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Electron (software framework)
Electron (software framework)
Electron (software framework)
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Electron
Original authorGitHub
DeveloperOpenJS Foundation
Initial release15 July 2013; 12 years ago (2013-07-15)[1]
Stable release
36.2.0[2] / May 7, 2025; 5 months ago (2025-05-07)
Preview release
37.0.0-alpha.3[3] / May 5, 2025; 5 months ago (2025-05-05)
Repository
Written inC++, JavaScript, Objective-C++ and Objective-C
Operating systemLinux, macOS, and Windows
PlatformIA-32, x86-64, ARM
LicenseMIT License[4]
Websitewww.electronjs.org Edit this at Wikidata

Electron (formerly known as Atom Shell[5]) is a free and open-source software framework developed and maintained by OpenJS Foundation.[6] The framework is designed to create desktop applications using web technologies (mainly HTML, CSS and JavaScript, although other technologies such as front-end frameworks and WebAssembly are possible) that are rendered using a version of the Chromium browser engine and a back end using the Node.js runtime environment.[7] It also uses various APIs to enable functionality such as native integration with Node.js services and an inter-process communication module.

Electron was originally built for Atom[5] and is the main GUI framework behind several other open-source projects including GitHub Desktop, Light Table,[8] Visual Studio Code, WordPress Desktop,[9] and Eclipse Theia.[10]

Architecture

[edit]

Electron applications include a "main" process and several "renderer" processes. The main process runs the logic for the application (e.g., menus, shell commands, lifecycle events), and can then launch multiple renderer processes by instantiating an instance of the BrowserWindow class, which loads a window that appears on the screen by rendering HTML and CSS.[citation needed]

Both the main and renderer processes can run with Node.js integration if the nodeIntegration field in the main process is set to true.[citation needed]

Most of Electron's APIs are written in C++ or Objective-C and are exposed directly to the application code through JavaScript bindings.[11]

History

[edit]

In September 2021, Electron moved to an eight-week release cycle between major versions to match the release cycle of Chromium Extended Stable and to comply with a new requirement from the Microsoft Store that requires browser-based apps to be within two major versions of the latest release of the browser engine.[12]

Electron frequently releases new major versions along every other Chromium release. The latest three stable versions are supported by the Electron team.[13]

Version history
Release Status Release date End of life date Chromium version Node.js version Module version N-API version ICU version
Unsupported: v1.8.x Unsupported: End-of-Life 12 December 2017 20 December 2018 59 8.2 57 ? ?
Unsupported: v2.0.x Unsupported: End-of-Life 1 May 2018 24 April 2019 61 8.9 57 ? ?
Unsupported: v3.1.x Unsupported: End-of-Life 18 September 2018 29 July 2019 66 10.2 64 3 ?
Unsupported: v4.2.x Unsupported: End-of-Life 20 December 2018 22 October 2019 69 10.11 69 3 62.2
Unsupported: v5.1.x Unsupported: End-of-Life 24 April 2019 4 February 2020 73 12.0 70 4 63.1
Unsupported: v6.1.x Unsupported: End-of-Life 29 July 2019 18 May 2020 76 12.4 73 4 64.2
Unsupported: v7.3.x Unsupported: End-of-Life 22 October 2019 25 August 2020 78 12.8 75 4 64.2
Unsupported: v8.3.x Unsupported: End-of-Life 4 February 2020 16 November 2020 80 12.13 76 5 65.1
Unsupported: v9.4.x Unsupported: End-of-Life 18 May 2020 2 March 2021 83 12.14 80 5 65.1
Unsupported: v10.4.x Unsupported: End-of-Life 25 August 2020 25 May 2021 85 12.16 82 5 65.1
Unsupported: v11.4.x Unsupported: End-of-Life 16 November 2020 30 August 2021 87 12.18 85 5 65.1
Unsupported: v12.0.x Unsupported: End-of-Life 2 March 2021 15 November 2021[14] 89 14.16 87 7 68.1
Unsupported: v13.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 25 May 2021 31 January 2022[15] 91 14.16 89 7 68.1
Unsupported: v14.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 30 August 2021 29 March 2022[16] 92 14.17 89 8 69.1
Unsupported: v15.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 21 September 2021 24 May 2022[17] 94 16.5 98 ? ?
Unsupported: v16.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 15 November 2021[14] 24 May 2022[17] 96 16.9 99 ? ?
Unsupported: v17.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 1 February 2022[15] 2 August 2022 98 16.13 101 ? ?
Unsupported: v18.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 29 March 2022[16] 26 September 2022[18] 100 16.13 103 ? ?
Unsupported: v19.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 24 May 2022[17] 29 November 2022[19] 102 16.14 106 ? ?
Unsupported: v20.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 2 August 2022[20] 7 February 2023 104 16.15 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v21.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 26 September 2022[18] 4 April 2023 106 16.16 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v22.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 30 November 2022[19] 10 October 2023 108 16.17 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v23.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 30 November 2022[21] 15 August 2023 110 18.12 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v24.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 4 April 2023[22] 10 October 2023 112 18.14 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v25.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 30 May 2023[23] 5 December 2023 114 18.15 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v26.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 15 August 2023[24] 20 February 2024 116 18.16 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v27.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 10 October 2023[25] 16 April 2024 118 18.17 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v28.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 5 December 2023[26] 11 June 2024 120 18.18 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v29.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 20 February 2024 20 August 2024 122 20.9 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v30.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 16 April 2024 15 October 2024 124 20.11 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v31.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 11 June 2024 7 January 2025 126 20.14 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v32.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 20 August 2024 4 March 2025 128 20.16 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v33.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 15 October 2024[27] 29 April 2025 130 20.18 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v34.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 14 January 2025[28] 24 June 2025 132 20.18 ? ? ?
Unsupported: v35.x.y Unsupported: End-of-Life 4 March 2025[29] 2 September 2025 134 22.14 ? ? ?
Supported: v36.x.y Supported: Active 29 April 2025[30] 28 October 2025 136 22.14 ? ? ?
Supported: v37.x.y Supported: Active 24 June 2025[31] 13 January 2026 138 22.16 ? ? ?
Latest version: v38.x.y Latest version: Current 2 September 2025[32] 10 March 2026 140 22.18 ? ? ?
Preview version: v39.x.y Preview version: Prerelease 28 October 2025[33] 5 May 2026 142 TBD ? ? ?
Future version: v40x.y Future version: Nightly TBD[34] TBD TBD TBD ? ? ?

