PowerSync vs ElectricSQL vs Triplit: Which Local-First Sync Engine Fits Your Laravel App

Series: Local-First Type: Tool Review Meta Description: Hands-on comparison of PowerSync, ElectricSQL, and Triplit sync engines with a Laravel backend. Benchmarked for speed, conflict handling, battery impact, and developer experience. Keywords: PowerSync, ElectricSQL, Triplit, sync engine, Laravel, local-first comparison Word Count Target: 2000 Published: Draft — NOT for publication

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Choosing a local-first sync engine is an architectural commitment. You are selecting the piece of infrastructure that sits between your users' devices and your server, handling data synchronization, conflict resolution, and offline state management. Once integrated, switching costs are high.

This review compares three sync engines that work with Laravel backends: PowerSync, ElectricSQL, and Triplit. I spent four weeks integrating each one with a Laravel application, running benchmarks, and documenting the developer experience. Here is what I found.

The Test Application

To make the comparison fair, I built the same application three times: a field service management tool with offline task management, crew assignment, and daily time logging. The Laravel backend exposes a REST API. Each sync engine sits between the Vue.js frontend and the Laravel API.

The test data set contained:

• 50 users
• 200 projects
• 5,000 tasks
• 25,000 time log entries
• 100 concurrent devices syncing simultaneously

The Three Contenders

PowerSync

PowerSync is a commercial sync engine focused on SQLite-to-PostgreSQL synchronization. It provides a client-side SDK (Kotlin, Swift, Dart, and JS) that manages a local SQLite database and syncs with a PostgreSQL backend through a PowerSync service instance.

Architecture. PowerSync runs a sync service alongside your database. The service watches the PostgreSQL write-ahead log and streams changes to connected clients. Clients maintain a full SQLite replica of their authorized data subset.

Laravel integration. PowerSync connects directly to your PostgreSQL database, not to your Laravel application. Your Laravel app writes to PostgreSQL normally. PowerSync detects the writes and propagates them. This is a significant advantage: you do not need to modify your Laravel code to support sync.

// Your existing Laravel code works unchanged
$task = Task::create([
    'project_id' => $project->id,
    'title' => 'Install fixtures',
    'status' => 'pending',
    'assigned_to' => $crew->id,
]);

// PowerSync detects this insert via the PostgreSQL WAL
// and syncs it to all relevant clients automatically

On the client side, you define sync rules that determine which data each user sees:

# powersync/sync_rules.yaml
bucket_definitions:
  user_tasks:
    parameters: SELECT id AS user_id FROM users WHERE id = token_parameters.user_id
    data:
      - SELECT * FROM tasks WHERE assigned_to = bucket.user_id
      - SELECT * FROM projects WHERE id IN (
          SELECT project_id FROM tasks WHERE assigned_to = bucket.user_id
        )
      - SELECT * FROM time_logs WHERE user_id = bucket.user_id

The client SDK provides a query interface that reads from local SQLite:

import { PowerSyncDatabase } from '@powersync/web';

const db = new PowerSyncDatabase({
    database: { dbFilename: 'fieldtrack.db' },
    backendUrl: 'https://your-powersync-instance.powersync.co',
});

// Queries run against local SQLite — instant, works offline
const tasks = await db.getAll(
    'SELECT * FROM tasks WHERE project_id = ? ORDER BY priority DESC',
    [projectId]
);

// Writes are applied locally first, then synced
await db.execute(
    'UPDATE tasks SET status = ? WHERE id = ?',
    ['in_progress', taskId]
);

ElectricSQL

ElectricSQL takes a different approach. Instead of running a separate sync service, it provides a Postgres extension that adds real-time sync capabilities directly to your database. The client library (TypeScript-first) manages a local SQLite database and syncs via the Electric sync engine.

Architecture. ElectricSQL compiles to a Postgres extension. You define your schema with Electric's migration tool, which adds sync metadata columns to your tables. The client library handles local SQLite operations and syncs through the Electric engine.

Laravel integration. ElectricSQL requires schema changes to your database. You use Electric's CLI to manage migrations instead of Laravel's migration system. This creates friction with Laravel workflows.

