Differences from Web
Poly's desktop app and the web client at poly.app run the same interface on the same local-cache architecture. The differences are about where that cache lives and how deeply Poly can integrate with your operating system.
What's the same
More is shared than differs. Both clients:
- Work fully offline. Browsing keeps working from the local cache, and every change you make — edits, renames, moves, tags — is applied immediately and queued, syncing automatically when the connection returns.
- Cache as you browse. File content, metadata, and thumbnails you've viewed are saved locally, so revisiting is instant and doesn't need the network.
- Pin files for offline. Mark files or folders to keep downloaded on both clients, guaranteeing they're available without a connection.
- Start fast. Both download the server's pre-computed tree snapshots on sign-in, so your whole library is browsable in seconds on a new device or browser.
Where the cache lives
The defining difference. The desktop app syncs into a real folder on disk — the sync folder — visible to Finder, Explorer, and every application on your machine. The web client keeps the same cache inside the browser's storage: it powers offline browsing and pinning identically, but it isn't a folder you can open, and other applications can't see it.
Everything that follows flows from that one difference.
| Desktop | Web | |
|---|---|---|
| Offline browsing, editing, queued sync | Yes | Yes |
| Pin files for offline | Yes | Yes |
| Content & thumbnails cached as you browse | Yes | Yes |
| Files as a real folder on disk | Yes — ~/Library/CloudStorage/Poly (macOS), ~/Poly | No — cache is internal to the browser |
| Open files in native apps | Yes — any app on your machine | Downloads, or in-browser editors/viewers |
| CLI | Ships with the app (Install CLI Tools) | Not available |
| Finder tag & color sync | Yes (macOS) | — |
Bookmarks as .webloc files | Yes | In-app links only |
| Spotlight & Handoff | Yes (macOS) | — |
| Claude Desktop extension | Installed from the app (.mcpb plugin required) | Use the hosted MCP server |
| Link previews for non-embeddable sites | Yes — rendered in a native view | Some sites can't be previewed in an iframe |
| Storage for cached content | Your disk, with a configurable quota | Subject to the browser's storage limits |
Which should you use?
Both — they're the same account and the same files. The web client is ideal on machines that aren't yours and for sending links to collaborators. The desktop app is the better daily driver: native file access, the CLI, OS integration, and a cache that isn't at the mercy of browser storage eviction. Anything you do in one is immediately reflected in the other.