Usage

[edit]
Main article: List of software using Electron

Desktop applications built with Electron include Atom,[35] balenaEtcher,[36] Discord, Slack,[37] and Visual Studio Code.[38][39] The Brave browser was based on Electron before it was rewritten to use Chromium directly[40], while Microsoft Teams used Electron before 2.0.[41][42]

Reception

[edit]

The most common criticism of Electron is that it necessitates software bloat when used for simple programs.[43] As a result, Michael Larabel has referred to the framework as "notorious among most Linux desktop users for being resource heavy, not integrating well with most desktops, and generally being despised."[44] Researchers have shown that Electron's large feature set can be hijacked by bad actors with write access to the source JavaScript files. This requires root access on *nix systems and is not considered to be a vulnerability by the Electron developers.[45] Those who are concerned that Electron is not always based on the newest version of Chromium have recommended progressive web applications as an alternative.[46]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Electron (software framework)

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Electron is an framework that enables developers to build cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies including , , and CSS. By embedding the browser engine for rendering user interfaces and for accessing native operating system APIs, Electron allows a single codebase to produce native-feeling apps that run on Windows, macOS, and without requiring platform-specific development expertise. Originally developed by GitHub engineers as Atom Shell in 2013 to power the Atom text editor, the project was renamed Electron within its first year due to broader interest and first publicly released in 2014. It has since evolved through regular updates aligned with Chromium's release cycle, reaching version 39 in 2025, with improvements in API stability, security, and tooling. Maintained under the OpenJS Foundation, Electron benefits from a community of over 1,300 contributors and, as of 2023, around 30 active maintainers who follow a structured governance model established in 2019, including working groups for releases, security, and API review. Electron's adoption has been widespread, powering hundreds of popular applications across categories such as productivity tools like Notion, , and ; developer environments including , Postman, and Hyper; communication platforms like and Slack; and utilities such as and Etcher. This framework's strength lies in leveraging existing skills for desktop software, though it has faced criticism for larger application sizes and resource usage compared to natively compiled alternatives. Electron apps tend to have larger file sizes because they bundle a full web browser engine (Chromium) and runtime (Node.js) along with numerous dependencies, often exceeding 100 MB even for simple applications.

