Astrodon
A desktop app framework for Deno that uses Tauri to create webview-based applications.
What is Astrodon?
Astrodon is a desktop application framework built for Deno that uses Tauri to create native webview-based apps. It allows developers to build cross-platform desktop software using web technologies for the frontend and Deno for the backend, compiling to standalone executables.
Deno developers looking to create desktop applications without switching to other runtimes, and web developers seeking a lightweight alternative to Electron for native app development.
It combines Deno's modern runtime with Tauri's security and performance, offering TypeScript out-of-the-box, a smaller footprint than Electron, and the ability to leverage Deno's permission system and module ecosystem.
Overview
Make Desktop apps with Deno 🦕
Use Cases
Best For
- Building lightweight desktop apps with Deno and web technologies
- Creating cross-platform native applications using Tauri and webviews
- Developing secure desktop software with built-in TypeScript support
- Packaging Deno scripts as standalone executable desktop applications
- Prototyping desktop apps quickly with a modern JavaScript/TypeScript stack
Not Ideal For
- Projects requiring active maintenance and long-term support
- Teams needing immediate and stable MacOS compatibility
- Applications relying on a mature ecosystem with extensive plugins
- Developers seeking a production-ready framework out-of-the-box
Pros & Cons
Pros
Leverages Deno's built-in TypeScript support and security permissions, enabling modern development without additional tooling.
Uses Tauri to create webview-based apps, resulting in smaller executable sizes compared to Electron, reducing bloat.
Compiles apps to standalone executables for Windows and Linux, with potential for MacOS support, though incomplete.
Facilitates seamless data exchange between webview frontends and Deno backends, simplifying app logic integration.
Cons
The framework is no longer actively developed, posing risks for bug fixes, security updates, and compatibility with newer Deno or Tauri versions.
Key features like Web Workers, a plugin system, and TypeScript background checking are missing or not implemented, as noted in the README's to-do list.
Requires installing Rust and Tauri dependencies, adding overhead compared to more integrated or simpler desktop frameworks.
With the project unmaintained, documentation is likely outdated, and community support is minimal, increasing the learning curve.
Open Source Alternative To
Astrodon is an open-source alternative to the following products:
Frequently Asked Questions
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