Electron vs electrino: What are the differences?

Introduction:

In this article, we will be discussing the key differences between Electron and Electrino. Both Electron and Electrino are frameworks used to build cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. However, there are crucial differences that set them apart from each other.

1. Runtime Environment: Electron is built upon the Chromium browser engine, which means it runs an instance of Chromium for each application. On the other hand, Electrino uses the native macOS WebView as its runtime environment, resulting in better performance and reduced memory consumption.

2. Application Size: Electron applications tend to have larger file sizes due to the bundled Chromium runtime. It can be several 10s of megabytes in size, making it less suitable for lightweight or resource-restricted environments. Electrino, on the other hand, leverages the existing macOS WebView and does not bundle a complete browser engine, resulting in much smaller application sizes.

3. Compatibility: Electron is designed to be cross-platform and supports building applications for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Electrino, on the other hand, is specifically tailored for macOS and is not compatible with Windows or Linux. This limits the portability and reach of Electrino applications.

4. External Dependencies: Electron requires the installation of external dependencies such as Node.js and Chromium to run the applications. This can create dependency conflicts and versioning issues. Electrino, on the other hand, does not require any external dependencies and runs directly on the macOS system WebView.

5. Development Environment: Electron provides a rich set of developer tools and a comprehensive ecosystem for building and debugging applications. Electrino, although being lightweight, lacks some of the development tools and ecosystem present in Electron, making it slightly less developer-friendly.

6. Community and Support: Electron has a larger community and more active support forums, which means finding solutions to common issues and getting help is relatively easier. Electrino, being a newer and lesser-known framework, has a smaller community and limited support resources.

In summary, Electron is a powerful and feature-rich framework for building cross-platform desktop applications, while Electrino is a lightweight alternative specifically tailored for macOS. Electrino offers better performance, smaller application sizes, and no external dependencies but is limited to macOS only and lacks some developer tools and community support available in Electron.