neutralinojs
A lightweight cross-platform desktop app framework using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS without bundling Chromium.
What is neutralinojs?
Neutralinojs is a lightweight and portable desktop application development framework that enables developers to build cross-platform desktop apps using web technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. It solves the problem of bloated desktop apps by not bundling Chromium and instead using the operating system's native web browser library, resulting in smaller and faster applications. Apps built with Neutralinojs can run on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web, and Chrome from a single codebase.
Developers who want to create lightweight, resource-efficient desktop applications using their existing web development skills without the overhead of embedded Chromium and Node.js. It is particularly suited for those targeting multiple platforms, including desktop and web, from a single project.
Developers choose Neutralinojs over alternatives like Electron because it offers a minimal, fast, and portable SDK that avoids the bloat of bundling Chromium and Node.js, leading to smaller app sizes and quicker build times. Its unique selling point is leveraging the OS's native web browser and providing extensibility through any programming language via IPC, making it highly flexible and efficient.
Overview
Portable and lightweight cross-platform desktop application development framework
Use Cases
Best For
- Building lightweight desktop applications where small binary size and low resource consumption are critical.
- Developing cross-platform desktop apps that need to run on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web, and Chrome from a single codebase.
- Creating desktop applications quickly with fast build processes that involve no compilation and complete in less than a second.
- Extending desktop app functionality with custom native code using any programming language via extensions IPC.
- Integrating web technologies like React, Vue, or Angular into desktop apps without the overhead of Electron.
- Developing portable desktop apps that use the operating system's existing web browser library to avoid bundling Chromium.
Not Ideal For
- Applications requiring consistent, modern web rendering across all platforms without browser engine discrepancies
- Teams needing a vast library of pre-built desktop UI components or a mature plugin ecosystem
- Projects where deep, out-of-the-box integration with Node.js modules is essential
Pros & Cons
Pros
Avoids bundling Chromium by using the OS's native web browser library (e.g., gtk-webkit2 on Linux), resulting in significantly smaller app sizes compared to Electron.
Build process involves no compilation and completes in less than a second, as demonstrated by the 'neu build' command in the README.
Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Web, and Chrome from a single codebase, enabling wide deployment with minimal adjustments.
Supports extending functionality via extensions IPC with any programming language, offering flexibility for custom native operations.
Cons
Relies on the operating system's web browser library, which can lead to inconsistent web standards support and compatibility issues across different systems.
Offers a more minimal native API compared to Electron, often requiring custom extensions for advanced desktop features like system tray or file dialogs.
Has a smaller community and fewer pre-built extensions or templates, meaning developers might need to build more functionality from scratch.
Open Source Alternative To
neutralinojs is an open-source alternative to the following products:
NW.js (formerly Node-WebKit) is a framework for building desktop applications using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, combining Node.js and Chromium.
Electron is an open-source framework for building cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Projects
electron:electron: Build cross-platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS
nw.jsCall all Node.js modules directly from DOM/WebWorker and enable a new way of writing applications with all Web technologies.
wailsCreate beautiful applications using Go
angular-electronUltra-fast bootstrapping with Angular and Electron :speedboat:
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