Overview

Purpose and Capabilities

Electron is a framework designed for building desktop applications that mimic native software experiences using web technologies, primarily , CSS, and . This approach allows developers to leverage familiar web development tools and libraries to create robust applications without deep expertise in platform-specific programming languages. The core purpose of Electron is to facilitate cross-platform development, enabling the creation of applications that operate seamlessly on Windows, macOS, and from a unified , which significantly reduces the need for separate native implementations per operating system. By embedding for rendering and for backend capabilities, Electron bridges web content with desktop environments in a single binary distribution. Electron's key capabilities include rendering native-like user interfaces through Chromium's web engine, while providing access to operating system-level APIs via for tasks such as file handling, notifications, and menu systems. These features enable developers to integrate web-based frontends with essential desktop functionalities, supporting everything from simple utilities to complex tools like code editors and communication platforms. Among its high-level benefits, Electron accelerates development cycles for web developers entering the desktop space by capitalizing on the ubiquity of and the ecosystem, allowing rapid prototyping and deployment with a focus on stability and security. Maintained as an Impact Project under the since its graduation in June 2020, Electron benefits from sustained community governance and regular updates aligned with Chromium's stable releases.

Underlying Technologies

Electron leverages a combination of established web and runtime technologies to enable the development of desktop applications using web standards. At its core, the framework embeds the rendering engine, which is responsible for handling user interface rendering, ensuring compliance with modern web standards such as , CSS3, and APIs, and providing a browser-like environment within desktop applications. This integration allows developers to create rich, interactive interfaces that behave consistently across different operating systems without needing platform-specific UI toolkits. Complementing Chromium is the Node.js runtime, which extends JavaScript's capabilities beyond the browser to include server-side functionalities. Node.js enables access to low-level operating system APIs, such as file system operations, networking, and process management, all executed within the same JavaScript environment as the frontend code. This runtime integration facilitates backend logic for applications, including native module loading for performance-critical tasks, without requiring separate languages or compilation steps. Both Chromium and Node.js rely on the V8 JavaScript engine developed by Google, which serves as the common execution environment for JavaScript code across the rendering and backend components. V8 compiles JavaScript to native machine code for high performance, ensuring consistent behavior and optimization whether code runs in the renderer process for UI updates or in the main process for application logic. This shared engine minimizes discrepancies in JavaScript execution, allowing developers to use a unified codebase for both client-side and server-side features. The integration model of Electron bundles the rendering engine for frontend operations and the runtime for backend tasks into a single, self-contained executable binary. This packaging process embeds all necessary components, including the , directly into the application, enabling web technologies to interact seamlessly with operating system APIs while maintaining isolation between processes for security and stability. As a result, applications can be distributed as standalone files that run natively on macOS, Windows, and , without requiring users to install additional browsers or runtimes.

Architecture

Core Components

Electron's core components consist of several key modules that form the foundation of application development, primarily operating within the main process or renderer processes. The app module serves as the central controller for the application's lifecycle, handling initialization, startup, and termination events. It emits critical events such as ready, which signals when Electron has finished initializing and is prepared to create browser windows, and quit, which occurs during application shutdown. Developers use methods like app.quit() to programmatically exit the app and app.whenReady() to ensure readiness before proceeding with window creation. Complementing the app module, the BrowserWindow module enables the creation and management of application windows, providing fine-grained control over their appearance, behavior, and content loading. It allows instantiation of windows with customizable options, including dimensions, title bars, and fullscreen modes, via constructors like new BrowserWindow(options). Key methods include loadURL() for fetching remote content and loadFile() for local HTML files, alongside controls for resizing, focusing, and closing windows. The Menu module, meanwhile, facilitates the construction of native operating system menus, such as application menus and context menus, supporting accelerators and roles for platform-specific behaviors like keyboard shortcuts. It integrates with windows through Menu.setApplicationMenu() to set the top-level menu bar. For communication between processes, Electron provides the ipcMain and ipcRenderer modules, which enable asynchronous and synchronous messaging across the main and renderer threads. The ipcMain module, used in the main process, listens for messages from renderers via event emitters and methods like ipcMain.on(channel, listener), allowing replies through event.reply(). Conversely, the ipcRenderer module operates in renderer processes to send messages to the main process using ipcRenderer.send(channel, ...args) or invoke handlers with promises via ipcRenderer.invoke(). These modules ensure secure, channel-based without direct exposure of sensitive APIs. Additional essential components include the session module, which manages browser sessions encompassing , cache, and web requests; it provides access to session objects for clearing storage or setting proxies, ensuring isolated or persistent handling per partition. The webContents module interacts directly with content within a BrowserWindow, offering methods to execute , inject CSS, and monitor navigation events like did-finish-load. The protocol module supports the registration of custom URL schemes, such as app://, allowing interception and handling of requests to serve custom content or bypass standard protocols, which must be configured after the app ready event. These components interact cohesively to bridge web technologies with native desktop features: the main process, initialized via the app module, spawns renderer processes through BrowserWindow instances for rendering user interfaces, while ipcMain and ipcRenderer facilitate data exchange between them. Modules like session, webContents, and protocol extend renderer capabilities by managing network interactions and content manipulation, and Menu integrates OS-native elements, all leveraging Electron's embedded and runtimes for consistent cross-platform behavior.

