Photino
A lightweight open-source framework for building native, cross-platform desktop applications using Web UI technology.
What is Photino?
Photino is a lightweight open-source framework for building native, cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies for the user interface. It solves the problem of creating efficient desktop apps that are significantly smaller and less resource-intensive than traditional frameworks like Electron, by leveraging the OS's built-in WebKit browser control.
Developers building desktop applications who want to use web UI frameworks (like Blazor, React, Angular, or Vue) but need a lightweight, cross-platform solution with native performance.
Developers choose Photino for its extreme lightweight nature—apps are up to 110 times smaller than Electron—and its ability to integrate with natively compiled languages and modern web frameworks without the overhead of a full browser engine.
Overview
Photino is a framework for creating native, cross-platform desktop applications that leverage web technologies for the user interface. It enables developers to use fast, natively compiled languages like C#, C++, and Java, along with popular web frameworks such as Blazor, React, Angular, and Vue, to build desktop apps that are significantly smaller and more memory-efficient than alternatives like Electron.
Key Features
- Ultra-Lightweight — Photino apps are up to 110 times smaller than Electron apps and consume far less system memory.
- Cross-Platform Native — Builds native desktop applications for Windows, macOS, and Linux using the OS's built-in WebKit-based browser control.
- Web UI Integration — Use any modern web UI framework (Blazor, React, Angular, Vue, etc.) to design the application interface.
- Native Language Support — Develop with natively compiled languages like C#, C++, and Java, leveraging frameworks such as .NET 6.
Philosophy
Photino prioritizes minimalism and efficiency, providing a lightweight alternative to heavier desktop application frameworks by utilizing existing OS components and enabling web technology integration without the bloat.
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