Web version vs desktop
The web version shares the same editing capabilities as the desktop build: editing, chart code, preview and chart images, the simulation field and video export, skins and appearance are all there. The only differences come from the environment — the browser has no desktop channels.
The three lines shown in the app
The first visit to the web version shows an About the web version dialog, once per browser. Dismiss it with Got it; after that the same text lives in Settings › About. The three lines, verbatim:
Some features are available only in the desktop app, for example catalog browsing and chart import.
Project data is stored only in this browser; clearing site data will delete it.
Use the desktop app for the full feature set.
Each line is expanded below. The dialog and this page say the same thing on purpose — when the app's wording changes, this page changes with it.
1. Some features are available only in the desktop app
What the web version lacks are capabilities that need the desktop runtime, not removed features:
- Catalog browsing and signing in: the official song catalog, community posts, accounts, and uploads all go through the desktop channel, which the browser doesn't have.
- Importing official or community charts, and publishing: same reason. New projects in the web version only offer blank and duplicate.
- Diagnostic bundle export: Settings › About has no diagnostic bundle entry. When reporting a web-version problem, include your browser version and reproduction steps instead.
"Desktop-only" is the rule to remember — you don't need a list: anything added exclusively to the desktop build later won't appear here on its own. See the Bestdori community page for how these work on desktop.
2. Project data is stored only in this browser
The web version keeps project data in this browser on this machine: another browser, another computer, or clearing site data and your projects are gone. The browser has no notion of a data directory either, so the web version's settings show no storage location.
For long-term charting, use the desktop build: projects live in a local data directory you can back up, move, and relocate.
3. Use the desktop app for the full feature set
Install the desktop app when you need the catalog, chart import and export, publishing, or durable project storage — see Install. The desktop and web versions can be used side by side without interfering.
Updates
The web version is released together with the site, so a refresh already gets you the latest build — no manual check needed.
Desktop app updates (auto check at startup, manual check in About, download then restart) exist only in the installed build — no installer, no updater.