
npx zerithdb add sync
# Start a local signaling server for development
npx zerithdb signal --port 4000
# Generate TypeScript types from your schema
npx zerithdb types --output ./src/db.types.tsSee ROADMAP.md for the phased plan.
Highlights:
- v0.2 — React hooks (
useQuery,useLiveQuery) - v0.3 — Server-assisted sync for large datasets
- v0.4 — Fine-grained access control (capability tokens)
- v1.0 — Stable API, plugin system, ecosystem launch
We are actively looking for contributors. ZerithDB is built in the open, and every PR matters.
git clone https://github.com/Zerith-Labs/ZerithDB.git
cd zerithdb
pnpm install
pnpm devRead CONTRIBUTING.md for the full workflow, coding guidelines, and how to find good first issues.
Good places to start:
- Issues labeled
good-first-issue - Issues labeled
help-wanted
| 💬 Discord | discord.gg/MhvuDvzWfF |
Apache 2.0 — see LICENSE.
Built with ❤️ by the ZerithDB community.