Electron vs Proton Native

Overview

Electron

Stacks11.6K

Followers10.0K

Votes148

Proton Native

Stacks23

Followers182

Votes10

GitHub Stars10.9K

Forks359

Electron vs Proton Native: What are the differences?

Introduction

Electron and Proton Native are both frameworks used for building desktop applications using web technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. However, there are key differences between the two frameworks that make them unique in their own ways. In this Markdown code, we will discuss the main differences between Electron and Proton Native.

Development Workflow: Electron allows developers to create cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies with a focus on creating a native-like experience. It provides powerful features like easy installation, automatic updates, and a wide range of built-in APIs. On the other hand, Proton Native focuses on creating truly native applications by using native components provided by each operating system. It aims to provide a lightweight and efficient alternative to Electron.
Performance: Electron applications are known for their rich features and flexibility, but they can be resource-intensive due to the Electron runtime. This can sometimes result in slower performance and higher memory consumption. In contrast, Proton Native applications are typically lighter and faster since they utilize native components directly without the need for an additional runtime layer.
Integration with Existing Codebases: Electron has a strong focus on web technologies and can leverage existing web development skills and codebases. It allows developers to reuse components, libraries, and frameworks built for the web. On the other hand, Proton Native offers a more seamless integration with existing C/C++ codebases. It can be used as a lightweight interface layer for native applications that require performance-critical functionality.
Native Look and Feel: Electron applications provide a consistent user experience across multiple platforms by utilizing web technologies. While this provides flexibility, it may also result in applications that do not perfectly match the native look and feel of each platform. Proton Native, on the other hand, aims to provide a truly native look and feel by utilizing platform-specific native components. This allows applications to seamlessly integrate with the underlying operating system, resulting in a more authentic user experience.
Platform Support: Electron has strong support for a wide range of platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux. It provides a unified development environment that can target multiple operating systems. Proton Native, on the other hand, currently has more limited platform support. It primarily focuses on targeting macOS, Windows, and Linux, but with a stronger emphasis on Linux desktop environments.
Bundle Size: Electron-based applications typically have a larger bundle size due to the inclusion of the Electron runtime and the dependencies required for running web technologies. This can result in larger application downloads and slower installation times. In contrast, Proton Native applications have a smaller bundle size since they directly utilize native components without the need for an additional runtime layer.

In summary, Electron is a powerful framework that allows for cross-platform desktop application development with a focus on a native-like experience and integration with web technologies. Proton Native, on the other hand, focuses on creating lightweight and efficient native applications with seamless integration with underlying native codebases, while providing a truly native look and feel.

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Advice on Electron, Proton Native

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	Proton Native
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.	Create native desktop applications through a React syntax, on all platforms.
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	Same syntax as React Native; Works with existing React libraries such as Redux; Cross platform; Native components (no more Electron)
Statistics
GitHub Stars -	GitHub Stars 10.9K
GitHub Forks -	GitHub Forks 359
Stacks 11.6K	Stacks 23
Followers 10.0K	Followers 182
Votes 148	Votes 10
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 Each app needs to install a new chromium + nodejs	Pros 3 Very fast 3 Full cross plataform 2 Lightweight 1 React style 1 Is native Cons 1 Low community for the moment
Integrations
No integrations available	React

What are some alternatives to Electron, Proton Native?

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.

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.

Element

Element is a Vue 2.0 based component library for developers, designers and product managers, with a set of design resources.

Related Comparisons

Electron vs Proton Native: What are the differences?

Introduction

Development Workflow: Electron allows developers to create cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies with a focus on creating a native-like experience. It provides powerful features like easy installation, automatic updates, and a wide range of built-in APIs. On the other hand, Proton Native focuses on creating truly native applications by using native components provided by each operating system. It aims to provide a lightweight and efficient alternative to Electron.
Performance: Electron applications are known for their rich features and flexibility, but they can be resource-intensive due to the Electron runtime. This can sometimes result in slower performance and higher memory consumption. In contrast, Proton Native applications are typically lighter and faster since they utilize native components directly without the need for an additional runtime layer.
Integration with Existing Codebases: Electron has a strong focus on web technologies and can leverage existing web development skills and codebases. It allows developers to reuse components, libraries, and frameworks built for the web. On the other hand, Proton Native offers a more seamless integration with existing C/C++ codebases. It can be used as a lightweight interface layer for native applications that require performance-critical functionality.
Native Look and Feel: Electron applications provide a consistent user experience across multiple platforms by utilizing web technologies. While this provides flexibility, it may also result in applications that do not perfectly match the native look and feel of each platform. Proton Native, on the other hand, aims to provide a truly native look and feel by utilizing platform-specific native components. This allows applications to seamlessly integrate with the underlying operating system, resulting in a more authentic user experience.
Platform Support: Electron has strong support for a wide range of platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux. It provides a unified development environment that can target multiple operating systems. Proton Native, on the other hand, currently has more limited platform support. It primarily focuses on targeting macOS, Windows, and Linux, but with a stronger emphasis on Linux desktop environments.
Bundle Size: Electron-based applications typically have a larger bundle size due to the inclusion of the Electron runtime and the dependencies required for running web technologies. This can result in larger application downloads and slower installation times. In contrast, Proton Native applications have a smaller bundle size since they directly utilize native components without the need for an additional runtime layer.

Electron vs Proton Native

Overview

Electron vs Proton Native: What are the differences?