Process Model

Electron employs a multi-process inspired by Chromium's design, which separates the application's core logic from its user interface rendering to enhance , stability, and . This model divides the runtime into distinct processes that operate independently, preventing issues in one from propagating to others, much like how modern web browsers handle tabs and the browser UI. The main process serves as the single entry point for an Electron application, executing in a environment and typically starting from a file such as main.js. It is responsible for managing the application's lifecycle, handling native elements like menus and dialogs, and overseeing the creation and control of renderer processes. For instance, modules from Electron's core components, such as BrowserWindow, are used in the main process to spawn and configure these renderer instances. Renderer processes, in contrast, are Chromium-based instances that run in sandboxed environments, with one typically dedicated to each application or web view. These processes execute the frontend code using , CSS, and , rendering the while remaining isolated from the main process and direct access to APIs. By design, renderers focus solely on web content presentation, leveraging Chromium's rendering engine to ensure consistent cross-platform behavior. Electron also supports utility processes, which are additional child processes spawned from the main process using the UtilityProcess API. These run in a environment, allowing access to Node.js modules and APIs, and are intended for handling CPU-intensive tasks, untrusted services, or components prone to crashes. Utility processes can communicate with renderer processes via MessagePort and provide an alternative to Node.js's child_process.fork() when with renderers is needed. Communication between the main and renderer processes occurs through (IPC), an asynchronous messaging system that uses predefined channels to exchange data without granting direct access between processes. This mechanism allows the main process to respond to events from renderers, such as user interactions, while maintaining strict separation to uphold security boundaries. From a security perspective, Electron's model incorporates and sandboxing to confine potential vulnerabilities within individual renderer , ensuring that a crash or exploit in one does not compromise the entire application or the main . Preload scripts further bolster this by enabling controlled exposure of functionalities to renderer contexts before the web content loads, using techniques like context isolation to prevent unauthorized access to privileged APIs. In terms of , the multi-process approach mirrors Chromium's strategy to mitigate single points of failure, allowing the application to remain responsive even if a renderer encounters issues like resource-intensive rendering or errors in web code. This isolation promotes overall stability by distributing workload across processes, reducing the risk of total app failure and enabling efficient resource management in desktop environments.

History

Development Origins

Electron was initially developed in 2013 by engineers at GitHub, including Cheng Zhao (also known as zcbenz), as a framework named Atom Shell to power the company's Atom text editor. The project stemmed from the need to create a lightweight, hackable text editor using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, while enabling access to native desktop APIs without requiring developers to write platform-specific code in languages such as C++ or Objective-C. This approach addressed limitations in existing tools like node-webkit (now NW.js) and the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF), by combining Node.js for backend capabilities with Chromium's rendering engine to form a unified runtime for cross-platform desktop applications. The first commit for Atom Shell occurred on March 13, 2013, marking the inception of its core architecture. An initial version, 0.1.0, was released internally in July 2013 to support early Atom development. Atom Shell was integrated directly into the Atom editor, which entered public beta in April 2014, demonstrating its viability for building performant, web-based desktop tools. This integration quickly sparked broader interest, as developers recognized its potential for creating hybrid web-to-desktop applications beyond text editing, leading to early experiments by the community. Due to the framework's growing popularity independent of Atom, it was rebranded as Electron on April 23, 2015, to reflect its standalone utility and attract wider adoption. Initially maintained under GitHub's stewardship, Electron transitioned to open-source governance under the in December 2019, ensuring neutral, community-driven development and long-term sustainability.

