🖥 The Future of Desktop Apps: Which Framework Should You Choose After Electron?
This document compares Tauri, Electron, Wails, PyWebview, and .NET MAUI for building desktop applications using a React + TypeScript frontend. All frameworks support cross-platform development (Windows, macOS, and Linux). Additionally, .NET MAUI extends support to mobile platforms (iOS and Android).
1. Overview
| Framework | Language | Frontend Tech | Runtime Engine | Official Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electron | Node.js (JavaScript) | React, Angular, Vue, etc. | Bundled Chromium + Node.js | electronjs.org |
| Tauri | Rust | React, Angular, Vue, etc. | System WebView (WebKit, WebView2) | tauri.app |
| Wails | Go | React, Vue, Svelte, etc. | System WebView (WebKit, WebView2) | wails.io |
| PyWebview | Python | React, Vue, or raw HTML | System WebView (WebKit, Edge, Cocoa) | pywebview.flowrl.com |
| .NET MAUI | C# / .NET | Can integrate with React or Blazor | Native UI layer (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android) | learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/maui |
2. Application Structure with React + TypeScript
Regardless of framework choice, the structure usually follows this pattern:
- Frontend: React + TypeScript builds into static assets (
index.html,bundle.js, etc.). - Backend: Provides APIs, handles filesystem/OS access, and bridges between UI and native functionality.
- Packaging: Framework tools wrap everything into platform executables (and installers).
3. Framework Details
Electron
- Description: The most established framework for building desktop apps with web technologies. It bundles Chromium and Node.js into every app, ensuring consistent rendering and powerful APIs.
- Strengths: Large ecosystem, extensive documentation, many mature libraries (e.g., auto-update, notifications, file system access).
- Weaknesses: High memory consumption and large bundle sizes (100MB+).
- Best Fit: Applications requiring a wide variety of community plugins, or when stability and support matter more than performance.
- Website: https://www.electronjs.org
Tauri
- Description: A lightweight and secure alternative to Electron. It uses the system’s native WebView (WebKit on macOS/Linux, WebView2 on Windows) and Rust for backend logic.
- Strengths: Extremely small bundle sizes (<10MB), strong security model, Rust performance, and cross-platform support.
- Weaknesses: Rust can be harder to learn for teams without systems programming experience.
- Best Fit: Developers who want modern, lightweight apps with strong security and can adopt Rust for backend logic.
- Website: https://tauri.app
Wails (Go)
- Description: Similar in spirit to Tauri, but uses Go as the backend. Wails integrates frontend frameworks like React, Vue, or Svelte with Go APIs and the system’s WebView.
- Strengths: Very fast build times, small runtime, leverages Go’s simplicity and performance. Natural choice for Go developers.
- Weaknesses: Ecosystem is smaller than Electron or Tauri, fewer third-party integrations.
- Best Fit: Teams with Go expertise who want to extend backend code to desktop UI.
- Website: https://wails.io
PyWebview (Python)
- Description: A thin wrapper around native WebView components with Python as the backend. Often paired with Flask or FastAPI for API serving.
- Strengths: Lightweight, straightforward for Python developers, integrates seamlessly with existing Python code.
- Weaknesses: Smaller community, packaging can be complex compared to Go or Rust-based tools.
- Best Fit: Python developers who want a quick way to deliver desktop apps without rewriting backend logic in another language.
- Website: https://pywebview.flowrl.com
.NET MAUI
- Description: Microsoft’s cross-platform framework for building native desktop and mobile apps with .NET. While it doesn’t use HTML/JS frontends by default, it can integrate with Blazor (for web-style development) or React frontends via WebView controls.
- Strengths: First-class .NET ecosystem support, shared codebase across desktop and mobile, access to native APIs, enterprise-ready.
- Weaknesses: Heavier than Tauri/Wails for simple apps, learning curve if mixing with React, tooling requires Visual Studio.
- Best Fit: Enterprises or developers already invested in .NET who want one codebase for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
- Website: https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/maui
4. Comparison Table
| Feature | Electron | Tauri | Wails (Go) | PyWebview (Python) | .NET MAUI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bundle Size | 100–200MB | <10MB | <20MB | <30MB | 80–150MB |
| Performance | Heavy (Chromium) | Fast (Rust + native WebView) | Fast (Go + native WebView) | Moderate (Python runtime) | High (native compiled) |
| Ecosystem | Largest | Growing fast | Medium | Small | Very Large (Microsoft/.NET) |
| Security | Medium | Strong sandbox | Strong (Go) | Depends on backend | Strong enterprise-level |
| Ease of Use | Easy if JS dev | Moderate (Rust) | Easy (Go) | Easy (Python) | Easy for .NET devs |
| Best Use Case | Rich apps, ecosystem heavy | Secure, lightweight apps | Go-based desktop apps | Python desktop tools | Enterprise apps across desktop & mobile |
5. Recommendation
- Choose Electron if you need a mature ecosystem and don’t mind size.
- Choose Tauri if you want lightweight, secure, modern apps and are open to Rust.
- Choose Wails if you’re a Go developer and want Tauri-like benefits.
- Choose PyWebview if you already have a Python backend and want a thin UI shell.
- Choose .NET MAUI if you are in the .NET ecosystem and want one framework for desktop and mobile.