Electron DesktopDesktop apps with Chromium and Node.js
Electron is the established choice for cross-platform desktop apps — VS Code, Slack, and Figma all use it. We build Electron apps where WebView compatibility or existing Node.js tooling makes it the right fit.
Electron is the established framework for building cross-platform desktop apps with web technologies. VS Code, Slack, Discord, Figma, and Notion all use Electron — it bundles Chromium and Node.js into a single runtime, so your web app runs as a native desktop application. Electron's mature ecosystem provides auto-updating (electron-updater), native menus, tray icons, notifications, file system access, and comprehensive CI/CD tooling via electron-builder. If you have a web app and need a desktop version, Electron is the fastest path to production.
Quick start
# Create a new Electron app
npm init electron-app@latest my-app
cd my-app
# Or add Electron to an existing project
npm install electron --save-dev
npm install electron-builder --save-dev
# Run in development
npm startRead the full documentation at www.electronjs.org/docs/latest/
Chromium rendering
Full Chromium engine ensures pixel-perfect rendering — the same behaviour as Chrome on every desktop platform.
Node.js main process
Full Node.js runtime in the main process — access the file system, spawn processes, and use any npm package.
Sandboxed renderer
Renderer processes run in a sandboxed Chromium context — isolate untrusted content from system access.
Auto-updater
electron-updater handles download, verification, and install — ship updates silently or with user confirmation.
Web tech stack
Build your UI with React, Vue, or Svelte — reuse your web skills and component libraries for desktop.
electron-builder CI
Package and sign for Windows, macOS, and Linux in CI — NSIS, DMG, AppImage, and Snap formats supported.
Why it's hard
Memory usage and bundle size
Electron bundles Chromium (~150MB), which means large installers and high baseline memory usage. For lightweight apps, consider Tauri as an alternative.
Security surface area
Electron apps have access to Node.js APIs from the renderer process. Enabling contextIsolation, disabling nodeIntegration, and using preload scripts are essential security practices.
Native platform integration
While Electron supports native menus, notifications, and file access, deeper OS integration (system extensions, kernel APIs) may require native Node.js addons.
Best practices
Enable context isolation and sandbox
Always use contextIsolation: true and sandbox: true in your BrowserWindow config. Use preload scripts for IPC instead of exposing Node.js to the renderer.
Use electron-builder for CI/CD
electron-builder handles code signing, notarization, and publishing for Windows (NSIS, MSI), macOS (DMG, pkg), and Linux (AppImage, deb, snap).
Minimize Chromium overhead
Disable hardware acceleration for utility windows, use BrowserView for complex layouts, and profile memory usage with Chrome DevTools.
Frequently asked questions
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