Electron — Free & Open Source for Startups

Deal Highlights

Electron — Build Cross-Platform Desktop Apps With Web Technologies

Electron is the framework behind VS Code, Slack, Discord, Figma, and Notion — enabling developers to build desktop applications using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Write once, run on Windows, macOS, and Linux with native OS integration.

The Desktop App Framework

Electron bundles Chromium and Node.js into a desktop application shell. Your web app becomes a native desktop app with access to the file system, system tray, notifications, auto-updates, and OS-level shortcuts.

Used by the Biggest Apps

VS Code, Slack, Discord, Figma, Notion, Spotify (desktop), WhatsApp Desktop, Twitch, and GitHub Desktop are all built with Electron. It is the proven choice for cross-platform desktop apps.

Trade-offs

Electron apps are larger (100-200MB) and use more memory than native apps because they bundle Chromium. For apps where cross-platform reach matters more than install size, this trade-off is worth it. For size-sensitive apps, consider Tauri.

Electron vs Tauri

Tauri produces 10-100x smaller apps by using the system webview instead of bundling Chromium. Electron has a larger ecosystem and more mature tooling. Tauri for size-conscious apps. Electron for maximum compatibility.

Getting Started

1. Install Electron: npm install electron
2. Create a main process (Node.js) and renderer (HTML/CSS/JS)
3. Build your UI with any web framework
4. Package with electron-builder for all platforms

Pricing

Free and open-source. Maintained by GitHub/Microsoft.

Who Is This Deal For?

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about this startup deal.