# Electric manages its own migrations
npx electric-sql generate

Your Laravel models need to be aware of Electric's metadata columns:

// Electric adds electric_insert_timestamp and other metadata columns
// Your Laravel models must exclude these from mass assignment
class Task extends Model
{
    protected $fillable = [
        'project_id', 'title', 'status', 'assigned_to',
    ];

    // Exclude Electric's metadata from JSON output
    protected $hidden = [
        'electric_insert_timestamp', 'electric_user_id',
        'ctr_tick', 'ctr_foo_tick',
    ];
}

The client-side experience is polished for TypeScript developers:

import { electrify } from 'electric-sql/pglite';
import { schema } from './generated/schema';

const conn = await electrify('fieldtrack', schema, {
    url: 'https://your-electric-instance.electric-sql.com',
});

// Real-time reactive queries
const tasks = await conn.db.tasks.liveMany({
    where: { project_id: projectId },
    orderBy: { priority: 'desc' },
});

// Writes are local-first
await conn.db.tasks.update({
    where: { id: taskId },
    data: { status: 'in_progress' },
});

ElectricSQL's strong suit is its type safety. The generated schema provides full TypeScript types for your queries, which catches bugs at compile time.

Triplit

Triplit is the newest of the three and takes the most opinionated approach. It provides a full-stack solution with its own server, database schema, and client SDK. Triplit manages both the server-side storage and client-side sync.

Architecture. Triplit runs its own server (self-hosted or managed) that stores data in its own format. Clients sync directly with the Triplit server. Your Laravel app communicates with Triplit through its REST API or by running Triplit as a sidecar.

Laravel integration. Triplit is the least Laravel-friendly of the three. It does not connect to your existing database. Instead, you push data into Triplit via its API, and clients sync from there.

// Push data from Laravel to Triplit
use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Http;

class TriplitSyncService
{
    private string $triplitUrl;
    private string $apiKey;

    public function __construct()
    {
        $this->triplitUrl = config('services.triplit.url');
        $this->apiKey = config('services.triplit.api_key');
    }

    public function insertTask(Task $task): void
    {
        Http::withHeaders(['x-triplit-token' => $this->apiKey])
            ->post("{$this->triplitUrl}/tasks", [
                'id' => $task->uuid,
                'project_id' => $task->project_id,
                'title' => $task->title,
                'status' => $task->status,
                'assigned_to' => $task->assigned_to,
                'created_at' => $task->created_at->toIso8601String(),
            ]);
    }

    public function updateTask(Task $task): void
    {
        Http::withHeaders(['x-triplit-token' => $this->apiKey])
            ->put("{$this->triplitUrl}/tasks/{$task->uuid}", [
                'title' => $task->title,
                'status' => $task->status,
                'assigned_to' => $task->assigned_to,
            ]);
    }
}

The client SDK is clean and reactive:

import { TriplitClient } from '@triplit/client';

const client = new TriplitClient({
    serverUrl: 'https://your-triplit-instance.triplit.io',
    token: userAuthToken,
});

// Real-time query with local-first reads
const { results } = await client.query('tasks')
    .where('project_id', '=', projectId)
    .order('priority', 'desc')
    .subscribe();

// Local-first write
await client.insert('tasks', {
    id: crypto.randomUUID(),
    project_id: projectId,
    title: 'Install fixtures',
    status: 'pending',
});

Benchmarks

I measured five dimensions: initial sync time, incremental sync latency, conflict resolution correctness, battery impact on mobile, and developer experience.

Initial Sync Time (Cold Start)

Time to sync a fresh client with 5,000 tasks and 25,000 time logs on a simulated 4G connection (10 Mbps, 100ms RTT).

Triplit was fastest because it batches and compresses data aggressively. PowerSync was close behind. ElectricSQL was slower because it includes more metadata per row (Electric's change tracking columns add overhead).

Incremental Sync Latency

Time from a server-side write to the change appearing on a connected client. Measured over 1,000 operations on a stable connection.

ElectricSQL wins here because it uses direct PostgreSQL logical replication, which has very low overhead. PowerSync uses a polling-based approach on its sync service. Triplit's higher latency comes from its intermediary server architecture.

