
With them in mind, let’s see how the other approaches compare with Electron. Moreover, some believe that the NPM ecosystem is less secure than other counterparts. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that way, as Electron provides Context Isolation to shield the renderer from NodeJS APIs. If not properly configured, web pages running inside Electron can gain access to the entire system, which is particularly dangerous when displaying third-party websites. Worse security: Compared to the average website running on your web browser, Electron apps are incredibly more powerful (and dangerous) thanks to the NodeJS integration.Due to the fragmentation of GUI frameworks on other platforms (especially Windows), non-macOS users are usually more tolerant of apps not sharing the same look and feel. Unsurprisingly, this complaint usually comes from macOS users, where a single “native” framework exists: Cocoa. On one hand, that gives complete freedom to designers, but on the other, the app looks different from the “native” ones. Lack of native UI/UX: Electron renders webpages and not native controls.Did you notice that most desktop apps that feel snappy don’t include any animation? Just because you can with Electron, doesn’t mean you should. Overuse of animations, for example, can substantially increase the CPU usage and thus make the app feel slower. Slow: Some Electron apps are definitely slow, but that can depend on many factors.
Electron mac os framework full#

High RAM consumption: Electron apps tend to use a minimum of 80 MB of RAM, with lightweight apps in the 130-250 MB range and monsters like Slack sometimes reaching multi-GB values.Perhaps, in the end, you will agree with me: Electron is not that bad.īefore jumping to the various alternatives, we first need to define the main Electron’s downsides people usually complain about: Ultimately, you will have a basic understanding of the different alternatives and their ideal use-cases. This article is all about discussing the different approaches you can use to create cross-platform applications, along with their pros and cons. Over time, I developed the idea that Electron is a necessary evil, something that is (surprisingly) superior to the alternatives for many use-cases.

Having worked on desktop development myself for a couple of years both professionally and for fun, I enjoy reading discussions about this topic and trying out different approaches.

That said, Electron often receives a great deal of criticism, especially among developers. Unlimited flexibility when it comes to rich user interfaces.
Electron mac os framework code#
