Which software tools do you use?

In my freelance work I have established certain principles that always guide me through - whether to take on a new client or project, developing a new software, learning new things or choosing new software internally.

This blog post is about the last one and describes which software I have in use for my business.

Basically according to my principle “Keep things private” I choose software - especially those handling with personal data - that follows the Local First approach. In the following I will use the mentioned template to evaluate the software I have internally in use since several years.

Criteria

So first let's sum up the certain criteria which the software is evaluated against:

• Fast: The software has to load and react extremely fast.
• Multi-Device: The software is not locked to one device but can be used on different ones - all with the same edit state.
• Offline: The software does not require an always-on internet connection and works in low-speed environments.
• Collaboration: The software can be used and shared with my colleagues.
• Longevity: The data can be accessed for a long time in the future.
• Privacy: The software is build with security and privacy by design, e.g. no centralized database, etc.
• User Control: I retain ultimate ownership and control.

My Software Tools in Use

Email/Calendar: Mailbox.org

Fast	Multi-Device	Offline	Collaboration	Longevity	Privacy	User Control

Cloud Storage: Mailbox.org Drive

Fast	Multi-Device	Offline	Collaboration	Longevity	Privacy	User Control

Note-taking: Obsidian

My note-taking app Obsidian is also a tool that fulfills all defined requirements. As Obsidian stores all data in the readable Markdown format, so the User Control criteria is totally fine.

Fast	Multi-Device	Offline	Collaboration	Longevity	Privacy	User Control

Website: Self-hosted Open Source Magento

Fast	Multi-Device	Offline	Collaboration	Longevity	Privacy	User Control

Development: Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket

Fast	Multi-Device	Offline	Collaboration	Longevity	Privacy	User Control

Passwords: Self-hosted 1Password

Fast	Multi-Device	Offline	Collaboration	Longevity	Privacy	User Control

CRM & Accounting: Lexoffice

The Software-as-a-Service tool Lexoffice profits in terms of longevity from the universal DATEV format which the data can be exported to.

Fast	Multi-Device	Offline	Collaboration	Longevity	Privacy	User Control