When is OT the better choice?
OT is better when you control the server infrastructure and prioritize wire efficiency. Google Docs chose OT because they run centralized services and wire bandwidth matters at scale. OT operations are compact—just the delta and position. Use it for closed platforms, internal collaboration tools, and systems where a central hub is acceptable. CRDTs shine when you need offline-first, peer-to-peer, or truly decentralized systems.
Answered in
Operational Transforms vs CRDTsWhy Google Docs needs a server and Figma doesn't: how two competing approaches to concurrent editing resolve the same-string conflict, and when each wins.
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