Release Timeline

Electron's release timeline follows a structured versioning scheme aligned with Chromium's development cycle, ensuring timely access to security updates and new web technologies. Since , Electron adheres to Semantic Versioning (SemVer), where major releases introduce breaking changes, minor releases add non-breaking features, and patch releases address bug fixes. Major versions are released every 8 weeks, matching Chromium's cadence since Electron 16, to incorporate the latest browser engine advancements. (LTS) versions receive active maintenance for 12 months, followed by 2 years of security updates only, with the project supporting the three most recent stable major versions at any time. The framework's first stable release, Electron 1.0, arrived on May 11, 2016, marking a milestone in API stability and providing a mature foundation for cross-platform desktop applications with improved documentation and tooling. This version embedded 49 and 7.4, enabling developers to build native-feeling apps without frequent breaking changes. Electron 5.0, released on April 23, 2019, introduced asynchronous improvements, including promisification of key modules like the SpellCheck API, alongside major upgrades to Chromium 73, V8 7.3, and Node.js 12.0. These changes enhanced performance and developer ergonomics by reducing callback-heavy patterns, though they required app compatibility adjustments. In August 2020, Electron 10.0 launched with support for , incorporating 85, V8 8.5, and 12.16 to align with Apple's upcoming OS redesign and improved security features. This release emphasized performance optimizations and better integration with modern macOS APIs ahead of Big Sur's November rollout. Electron 20.0, released on August 2, 2022, provided native support for (ARM64) architectures, building on earlier previews to deliver efficient binaries for M-series chips without emulation, paired with 104, V8 10.4, and 16.15. This update solidified cross-platform efficiency, particularly for macOS users transitioning to ARM hardware. As of November 2025, recent releases continue the rapid cadence with a focus on security and compatibility. Electron 37.0.0, dated June 24, 2025, upgraded to Chromium 138, V8 13.8, and Node.js 22.16.0, introducing performance optimizations and deprecating support for older Node versions below 20.x. Electron 38.0.0 followed on September 9, 2025, with Chromium 140, V8 14.0, and the same Node.js version, enhancing Wayland protocol support for Linux and shifting documentation to TypeScript for better type safety. Electron 39.0.0, released on October 28, 2025, upgraded to Chromium 142.0.7444.52, V8 14.2, and Node.js 22.20.0, stabilizing ASAR integrity validation, adding APIs for hardware acceleration detection and granular accessibility management, and ending support for version 36.x. These updates, while delivering new web features like improved JavaScript execution, necessitate regular compatibility testing due to Chromium's frequent changes.
VersionRelease DateKey Chromium/Node.js VersionsNotable Advancements
1.0.0May 11, 2016 49 / 7.4Stable API foundation
5.0.0Apr 23, 2019 73 / 12.0Async API promisification
10.0.0Aug 25, 2020 85 / 12.16 support
20.0.0Aug 2, 2022 104 / 16.15Native
37.0.0Jun 24, 2025 138 / 22.16Performance optimizations, Node deprecations
38.0.0Sep 9, 2025 140 / 22.16Enhanced Wayland, docs
39.0.0Oct 28, 2025 142 / 22.20Stable ASAR integrity, APIs

Usage and Development

Creating Applications

To develop an Electron application, developers must first ensure they have the necessary prerequisites installed. This includes the latest (LTS) version of , which comes bundled with (Node Package Manager), as Electron relies on for its runtime environment. Basic knowledge of technologies such as , , and CSS is also essential, along with familiarity with concepts like modules and asynchronous programming. A code editor like and a are recommended for efficient development. The setup process begins by creating a new project directory and initializing it as an package. Developers can run mkdir my-electron-app && cd my-electron-app to create and enter the directory, followed by npm init to generate a package.json file, specifying main.js as the entry point. Next, install as a development dependency using npm install electron --save-dev, which adds it to the devDependencies section of package.json. Essential files include main.js for the application's main process and index.html for the user interface rendered in the browser window. In basic implementation, the main in main.js imports modules with const { app, BrowserWindow } = require('electron/main'); to manage the application lifecycle and create and control windows. The app.whenReady() method ensures the application is fully initialized before creating a new BrowserWindow instance, typically with dimensions like 800x600 pixels, and loading content via win.loadFile('index.html') or win.loadURL('[https](/page/HTTPS)://example.com'). Since Electron 28, APIs are modularized; main code uses require('electron/main'), while renderer and preload scripts use require('electron') or require('electron/renderer') as appropriate. Event handlers are crucial for cross-platform behavior; for instance, app.on('window-all-closed', () => { if ([process](/page/Process).platform !== 'darwin') app.quit(); }) quits the app when all windows are closed on Windows and but not on macOS, while app.on('activate', () => { if (BrowserWindow.getAllWindows().length === 0) createWindow(); }) recreates a window if the dock icon is clicked on macOS with no open windows. The index.html file serves as the renderer entry, containing standard structure with a simple and body content. For the development workflow, add a start script to package.json such as "start": "electron ." and run it with npm start to launch the app in development mode, allowing real-time code changes and hot reloading. Tools like Electron Forge simplify scaffolding by providing templates for modern build systems; installation involves npx create-electron-app@latest my-app --template=[webpack](/page/Webpack), followed by cd my-app and npm start to run the app. Debugging is facilitated by Chrome DevTools, accessible via menu options in the running app or integrated with editors like VS Code using launch configurations that attach to the main process on port 9222 and the renderer process. Best practices emphasize separating the main process, which handles native OS interactions and app lifecycle in a context, from the renderer process, which executes web content in an isolated environment, as per Electron's multi-process model. For secure (IPC) in production, use the contextBridge in a preload script to expose limited, sanitized APIs from the main process to the renderer, preventing direct access to powerful Electron modules that could pose risks. An example preload script might look like this:

