Web to Desktop framework comparison

This repository was made to create an objective comparison of multiple framework that grant us to "transform" our web app to desktop application formats.

Table Of Content

• Major characteristics
• Operating systems
• Benchmarks
  • 01 - Empty app
  • 02 - Empty app (Frameless)

Major characteristics

	Electron	NW.JS	Tauri	NodeGui	Neutralino	Flutter	.Net MAUI
Github stars	104k	39.2k	52k	8k	6.1k	145.6k	17.2k
Forks	13.9k	4k	1.3k	0.2k	0.3k	23.4k	1.1k
Creation date	2013	2011	2019	2019	2018	2018	2020
Last Update	2021	2021	2021	2021	2021	2021	2021
Framework Language	C++, JS, Objective-C, Python	C++	Rust	C++	C++	C, C++, Dart	C#
Usage Language - Back	JS, C++	JS, C++	Rust	JS, C++	JS, C++	Dart	C#
Usage Language - Front	HTML, CSS, JS	HTML, CSS, JS	HTML, CSS, JS	HTML, CSS, JS	HTML, CSS, JS	Dart	C#
License	MIT	MIT	MIT	MIT	MIT	BSD 3-Clause	MIT
Developer Dependencies	Node.js, Electron NPM Package	Node.js, NW.JS SDK	C++ Compiler, Node.js, Rustc, Cargo	Cmake, make, Node.js, NodeGUI NPM Package	Node.js, Neu NPM Package	Flutter SDK, Visual Studio 2019 / Clang	.Net SDK, Visual Studio (optional), WebView2 (optional), Xcode (optional)
User Dependencies	None	None	None	None	None	None	None
Dependencies / modules support	npm & node.js native addons	npm & node.js native addons	cargo	npm & node.js native addons	❌	pub.dev	NuGet
Engine	Chromium	Webkit, Chromium	WRY (WebKitGTK for Linux, WebKit for MacOS, Webview2 for Windows)	Qt	WebkitGTK+	Flutter engine	.NET MAUI

Operating systems support

		Electron	NW.JS	Tauri	NodeGui	Neutralino	Flutter	.Net MAUI
Developement Environment	Windows	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
	MacOS	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
	Linux	✔️1	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
Target Environment	Windows	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
	MacOS	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️
	Linux	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	✔️	Soon
	Android	❌	Requested	Soon2	❌	❌	✔️	✔️
	iOS	❌	❌	In progress2	❌	❌	✔️	✔️
	tvOS	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✔️
	Web	❌	❌	❌	❌	✔️3	✔️	❌

¹: Linux 32 Bit support dropped
²: https://github.com/tauri-apps/tauri#platforms
³: Uses modes to generate web apps

Benchmarks

See benchmarks.json to get more informations about following data.

Note: These benchmarks are done on Github CI, there are measures to have measurements more accurates (e.g. multiple runs), but it will never exactly be accurate, as it totally depends on system load and resources. You should read these tables as comparision between frameworks on a same OS/Arch/App with a margin of error.

01-empty-app

See source in benchmark/01-empty-app folder.

Build size

	Electron	NW.JS	Tauri	NodeGui	Neutralino	Flutter	.Net MAUI
Windows (x64)	≈226MB	≈317MB	≈3MB	≈171MB	≈2MB	?	?
Windows (x86)	≈202MB	≈288MB	?	?	?	?	?
Windows (ARM64)	≈226MB	Requested	?	?	?	?	?
MacOS (x64)	≈358MB	≈488MB	≈6MB	?	≈1MB	?	?
MacOS (arm64)	≈343MB	?	?	?	?	?	?
Linux (x64)	≈231MB	≈423MB	≈6MB	≈236MB	≈1MB	?	?
Linux (x86)	?	≈421MB	?	?	?	?	?
Linux (ARMv7l)	≈168MB	Requested	?	?	?	?	?
Linux (ARM64)	≈236MB	Requested	?	?	≈1MB	?	?

Build time

	Electron	NW.JS	Tauri	NodeGui	Neutralino	Flutter	.Net MAUI
Windows (x64)	≈3929ms	≈19063ms	≈378894ms	≈13103ms	≈1000ms	?	?
Windows (x86)	≈3929ms	≈19063ms	?	?	?	?	?
Windows (ARM64)	≈3929ms	Requested	?	?	?	?	?
MacOS (x64)	≈22203ms	≈19063ms	≈616264ms	?	≈1000ms	?	?
MacOS (arm64)	≈22203ms	?	?	?	?	?	?
Linux (x64)	≈2516ms	≈19063ms	≈435624ms	≈45638ms	≈1000ms	?	?
Linux (x86)	?	≈19063ms	?	?	?	?	?
Linux (ARMv7l)	≈2516ms	Requested	?	?	?	?	?
Linux (ARM64)	≈2516ms	Requested	?	?	≈1000ms	?	?

