For a long while, my dev stack seemed to match everybody else’s: 

• VS Code 

• Postman 

• Notion 

• Figma 

• A couple of other random desktop tools

 

But then I began to doubt my choice. 

Pretty much everything I did was already being done in a browser, so I decided to give something new a shot: replace everything I could with web apps. 

What Changes Have Been Made So Far

There have been several changes that were quite straightforward: 

• Postman to Hoppscotch 

• Notion desktop to Notion browser version 

• Figma desktop app to Figma web interface 

• JSON tools to online editors

 

In most cases, no features had to be sacrificed for the sake of more convenient tools. 

Unexpected Discoverability Challenges

The problem didn’t lie in performance or features. It lay in discoverability. 

Without regularly adding new applications, it became difficult to locate useful ones. The days of using app stores are long gone, as it would become too complicated to manage by simply bookmarking each application. 

Eventually, I began using an online store for applications called Unstore, which helped me navigate through my tool selection process better. 

The Real Benefits

A few things began to become clear after about two weeks: 

• Setup takes seconds on any machine 

• No installations, updates, or maintenance required 

• Everything is available everywhere

 

 It's easier to work and switch between machines without any hassle. 

Trade-offs

But it is not all perfect: 

• Offline support can be an issue 

• A lot of development tasks still require native solutions 

• Excessive tabbing might occur

 

I did not fully turn to browser-based apps, but I managed to switch out nearly everything from my toolkit. 

Where I Landed

The move to using web applications may not have been instantaneous in terms of its effect, but what it did do was alter my perspective entirely. I found myself replacing many parts of my stack without feeling that much attachment to my previous system. 

It will be interesting to see if others have made the move too, or are happy with the status quo.