Electron vs fbs

Overview

Electron

Stacks11.6K

Followers10.0K

Votes148

fbs

Stacks0

Followers8

Votes0

GitHub Stars3.9K

Forks190

Electron vs fbs: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this Markdown document, we will outline the key differences between Electron and fbs.

Architecture: Electron uses a combination of Node.js runtime and Chromium engine, which results in a larger package size compared to fbs, which utilizes PyQt and PyInstaller, making it more lightweight and faster to distribute.
Language Support: Electron primarily supports JavaScript for both frontend and backend development, while fbs allows developers to use Python for both frontend GUI development with PyQt and backend logic, providing a more cohesive development experience for Python developers.
Community and Ecosystem: Electron has a larger and more mature community with extensive documentation and support, making it easier for developers to find solutions to problems, whereas fbs, being newer, has a smaller community but is growing rapidly with active development and support channels.
Development Environment: Electron is more tailored towards web developers due to its web-based technologies stack, which can be advantageous for those already familiar with web development practices. On the other hand, fbs is more suited for Python developers looking to build desktop applications without the need to learn new languages or technologies.
Packaging and Distribution: Electron provides tools like Electron Builder for easy packaging and distribution across multiple platforms, while fbs utilizes PyInstaller, simplifying the process of converting Python applications into standalone executables with native look and feel.
Performance: Electron applications can sometimes suffer from higher memory consumption and slower startup times compared to fbs applications that are typically more lightweight and faster due to the use of PyQt for the frontend and backend interactions.

In Summary, Electron and fbs differ in architecture, language support, community size, development environment focus, packaging tools, and performance characteristics.

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Advice on Electron, fbs

Semih

Software Engineering Manager

Oct 1, 2020

Needs adviceon

JavaScript

HTML5

.NET

Hi,

We are planning to develop a brand new UX for an already existing desktop software. The previous version is developed on C#.NET with Winforms & WPF. Our plan is to use JavaScript/HTML5 based frontend technologies for the new software. For some components, we are highly dependent on .NET/ .NET Core because the JS-based versions are not mature enough.

What would you choose for a desktop-based Engineering Software that supports multi-OS and has rich UI capabilities considering the .NET dependencies?

Thanks in advance,

Semih

57.9k views57.9k

Comments

Detailed Comparison

Electron	fbs
With Electron, creating a desktop application for your company or idea is easy. Initially developed for GitHub's Atom editor, Electron has since been used to create applications by companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Slack, and Docker. The Electron framework lets you write cross-platform desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML and CSS. It is based on io.js and Chromium and is used in the Atom editor.	Open sources code that was originally written for the cross-platform file manager fman. By packaging field-tested solutions in one cohesive package, this project lets you create cross-platform desktop apps in minutes, not months.
Use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript with Chromium and Node.js to build your app.;Electron is open source; maintained by GitHub and an active community.;Electron apps build and run on Mac, Windows, and Linux.;Automatic updates;Crash reporting;Windows installers;Debugging & profiling;Native menus & notifications	-
Statistics
GitHub Stars -	GitHub Stars 3.9K
GitHub Forks -	GitHub Forks 190
Stacks 11.6K	Stacks 0
Followers 10.0K	Followers 8
Votes 148	Votes 0
Pros & Cons
Pros 69 Easy to make rich cross platform desktop applications 53 Open source 14 Great looking apps such as Slack and Visual Studio Code 8 Because it's cross platform 4 Use Node.js in the Main Process Cons 19 Uses a lot of memory 8 User experience never as good as a native app 4 No proper documentation 4 Does not native 1 Wrong reference for dom inspection	No community feedback yet

What are some alternatives to Electron, fbs?

Sciter

It brings a stack of web technologies to desktop UI development. Web designers, and developers, can reuse their experience and expertise in creating modern looking desktop applications.

wxWidgets

It is a C++ library that lets developers create applications for Windows, macOS, Linux and other platforms with a single code base. It has popular language bindings for Python, Perl, Ruby and many other languages, and unlike other cross-platform toolkits, it gives applications a truly native look and feel because it uses the platform's native API rather than emulating the GUI. It's also extensive, free, open-source and mature.

Qt5

It is a full development framework with tools designed to streamline the creation of applications and user interfaces for desktop, embedded, and mobile platforms.

JavaFX

It is a set of graphics and media packages that enables developers to design, create, test, debug, and deploy rich client applications that operate consistently across diverse platforms.

React Native Desktop

Build OS X desktop apps using React Native.

JUCE

It is a C++ framework for low-latency applications, with cross-platform GUI libraries to get your apps running on Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.

Proton Native

Create native desktop applications through a React syntax, on all platforms.

NodeGUI

It is an open source library for building cross-platform native desktop applications with JavaScript and CSS like styling. It is based on Qt5 and NOT chromium, hence it is memory and cpu efficient.

pygame

It is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. It includes computer graphics and sound libraries designed to be used with the Python programming language.

SDL

It is a cross-platform development library designed to provide low level access to audio, keyboard, mouse, joystick, and graphics hardware via OpenGL and Direct3D.

Related Comparisons

Electron vs fbs: What are the differences?

Introduction

In this Markdown document, we will outline the key differences between Electron and fbs.

Architecture: Electron uses a combination of Node.js runtime and Chromium engine, which results in a larger package size compared to fbs, which utilizes PyQt and PyInstaller, making it more lightweight and faster to distribute.
Language Support: Electron primarily supports JavaScript for both frontend and backend development, while fbs allows developers to use Python for both frontend GUI development with PyQt and backend logic, providing a more cohesive development experience for Python developers.
Community and Ecosystem: Electron has a larger and more mature community with extensive documentation and support, making it easier for developers to find solutions to problems, whereas fbs, being newer, has a smaller community but is growing rapidly with active development and support channels.
Development Environment: Electron is more tailored towards web developers due to its web-based technologies stack, which can be advantageous for those already familiar with web development practices. On the other hand, fbs is more suited for Python developers looking to build desktop applications without the need to learn new languages or technologies.
Packaging and Distribution: Electron provides tools like Electron Builder for easy packaging and distribution across multiple platforms, while fbs utilizes PyInstaller, simplifying the process of converting Python applications into standalone executables with native look and feel.
Performance: Electron applications can sometimes suffer from higher memory consumption and slower startup times compared to fbs applications that are typically more lightweight and faster due to the use of PyQt for the frontend and backend interactions.

In Summary, Electron and fbs differ in architecture, language support, community size, development environment focus, packaging tools, and performance characteristics.

Electron vs fbs

Overview

Electron vs fbs: What are the differences?