So I know you wanted to frame this as IDE vs. REPL, but most IDEs have REPL built in (I think every Python IDE can open Jupyter notebooks no problem), and the a

So I know you wanted to frame this as IDE vs. REPL, but most IDEs have REPL built in (I think every Python IDE can open Jupyter notebooks no problem), and the additional features just depend on context. Like, scientific computing with Python, R or Matlab? You'll probably profit a lot from using RStudio, Spyder or, well, Matlab. Huge projects with lots of data and many files... why go through the pain of a html-based file management system if you can have as many text-editors and IDEs installed as you like... I mean, the choice you frame just isn't really a relevant question. Instead, this is clearly a marketing article for your own product. You specifically ask the question in your article, why would anyone install an IDE locally, instead of using your product. The answer seems very obvious to me: Only very few people can actually use an online interface, such as your product, in actual production. For me, for example, it would be a non-starter. Not only do I work with sensitive data that I can't just upload to somewhere else, I am also often on the road and simply do not have guaranteed internet. So I'll need a local IDE anyway. Another reason is that the actual computing infrastructure is located, and protected, in a local network. So I couldn't even run my code directly. How much computing power do you actually provide? What if I actually generate large output files? Where do they go? Like, do you just send me gigabyte sized files over the tubes constantly? Do I have to download thousands of files from that terrible web-interface? How do you deal with changes in massive datasets? How do you deal with those data that need to stay local? The whole article is just weird. The use-case for local IDEs is pretty clear, and I think the people who actually have to use some local solution is, and will be, larger than those who just casually write their code in your datasets. Most people would literally get fired for using your product as you suggest. In fact I think the major use-case for your product is education and learning, specifically where you code in several languages. Like, you quote some kid asking why one would like to learn an IDE if repl.it is so cool and good. Well, that kid is obviously learning and not leapfrogging anything. Sooner or later, he/she will be coding in a company on a larger project and then all of the above applies. I also like the irony of repl.it stating its support for Open Source, while apparently not being OpenSource itself.