Hologram works. Elixir runs in the browser
Hologram is Live: Bringing Elixir to the Browser
Elixir has officially arrived in the browser. With four major feature updates this year, the framework now boasts a largely functional client-side standard library, a robust realtime architecture, seamless JavaScript interoperability, and the first wave of production-ready applications.
I will be introducing the what and why of this project during my talk at ElixirConf EU 2025.
The Vision: Local-First Development
The ultimate goal is Local-first software: applications that remain fully operational while offline and synchronize automatically upon reconnection. Rather than being a fragile assembly of three disparate libraries and a prayer, this capability is baked directly into the framework.
Currently, no full-stack framework in any language provides this out of the box. Whether this vision becomes a reality depends on the coming months and the level of corporate backing the project receives. I believe in being transparent about this now to avoid the project becoming a "quietly stalled" endeavor.
🛠️ The Evolution of Hologram
Eight months ago, I was balancing 60+ hour weeks between freelance contracts and framework development. Thanks to the support of Curiosum (Main Sponsor), the Erlang Ecosystem Foundation (EEF), and various GitHub sponsors, we moved from a crossroads to a series of rapid releases.
Version History & Milestones
| Version | Primary Focus | Key Deliverables |
|---|---|---|
v0.7 | Stdlib Port | Ported ~150 Erlang functions via 49 contributors. |
v0.8 | JS Interop | npm imports, Web API access, and JS Promises as Tasks. |
v0.9 | Realtime | A custom pub/sub layer (similar to Phoenix Channels). |
v0.10 | Logic & Flow | Middleware, expanded events, and full try/rescue/catch parity. |
v0.11 | Debugging | PCRE-based regex (=~) and server-matching stacktraces. |
Deep Dive into Features
- The Porting Effort: To make Elixir work client-side, the underlying Erlang functions had to be ported. This was a massive community win, involving 49 contributors—many of whom were new to the BEAM.
- Realtime Layer: What started as simple server triggers evolved into a full-scale realtime system tailored for the best possible developer experience.
- AI Integration: We've implemented first-class support for AI agents via
llms.txtandusage_rules. This ensures tools like Cursor or Claude Code write idiomatic Hologram code instead of hallucinating LiveView patterns.
📈 Growth and Ecosystem
The momentum is visible in the data. If we look at the growth since the November funding campaign, the trajectory is clear:
- GitHub Stars: (a increase).
- Hex Downloads: .
- Community: monthly newsletter subscribers.
- Tooling: New IDE support, specialized devtools, and a dedicated testing framework.
- Media: Featured on Thinking Elixir (9 episodes), Elixir Radar, Elixir Weekly, and an upcoming BEAM There Done That episode with Allen Wyma and Francesco Cesarini.
💰 The Funding Reality
In January, I mentioned that funding had become sustainable. To be more precise: the EEF support was structured as a milestone-based program consisting of four specific deliverables.
- Milestone 1: Core Porting
- Milestone 2: JS Interop
- Milestone 3: Realtime Layer
- Milestone 4: Regex & Stacktraces (Shipping in
v0.11)
The initial program has served its purpose and is concluding. While we are negotiating a second round, the project's future depends on companies earmarking support through the EEF. Curiosum and individual sponsors remain vital, but the upcoming roadmap is significantly more ambitious than everything we have achieved so far.
Key Supporters
| Name/Entity | Role | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| José Valim | Creator of Elixir | Promotion & Distribution |
| elixir-lang.org | Official Site | Featured Coverage |
| Zach Daniel | Ash Framework | Ongoing Sponsorship |
| Oban | Background Jobs | Ongoing Sponsorship |
| Moss Piglet | Privacy Software | Ongoing Sponsorship |
| Adam Kirk | Jump.ai CTO | Public Endorsement |
🚀 Production & The Future
The theory is now practice. Early adopters are already deploying Hologram to production.
"I rolled my first Hologram application into production this week... the dev experience was exactly what was described on the box."
"Hologram has been a joy to use - I default to using it unless I really need some specific capability from LiveView."
The Path Forward: One Codebase
The "traditional" full-stack approach is fragmented:
Backend (Language A) API Layer Frontend (Language B).
Hologram aims to collapse this. By integrating a declarative auto-syncing data layer, we can eliminate the need to manually glue together a sync engine, a client store, and conflict resolution strategies.
The goal is simple: One codebase, not two. This will be the central theme of my upcoming talks at ElixirConf US and Goatmire.