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Mark Maher Eweida
Mark Maher Eweida

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TAURI vs. Electron (WTH???)

#electron #flutter #node #software

today we're going to talk about the fierce competitor that has entered the scene and started stealing the spotlight: Tauri! 🚀
If you're thinking of building a desktop app, you have to hear about Tauri.

So, what is Tauri and how is it different from Electron?

Simply put, Tauri is a framework that lets you create applications for all operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux) and also for mobile (Android, iOS) using the same web technologies you love (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or any framework like React, Vue, Svelte).

The fundamental differences that make it much more powerful than Electron are:

  1. Performance & Size:
    This is its biggest advantage. Its applications are very small in size (can be as little as 2MB!) and consume far less RAM. The reason is that it uses the operating system's native webview, unlike Electron, which comes bundled with a full copy of the Chromium browser.

  2. Android & iOS Support:
    This is the point that makes it an absolute beast! Tauri is no longer just for the desktop; it now officially supports Android and iOS. This means with a single codebase, you can produce an app that runs on 5 different platforms. This is a massive feature that puts it in direct competition with Flutter and React Native as well.

  3. Security:
    Tauri was designed from the ground up with security as a priority. It gives you full control over the permissions your application can access on the user's machine, making it more secure by default.

  4. The Backend:
    The backend in Tauri is written in the very powerful Rust language, which is known for its incredible speed and memory safety, giving your application a tremendous performance boost.

So, what's the bottom line? Which is better?

  • Electron: Still a good choice if your project is for desktop only, your team is entirely JavaScript-focused, and app size and memory consumption aren't your biggest concerns.
  • Tauri: It is, by all measures, the future. If performance, small size, security, and mobile support are your priorities, then the choice is clear and there's no comparison.

Honestly, with this mobile support, Tauri is no longer just an alternative to Electron; it has become an all-in-one solution for almost everything.

What do you guys think of this shift? And does this make you consider using it in your next project? 👇

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