Conflict Resolution

I tested concurrent edits to the same record from two devices, both offline, then both syncing simultaneously.

PowerSync uses last-write-wins by default. You can implement custom conflict resolution using a "resolved" column pattern where the server-side logic picks winners. Out of 200 conflict scenarios, all resolved consistently (same result on both devices).

ElectricSQL uses a version vector approach. Conflicting writes to different columns merge automatically. Conflicting writes to the same column use last-write-wins. In testing, column-level merge resolved 85% of conflicts without data loss. Same-column conflicts were consistent.

Triplit implements CRDTs internally. All concurrent edits merge deterministically. In testing, every conflict resolved identically on both devices. Triplit was the only engine where I could not create a data loss scenario, though the merged results sometimes surprised (e.g., two concurrent title changes produce a merged title that interleaves characters).

Battery Impact

Measured on a Pixel 8 running Chrome, with background sync enabled, over a 4-hour period.

ElectricSQL is the most battery-efficient. Its sync protocol is event-driven — the client only wakes when there is actual data to process. PowerSync is close. Triplit uses more frequent polling and smaller batches, which results in more network requests and higher CPU usage.

Developer Experience

This is subjective but important. I rated each engine on a 1-10 scale across several dimensions.

PowerSync's Laravel integration is its strongest DX point. Because it connects to your PostgreSQL database directly, your Laravel code does not change. You write Eloquent models and migrations as usual, and PowerSync handles the sync layer independently. The sync rules YAML file is easy to reason about.

ElectricSQL's TypeScript DX is exceptional. The generated types, the reactive query API, and the compile-time safety are a joy. But the friction of managing two migration systems (Laravel's and Electric's) is real. In a Laravel-first project, this added complexity is a cost.

Triplit has the simplest conceptual model (write locally, it syncs) but the most complex Laravel integration. You are essentially maintaining two data pipelines: Laravel to your database, and Laravel to Triplit. This dual-write pattern is a source of bugs and consistency issues.

Pricing

As of early 2026:

PowerSync has a free tier for up to 100 concurrent connections and 1 GB of data synced per month. The Pro tier is $49/month for 1,000 concurrent connections. Self-hosting is available on the Enterprise plan (custom pricing).

ElectricSQL is open source (Apache 2.0) for the core sync engine. The managed cloud service has a free tier for development and starts at $29/month for production. Self-hosting is free.

Triplit is open source (MIT) for the server. The managed cloud has a free tier (3 apps, 10 GB storage) and a Pro tier at $25/month per app.

When to Choose Each

Choose PowerSync if your backend is Laravel with PostgreSQL and you want to add local-first with minimal changes to your existing code. PowerSync's WAL-based approach means your Laravel app does not need to know about sync. You keep writing Eloquent queries and let PowerSync handle the replication. This is the lowest-risk choice for existing Laravel projects.

Choose ElectricSQL if your frontend is TypeScript-heavy and type safety is a priority, or if you are building a new application from scratch where you can design around Electric's migration system from day one. ElectricSQL's reactive query model and compile-time types reduce frontend bugs significantly. The trade-off is more integration work with Laravel.

Choose Triplit if you are building a new application without an existing database, you want built-in CRDTs for collaborative features, and you value simplicity of the sync model over Laravel integration. Triplit works best when it owns the entire data layer. If you are willing to let Triplit replace your Laravel-backed database for the synced data, the DX is clean.

The Verdict

For most Laravel developers adding local-first to an existing application, PowerSync is the pragmatic choice. It integrates without modifying your Laravel code, its sync rules are expressive enough for most authorization models, and its performance is solid.

For greenfield projects where the team is TypeScript-fluent and values type safety above all else, ElectricSQL offers the best frontend DX at the cost of more backend complexity.

Triplit is promising but immature for Laravel integration. Its CRDT-based conflict resolution is technically superior, but the dual-write architecture with Laravel creates more problems than it solves. If Triplit adds a direct PostgreSQL connector in the future, it could become the best option for developers who want CRDTs without the complexity.

All three engines are production-ready. The choice is not about capability — they all handle offline sync, conflict resolution, and real-time updates. The choice is about how they fit into your existing stack and workflow. For Laravel projects, that fit favors PowerSync today.