LiveView: Renders UI updates on the server and sends them to the client.
Hologram: Transpiles your Elixir UI code to JavaScript that runs entirely in the browser.
You'll appreciate Hologram when you want to avoid LiveView's latency. For example:
- Instantaneous UI interactions without client-server roundtrips
- Real-time interactions like smooth drawing, drag-and-drop, or complex animations
- Offline-capable applications that work without constant server communication
- Reduced server load since UI logic runs client-side
If you need truly responsive client-side interactions or want to reduce server roundtrips, that's where Hologram shines. It's the same Elixir developer experience, but with client-side performance characteristics. Think of it as "LiveView for when you need the UI to feel like a native app.
Note: Currently Hologram requires Phoenix, but in the future you'll be able to run it as a standalone framework.