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Electron vs Hazel vs React Native Desktop

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Electron
11.2K
9.9K
+ 1
148
Hazel
19
23
+ 1
0
React Native Desktop
15
203
+ 1
11

Electron vs Hazel vs React Native Desktop: What are the differences?

Introduction

Here we will discuss the key differences between Electron, Hazel, and React Native Desktop.

  1. Platform Compatibility: Electron is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems, making it versatile for desktop applications. Hazel is focused on macOS only, providing a seamless experience for Apple users. React Native Desktop, on the other hand, can target multiple platforms like Electron but is primarily designed for mobile applications.

  2. Performance: Electron applications can be considered heavier in terms of resource consumption compared to Hazel, which is known for its lightweight nature and fast performance on macOS devices. React Native Desktop, being based on React Native, offers good performance optimization for mobile platforms but may have limitations on desktop devices.

  3. Development Environment: Electron provides a rich development environment with a wide range of tools and libraries for building desktop applications. Hazel, on the other hand, offers a more streamlined development process tailored specifically for macOS applications. React Native Desktop leverages the existing React Native ecosystem, making it easier for developers familiar with React to transition to desktop development.

  4. User Interface Components: Electron offers a wide selection of UI components and libraries for creating interactive desktop applications. Hazel focuses on providing native macOS UI components and design patterns for a seamless user experience on Apple devices. React Native Desktop utilizes React Native components, which can be customized for desktop applications but may not offer the same level of native UI integration as Hazel.

  5. Community Support: Electron has a large and active community of developers contributing to the framework and offering support for building desktop applications across different platforms. Hazel, being more niche and focused on macOS, has a smaller community but dedicated support for Apple developers. React Native Desktop benefits from the extensive React Native community, providing a wealth of resources and expertise for developing cross-platform applications.

  6. Deployment Options: Electron offers robust deployment options with built-in packaging tools for distributing applications on various platforms. Hazel simplifies the deployment process for macOS users, with easy distribution through the Mac App Store. React Native Desktop, being based on React Native, inherits similar deployment mechanisms for mobile apps, but may require additional steps for desktop deployment.

In Summary, each framework - Electron, Hazel, and React Native Desktop - offers unique strengths and focuses on different aspects of desktop and mobile application development, catering to specific requirements and preferences of developers and users.

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Pros of Electron
Pros of Hazel
Pros of React Native Desktop
  • 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
    Be the first to leave a pro
    • 3
      Pretty awesome
    • 2
      Is native app
    • 2
      Does not include any browser
    • 2
      Memory usage reduced
    • 1
      Quickly convert react.js web app to desktop app
    • 1
      Open source

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    Cons of Electron
    Cons of Hazel
    Cons of React Native Desktop
    • 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
      Each app needs to install a new chromium + nodejs
    • 1
      Wrong reference for dom inspection
      Be the first to leave a con
      • 0
        Memory usage reduced

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      What is Electron?

      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.

      What is Hazel?

      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.

      What is React Native Desktop?

      Build OS X desktop apps using React Native.

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      What companies use Electron?
      What companies use Hazel?
      What companies use React Native Desktop?
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        What tools integrate with Electron?
        What tools integrate with Hazel?
        What tools integrate with React Native Desktop?

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        What are some alternatives to Electron, Hazel, and React Native Desktop?
        Photon
        The fastest way to build beautiful Electron apps using simple HTML and CSS. Underneath it all is Electron. Originally built for GitHub's Atom text editor, Electron is the easiest way to build cross-platform desktop applications.
        React Native
        React Native enables you to build world-class application experiences on native platforms using a consistent developer experience based on JavaScript and React. The focus of React Native is on developer efficiency across all the platforms you care about - learn once, write anywhere. Facebook uses React Native in multiple production apps and will continue investing in React Native.
        React
        Lots of people use React as the V in MVC. Since React makes no assumptions about the rest of your technology stack, it's easy to try it out on a small feature in an existing project.
        JavaScript
        JavaScript is most known as the scripting language for Web pages, but used in many non-browser environments as well such as node.js or Apache CouchDB. It is a prototype-based, multi-paradigm scripting language that is dynamic,and supports object-oriented, imperative, and functional programming styles.
        Git
        Git is a free and open source distributed version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency.
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