Memory Usage

	Electron	NW.JS	Tauri	NodeGui	Neutralino	Flutter	.Net MAUI
Windows (x64)	≈68MB (Debug) => ≈84MB (Release)	≈63MB (Debug) => ≈52MB (Release)	≈43MB (Debug) => ≈23MB (Release)	≈133MB (Debug)	≈49MB (Debug)	≈256MB (Debug)	≈5MB (Debug)
MacOS (x64)	≈63MB (Debug) => ≈63MB (Release)	≈45MB (Debug) => ≈75MB (Release)	≈48MB (Debug) => ≈29MB (Release)	≈125MB (Debug)	≈73MB (Debug) => ≈27MB (Release)	≈142MB (Debug)	≈25MB (Debug)
Linux (x64)	≈117MB (Debug) => ≈111MB (Release)	≈84MB (Debug) => ≈53MB (Release)	≈160MB (Debug) => ≈156MB (Release)	≈154MB (Debug)	≈168MB (Debug) => ≈177MB (Release)	≈407MB (Debug)	≈11MB (Debug)

Start duration

	Electron	NW.JS	Tauri	NodeGui	Neutralino	Flutter	.Net MAUI
Windows (x64)	≈146ms (Debug) => ≈108ms (Release)	?	≈123ms (Debug) => ≈82ms (Release)	?	?	?	?
MacOS (x64)	≈524ms (Debug) => ≈266ms (Release)	?	≈622ms (Debug) => ≈686ms (Release)	?	?	?	?
Linux (x64)	≈99ms (Debug) => ≈94ms (Release)	?	≈226ms (Debug) => ≈184ms (Release)	?	?	?	?

02-empty-app-frameless

See source in benchmark/02-empty-app-frameless folder.

Build size

	Electron	NW.JS	Tauri	NodeGui	Neutralino	Flutter	.Net MAUI
Windows (x64)	≈226MB	≈317MB	≈3MB	≈171MB	≈2MB	N/A1	N/A2
Windows (x86)	≈202MB	≈288MB	?	?	?	N/A1	N/A2
Windows (ARM64)	≈226MB	Requested	?	?	?	N/A1	N/A2
MacOS (x64)	≈358MB	≈488MB	≈6MB	?	≈1MB	N/A1	N/A2
MacOS (arm64)	≈343MB	?	?	?	?	N/A1	N/A2
Linux (x64)	≈231MB	≈423MB	≈6MB	≈236MB	≈1MB	N/A1	N/A2
Linux (x86)	?	≈421MB	?	?	?	N/A1	N/A2
Linux (ARMv7l)	≈168MB	Requested	?	?	?	N/A1	N/A2
Linux (ARM64)	≈236MB	Requested	?	?	≈1MB	N/A1	N/A2

Build time

	Electron	NW.JS	Tauri	NodeGui	Neutralino	Flutter	.Net MAUI
Windows (x64)	≈3851ms	≈11222ms	≈402777ms	≈13647ms	≈642ms	N/A1	N/A2
Windows (x86)	≈3851ms	≈11222ms	?	?	?	N/A1	N/A2
Windows (ARM64)	≈3851ms	Requested	?	?	?	N/A1	N/A2
MacOS (x64)	≈16618ms	≈11222ms	≈589110ms	?	≈642ms	N/A1	N/A2
MacOS (arm64)	≈16618ms	?	?	?	?	N/A1	N/A2
Linux (x64)	≈2900ms	≈11222ms	≈545417ms	≈53247ms	≈642ms	N/A1	N/A2
Linux (x86)	?	≈11222ms	?	?	?	N/A1	N/A2
Linux (ARMv7l)	≈2900ms	Requested	?	?	?	N/A1	N/A2
Linux (ARM64)	≈2900ms	Requested	?	?	≈642ms	N/A1	N/A2

Memory Usage

	Electron	NW.JS	Tauri	NodeGui	Neutralino	Flutter	.Net MAUI
Windows (x64)	≈65MB (Debug) => ≈81MB (Release)	≈77MB (Debug) => ≈48MB (Release)	≈42MB (Debug) => ≈21MB (Release)	≈104MB (Debug)	≈49MB (Debug)	N/A1	N/A2
MacOS (x64)	≈65MB (Debug) => ≈64MB (Release)	≈45MB (Debug) => ≈75MB (Release)	≈47MB (Debug) => ≈27MB (Release)	≈132MB (Debug)	≈72MB (Debug) => ≈27MB (Release)	N/A1	N/A2
Linux (x64)	≈114MB (Debug) => ≈109MB (Release)	≈77MB (Debug) => ≈53MB (Release)	≈154MB (Debug) => ≈154MB (Release)	≈118MB (Debug)	≈166MB (Debug) => ≈175MB (Release)	N/A1	N/A2

Start duration

	Electron	NW.JS	Tauri	NodeGui	Neutralino	Flutter	.Net MAUI
Windows (x64)	≈174ms (Debug) => ≈91ms (Release)	?	≈120ms (Debug) => ≈99ms (Release)	?	?	N/A1	N/A2
MacOS (x64)	≈473ms (Debug) => ≈302ms (Release)	?	≈444ms (Debug) => ≈300ms (Release)	?	?	N/A1	N/A2
Linux (x64)	≈105ms (Debug) => ≈101ms (Release)	?	≈286ms (Debug) => ≈235ms (Release)	?	?	N/A1	N/A2

¹: Frameless mode not supported yet
²: Frameless mode not working

Future content

TODO:

• WebGL Support
• Build constraints
• Source code protection
• Modules support (npm, native, etc.)

Benchmarks ideas:

• BabylonJS scene
• spreadsheet
• IDE