Tauri
Open SourceOpen-source toolkit and scaffold (create-tauri-app) for tiny, fast, secure desktop and mobile apps — any web frontend (React, Vue, Svelte) over a Rust core, using the OS webview for apps measured in megabytes, not hundreds.
Why we recommend Tauri
Tauri is the structural answer to Electron's weight: instead of bundling Chromium, it renders your web frontend in the operating system's own webview and runs application logic in a Rust core, producing binaries routinely under 10 MB with dramatically lower memory use. `create-tauri-app` scaffolds the pairing with whatever frontend you already use — React, Svelte, Vue, vanilla Vite — and capabilities (filesystem, shell, notifications) are exposed through an explicit, allowlisted permission system that makes the security model auditable rather than implicit. With Tauri 2, the same project targets iOS and Android, making it a credible one-codebase story for desktop + mobile utilities.
Best use cases
Best for: developers who want native-feeling utilities without shipping a browser, security-conscious tools where the permission allowlist is a selling point, Rust-curious web developers (the frontend needs no Rust; the escape hatch is there when needed), and apps where download size affects conversion.
Honest limitations
Not for: pixel-identical cross-platform rendering — using each OS's webview means WebKit/WebView2 inconsistencies are your QA burden, the exact problem Electron pays 100 MB to avoid. Native-API work beyond the plugin ecosystem requires actual Rust. Mobile support is newer than desktop; expect rough edges.
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