Tauri
A lightweight alternative to Electron for desktop apps. Tauri uses the OS's native webview (not bundled Chromium) + a Rust backend. Apps are 10-20x smaller and faster than Electron. Used by notable apps. Requires Rust knowledge for the backend.
Daniel Thompson-Yvetot, Lucas Nogueira · Created Tauri in 2019
- Desktop apps where size/performance matters.
- When you can write Rust.
- Security-focused apps.
- Cross-platform with small bundles.
- When you can't write Rust.
- When Electron's maturity matters.
- When webview compatibility is a risk.
Definition
Tauri uses the OS's native webview (WKWebView on macOS, WebView2 on Windows, WebKitGTK on Linux) instead of bundling Chromium. The backend is Rust — fast, safe, small. Frontend is any web framework (React, Vue, Svelte). IPC between webview and Rust.
Why it exists
Electron bundles Chromium (100+ MB apps, high memory). Tauri uses the OS webview (much smaller) and Rust (fast, safe). Better performance, smaller size, better security.
How it works
Frontend: any web framework in the webview. Backend: Rust handles OS APIs, file system, networking. #[tauri::command] exposes Rust functions to JS. IPC between webview and Rust. tauri build compiles to platform binaries. Smaller, faster than Electron.
Scaling limits
Requires Rust for backend logic (learning curve). Webview differences between platforms (WebKit quirks). Smaller ecosystem. Some Electron features are more complex.
Cost shape
Free and open source.
Alternatives
- Electron — More mature, JS backend, but heavy.
- Flutter Desktop — Dart, consistent UI, smaller desktop ecosystem.
- Native — Best performance, platform-specific code.