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  1. Stackups
  2. Application & Data
  3. Frameworks
  4. Cross Platform Desktop Development
  5. Electron vs Hazel

Electron vs Hazel

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Electron
Electron
Stacks11.6K
Followers10.0K
Votes148
Hazel
Hazel
Stacks18
Followers23
Votes0

Electron vs Hazel: What are the differences?

## Introduction

Electron and Hazel are two popular frameworks used in web development for building desktop applications. While both frameworks are similar in some aspects, there are key differences that developers should consider before choosing one over the other.

1. **Architecture**: Electron uses a multi-process architecture where each window in the application runs in its own process, providing better isolation and security. In contrast, Hazel follows a single-process architecture, which can lead to better performance but may also introduce certain limitations in terms of handling multiple windows or processes.

2. **Technology Stack**: Electron utilizes web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to build desktop applications, making it easier for web developers to transition into desktop development. On the other hand, Hazel relies on C++ and OpenGL for its core functionality, which gives it a performance edge but requires developers to have a deeper understanding of these technologies.

3. **Cross-Platform Support**: Electron is known for its strong cross-platform compatibility, allowing developers to build applications that run seamlessly on Windows, macOS, and Linux. In comparison, Hazel primarily targets Windows platforms, limiting its reach to a specific operating system.

4. **Community and Ecosystem**: Electron has a large and active community with an extensive library of plugins and packages, making it easier for developers to find solutions to common problems. Hazel, while supported by a dedicated community, may have a narrower selection of tools and resources available for developers.

5. **Learning Curve**: Electron's familiarity with web technologies makes it easier for web developers to start building desktop applications without a steep learning curve. In contrast, Hazel's reliance on lower-level languages like C++ may require more time and expertise from developers to master and utilize effectively.

6. **Application Size**: Due to its web technology stack, Electron applications tend to have larger file sizes compared to Hazel applications, which are more lightweight and optimized for performance and efficiency.

In Summary, Electron and Hazel differ in architecture, technology stack, cross-platform support, community, learning curve, and application size, offering developers various considerations when choosing a framework for desktop application development.

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Advice on Electron, Hazel

Semih
Semih

Software Engineering Manager

Oct 1, 2020

Needs adviceonJavaScriptJavaScriptHTML5HTML5.NET.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
Electron
Hazel
Hazel

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.

This project lets you deploy an update server for Electron apps with ease: You only need to run a single command and fill out two text fields.

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
Stacks
11.6K
Stacks
18
Followers
10.0K
Followers
23
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, Hazel?

Sciter

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

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

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

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

React Native Desktop

Build OS X desktop apps using React Native.

JUCE

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

Proton Native

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

NodeGUI

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

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

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.

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