Compare Electron and Tauri for building desktop apps: size, performance, language, licensing, and mobile support.
electron
C++
tauri
Rust
Bottom line
Electron offers a mature, battle‑tested ecosystem with broad community support and is ideal for teams comfortable with JavaScript/HTML/CSS and C++ tooling. Tauri delivers smaller binaries, lower resource usage, and built‑in mobile support, making it a better fit for performance‑conscious projects or security‑focused apps or teams already using Rust. Choose Electron for maximum plugin availability and long‑term stability; choose Tauri when bundle size, speed, and native mobile targets are priorities.
How each project is built and who it suits best.
Build cross‑platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
Stack
Install
low
Deploy
binary
Learning
intermediate
Build smaller, faster, and more secure desktop and mobile applications with a web frontend.
Stack
Install
low
Deploy
binary
Learning
intermediate
You need the smallest possible installer and low memory footprint
Tauri’s binaries are megabytes‑sized and use the system webview, avoiding Chromium overhead.
Pick tauriYour team wants to leverage existing JavaScript/HTML/CSS skills without learning a new systems language
Electron lets you write the whole UI in familiar web technologies while accessing native APIs via Node.js.
Pick electronYou target iOS or Android in addition to desktop
Tauri officially supports mobile platforms via the same Rust backend and webview stack.
Pick tauriYou require a vast library of community plugins and boilerplates
Electron’s long history has produced a rich ecosystem of ready‑made modules and sample apps.
Pick electronYou prefer a permissive dual license that allows both MIT and Apache‑2.0 usage
Tauri’s code is offered under MIT or Apache‑2.0, giving flexibility for commercial projects.
Pick tauri| Dimension | electron | tauri |
|---|---|---|
| Self‑hosted | ||
| Install complexity | low | low |
| Typical binary size | large | small |
| Runtime resource usage | higher | lower |
| Primary language | C++ | Rust |
| License | MIT | MIT/Apache-2.0 |
| Desktop platform support | macOS, Windows, Linux | Windows 7+, macOS 10.15+, Linux |
| Mobile platform support | yes (iOS/Android) | |
| Documentation translations | yes (many languages via Crowdin) | limited (English primary) |
| Community chat | Discord | Discord |
Build cross‑platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
Best for: Teams that want a mature, widely‑adopted framework; Projects that need extensive plugin and boilerplate ecosystems
Skip if: You are concerned about large binary sizes and high memory usage; You lack operational capacity to manage self‑hosted builds
C++ · 122.2k stars · Health 95
Build smaller, faster, and more secure desktop and mobile applications with a web frontend.
Best for: Teams that prioritize tiny binary footprint and low memory usage; Projects that want built‑in auto‑updater, system tray, and native menus
Skip if: You need a huge selection of third‑party Electron‑specific plugins; Your team has no Rust experience and wants immediate productivity
Rust · 109.5k stars · Health 90