javascript

const { contextBridge, ipcRenderer } = require('electron'); contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('electronAPI', { setTitle: (title) => ipcRenderer.send('set-title', title) });

const { contextBridge, ipcRenderer } = require('electron'); contextBridge.exposeInMainWorld('electronAPI', { setTitle: (title) => ipcRenderer.send('set-title', title) });

This approach, combined with (CSP) headers in to restrict script sources to 'self', ensures robust isolation.

Implementing Windows Visual Effects

Electron provides native support for Windows-specific visual effects such as Acrylic and Mica backgrounds starting from version 25.0.0. These effects can be applied using the backgroundMaterial option in the BrowserWindow constructor, which is available on Windows 10 build 17763 and later for Acrylic, and Windows 11 for Mica. The Mica effect is suitable for long-lived windows, while Acrylic is for transient windows. An example implementation is as follows:

javascript

const { BrowserWindow } = require('electron'); const win = new BrowserWindow({ width: 800, height: 600, backgroundMaterial: 'mica' // or 'acrylic' });

const { BrowserWindow } = require('electron'); const win = new BrowserWindow({ width: 800, height: 600, backgroundMaterial: 'mica' // or 'acrylic' });

For older versions of Electron or additional customization, third-party npm packages can be used. The 'vibe' package, now archived since March 2024, provided Acrylic and Mica effects for Electron v11 and above on Windows 10/11. Another option is 'electron-acrylic-window', which adds the Acrylic effect for Windows 10 applications. As a fallback, CSS blur effects can be applied in the renderer process.

Packaging and Deployment

Packaging Electron applications involves bundling the application's code, assets, and the embedded and runtimes into distributable formats suitable for various operating systems. Popular tools for this process include Electron Packager, which creates platform-specific bundles like .app for macOS or .exe for Windows by combining the app source with a renamed Electron executable; electron-builder, which supports multiple output formats such as DMG, MSI, and NSIS installers while handling auto-updates; and Electron Forge, an all-in-one solution that integrates makers for installers and publishers for distribution. These tools allow developers to generate self-contained executables without requiring users to install or separately. The resulting bundle typically includes the binary for rendering, the runtime for backend logic, the application's code, /CSS assets, and any native modules, often archived into an ASAR file to enable efficient and reduce filesystem overhead. ASAR, a tar-like format with indexing, packages the app contents without compression, improving load times by avoiding extraction while supporting features like file extraction for native dependencies. Options exist to trim unused code, such as ignoring devDependencies in node_modules, to minimize bundle size, which can otherwise exceed 100 MB due to the embedded runtimes. Platform-specific deployment requires to meet security requirements and avoid warnings during installation. On macOS, applications must use a Developer ID certificate for distribution outside the , applied via tools like electron-builder with environment variables such as CSC_LINK for the certificate file and CSC_KEY_PASSWORD for decryption, ensuring compliance with . For Windows, Extended Validation (EV) code signing certificates are recommended to bypass SmartScreen filters, configured similarly through electron-builder or rcedit for executable metadata updates. Native modules may need special handling, such as rebuilding with node-gyp or entitlements for permissions like file access. Auto-updaters facilitate seamless updates post-deployment, with electron-builder integrating for NSIS installers and electron-updater for cross-platform support, including code signature verification and staged rollouts. These use differential updates where possible, such as .nupkg deltas on Windows to download only changes, reducing bandwidth compared to full reinstalls. Distribution channels include direct downloads from websites or Releases, web installers that fetch and unpack bundles on-the-fly, and app stores with caveats. The requires sandboxing via a MAS-specific Electron build, disabling modules like crashReporter and autoUpdater while restricting entitlements for features like , necessitating Apple's Developer Program and Transporter for submission. Similarly, the uses AppX packaging with electron-windows-store, supporting UWP access but lacking automatic updates and requiring +; it involves a one-time developer fee and manual verification. Limitations in both stores stem from sandboxing, which can break non-public APIs or full filesystem access used in standard Electron apps.

