CRDT vs OT: Choosing the Right Collaboration Algorithm

Short summary

CRDT and OT are two fundamental approaches to real-time collaborative editing, each with distinct trade-offs. CRDTs (like Yjs) encode merge logic in data structures, enabling peer-to-peer and offline-first systems without a central server; OT systems (like ShareDB) transform operations server-side, requiring careful algebra but offering lower metadata overhead. Choose CRDTs for offline/P2P; choose OT for server-backed systems requiring strict operation ordering.

• •CRDTs enable offline-first and P2P collaboration via commutative operations; OT requires a server or complex transform algebra
• •CRDT implementations need careful memory management (garbage collection, compaction); OT systems need careful transform composition proofs
• •Practical JavaScript libraries: Yjs (CRDT-based) for local-first apps, ShareDB (OT-based) for server-backed editors

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