Creating cross-platform desktop applications from web applications is a popular task for developers. If you need to package your web app into executables for Windows (EXE) or macOS (DMG), there are several proven solutions to help. In this article, we will look at the best tools to package your web application into EXE and DMG formats.
Electron: the most popular packaging tool
Electron is a framework that allows you to package web applications into desktop applications. It uses Chromium for UI rendering and Node.js to handle server-side logic, making it a powerful tool for creating desktop applications. Electron allows you to create EXEs for Windows and DMGs for macOS.
How it works:
- For Windows, you create a file with an .exe extension that you can easily distribute.
- For macOS, a .dmg is created, which provides easy installation through a graphical interface.
Benefits:
- Broad web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript).
- Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux).
- Large ecosystem and documentation.
Disadvantages:
- Electron applications can take up a lot of space (100+ MB) and require significant system resources.
Tauri: a lightweight and fast framework
Tauri is a newer and lighter tool for building desktop applications from web applications. It uses system web components for UI rendering and Rust for the server side, which significantly reduces application size and improves performance.
How it works:
- Tauri generates EXE and DMG files that can be used for Windows and macOS respectively.
- A Tauri application can be significantly smaller in size (10-20 MB) than similar Electron applications.
Advantages:
- Small application size.
- High performance.
- Support for modern security standards.
Disadvantages:
- Not as large an ecosystem as Electron.
- Fewer out-of-the-box solutions and plugins.
NW.js: an alternative for Node.js developers
NW.js (formerly Node-Webkit) is another tool for packaging web applications into desktop applications. It allows you to use Node.js to access local resources and WebKit to render the interface.
How it works:
- NW.js creates EXE and DMG files, just like Electron, and allows you to run web applications with access to the file system and local databases.
Benefits:
- Easy access to Node.js APIs and web technologies.
- Cross-platform and support for multiple operating systems.
Disadvantages:
- Large application sizes.
- Less support and documentation compared to Electron.
Conclusion
For packaging web applications in EXE and DMG, the best tools are Electron, Tauri and NW.js. If you need lightweight and high performance, choose Tauri. For projects with more complex requirements and a broad ecosystem, Electron is the way to go. If you need a simple solution with access to Node.js, try NW.js.
The choice of tool depends on your priorities: performance, application size, or availability of out-of-the-box solutions and community support.