Ecosystem

Notable Applications

Electron has powered numerous high-profile desktop applications, demonstrating its utility in delivering cross-platform experiences using web technologies. One of the most prominent is , Microsoft's open-source code editor first released in 2015, which employs Electron to provide a consistent across Windows, macOS, and while supporting a vast ecosystem of extensions for enhanced functionality. Slack's desktop client, introduced in 2015, was among the early adopters of Electron, leveraging the framework to integrate native features like desktop notifications, screensharing, and spellchecking into its team collaboration platform, thereby maintaining a unified codebase for rapid updates across operating systems. Discord, launched in 2016 as a voice and video communication tool for gamers and communities, relies on Electron to manage rich media handling, real-time interactions, and cross-platform deployment, enabling seamless experiences on multiple devices without platform-specific rewrites. The Atom text editor, originally developed by GitHub and released in 2014, served as the foundational project for Electron—initially called Atom Shell—allowing developers to build a hackable, extensible editor using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript; however, it was discontinued in 2022 following Microsoft's acquisition of GitHub, with its codebase archived to focus resources on alternatives like Visual Studio Code. WhatsApp Desktop, Meta's messaging application for computers first available in 2016, initially utilized to wrap its web-based interface into a standalone app, facilitating quick cross-platform availability and features like ; by 2023, however, WhatsApp transitioned to native implementations for improved performance, marking the end of support for the Electron version. These applications highlight Electron's role in accelerating development for consumer-facing software, with companies citing its ability to reuse web skills for desktop environments as a key advantage, though it has occasionally drawn attention for larger bundle sizes compared to fully native alternatives.

Community and Tools

Electron is maintained by the , an umbrella organization under the that oversees several JavaScript-related open-source projects. The framework originated at , which initially developed it, and has received significant contributions from , though ownership was transferred to the in 2019 to broaden community involvement, alongside independent developers worldwide. The project's primary repository on , hosted at github.com/electron/electron, boasts over 119,000 stars as of November 2025, reflecting its widespread popularity and active maintenance by a global community of contributors. The Electron ecosystem provides robust resources for developers, including comprehensive official documentation available at electronjs.org/docs, which covers everything from API references to tutorials on building and debugging applications. For quick prototyping, Electron Fiddle serves as an official desktop tool that allows users to experiment with code snippets, generate boilerplates, and share examples directly from the application. Community support includes weekly office hours hosted by maintainers for real-time discussions on development challenges, as well as forums such as the Electron Discord server and Stack Overflow's electronjs tag, where developers seek advice and share solutions. Third-party tools enhance Electron's development workflow, with Electron Forge standing out as a popular all-in-one toolkit for scaffolding projects, bundling code, and handling packaging and distribution across platforms. For testing, Spectron was once a go-to for end-to-end automation using WebDriver, but it has been officially deprecated since February 2022 in favor of more modern alternatives like , which offers robust support for testing Electron applications through its experimental Electron automation features. UI customization is facilitated by themes and kits such as , a lightweight providing pre-built components and styles compatible with Electron's web-based rendering. The community engages through events like Interactive conferences, where Electron announcements and sessions on JavaScript ecosystem advancements occur, and contributions to JSConf talks on cross-platform development. is prioritized via official advisories on the Electron documentation site, which detail best practices for mitigating vulnerabilities in Chromium and Node.js integrations, though no dedicated exists specifically for Electron; instead, reports are handled through GitHub's security features and the OpenJS Foundation's channels. As of November 2025, the npm package records over 1.5 million weekly downloads, underscoring its sustained growth and adoption in desktop application development. The ecosystem includes diverse plugins, such as electron-reload for implementing hot-reloading during development to streamline iteration on main and renderer processes, and various theming extensions leveraging CSS frameworks like for consistent visual updates across applications.

Reception

Advantages and Adoption

Electron's unified web technology stack, comprising , CSS, and , significantly lowers the learning curve for developers familiar with , allowing them to build desktop applications without needing expertise in platform-specific languages like Swift for macOS or C# for Windows. This approach, combined with support for hot-reloading through tools like electron-vite, enables rapid iteration during development by automatically updating the application upon code changes, reducing build times and enhancing productivity. Furthermore, Electron provides seamless access to the extensive ecosystem, including over 2 million packages on npm, which developers can leverage for functionalities ranging from UI components to backend integrations without additional setup. A key strength of Electron lies in its cross-platform consistency, where a single codebase can produce applications that behave identically across macOS, Windows, and , minimizing discrepancies in and functionality that often arise in native development. This is achieved through Chromium's rendering engine, which ensures uniform web content display, while Electron's APIs allow for native integrations such as access, notifications, and menu customizations tailored to each operating system. As a result, developers avoid the overhead of maintaining separate codebases, streamlining updates and bug fixes across platforms. Adoption of Electron has surged, reflecting its role in over 500 organizations worldwide for desktop software development. Major enterprises, including for , for tools like , and Meta for the desktop version of Facebook Messenger, rely on Electron to deliver robust applications, demonstrating its scalability for production environments. This widespread use underscores Electron's maturity, powering high-profile tools that serve millions of users daily. Economically, Electron reduces development costs by enabling teams to repurpose existing web development skills, which accelerates time-to-market and cuts expenses associated with hiring platform-specific experts. It also simplifies maintenance, as web-based updates can be deployed centrally without recompiling for each OS, potentially saving significant resources compared to native app lifecycles. For instance, businesses report faster development cycles, allowing focus on feature innovation rather than platform adaptations. Electron's alignment with evolving web standards future-proofs applications, as its embedded engine receives regular updates—such as the upgrade to Chromium 138 in Electron 37.0.0 (June 2025) and more recently to Chromium 142 in Electron 39.2.1 (November 2025)—incorporating the latest JavaScript features, security enhancements, and performance improvements without requiring full rewrites. This ongoing synchronization with the open web ecosystem ensures long-term viability and compatibility with emerging technologies like modern ES modules and Web APIs.

Criticisms and Performance

Electron applications have faced significant criticism for their high resource consumption, primarily due to the inclusion of a full , which results in large bundle sizes often exceeding 100 MB even for simple applications. This results in larger installers and binaries compared to natively compiled apps, as each Electron application includes the complete Chromium engine (approximately 100 MB), Node.js runtime, and accumulated dependencies. This embedding leads to elevated RAM and CPU usage compared to native alternatives, as the browser runtime processes web technologies in a desktop context, contributing to perceptions of "bloat" among developers and users. For instance, lightweight Electron apps typically require a minimum of 80-250 MB of RAM, while more complex ones like early versions of Slack consumed substantially more, exacerbating system resource strain on lower-end hardware. Performance issues further compound these concerns, with Electron apps exhibiting slower startup times—often several seconds longer than native equivalents—due to the initialization of the Chromium engine and V8 JavaScript runtime. This overhead can lead to noticeable battery drain on laptops, particularly during prolonged use of resource-intensive applications like Visual Studio Code or Slack, where unoptimized renderer processes cause stuttering or freezes if blocking operations occur in the main thread. Applications such as Slack and VS Code have historically required specific optimizations, like deferring module loads and using asynchronous I/O, to mitigate these delays and improve responsiveness. Security represents another point of contention, as Electron's reliance on web technologies expands the beyond traditional desktop apps, enabling risks like remote code execution through if untrusted content is loaded with integration enabled. Furthermore, the framework's reliance on a large number of third-party dependencies from the npm ecosystem contributes to an increased vulnerability surface, as these dependencies can introduce their own security flaws and outdated libraries. Privacy risks are also associated with certain CVEs, such as those involving exposure of sensitive data through untrusted content or improper permission handling. Vulnerabilities in the embedded engine pose ongoing threats, with outdated versions exposing apps to known exploits; for example, in 2025, AI code editors built on Electron, such as Cursor and Windsurf, were found vulnerable to over 94 Chromium CVEs due to delayed updates, affecting millions of users. However, these risks are partially mitigated by Electron's automatic adoption of security patches in new releases, alongside built-in features like context isolation and process sandboxing, which have been enabled by default since versions 12.0.0 and 20.0.0, respectively. To address these criticisms, developers have adopted various mitigations, including tools like electron-builder for pruning unnecessary files and compressing bundles during packaging, which can reduce installer sizes by excluding dev dependencies and optimizing compression levels. Performance enhancements leverage techniques such as code splitting with bundlers like to defer non-essential loads, and integrating native Node modules for CPU-intensive tasks via worker threads, thereby offloading work from the main and reducing startup times by up to 90% in optimized cases. optimizations, including pointer compression introduced in Electron 19, further improve memory efficiency by shrinking heap sizes by up to 40% and boosting GC performance by 5-10%, helping to alleviate bloat without sacrificing functionality. In response to ongoing debates, the community, including maintainers, emphasizes that while bloat and trade-offs exist, they stem from prioritizing cross-platform consistency over , with users often tolerating larger sizes for development speed—evident in the framework's continued despite alternatives like gaining traction for lighter footprints in resource-constrained projects. Articles and official guidance promote "high- Electron" practices, such as using requestIdleCallback for idle-time computations and profiling with Chrome Tracing tools, to counter misconceptions and demonstrate viable efficiency gains.

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