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Electron vs Proton Native vs React Native Desktop: What are the differences?
Introduction
In this markdown, we will compare the key differences between Electron, Proton Native, and React Native Desktop.
Development Language: Electron: Electron is built using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It uses Chromium and Node.js to create cross-platform desktop applications. Proton Native: Proton Native is also built using web technologies like React, but it uses Native UI components to render the app instead of using a web view like Electron. React Native Desktop: React Native Desktop allows developers to use the same codebase they use for React Native mobile apps, but it provides a desktop-specific runtime on top of React Native.
Platform Support: Electron: Electron supports building desktop applications for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems. Proton Native: Proton Native is primarily focused on providing a native-like experience on Linux, macOS, and Windows. React Native Desktop: React Native Desktop focuses on building applications for macOS and Windows.
Performance: Electron: Electron uses a separate instance of Chromium for each application, which can lead to higher memory usage and slower performance compared to native applications. Proton Native: Proton Native uses Native UI components, which results in faster performance compared to Electron. React Native Desktop: React Native Desktop leverages React Native's performance optimizations for mobile devices, which can result in a faster experience on desktop platforms.
Access to Native APIs: Electron: Electron provides direct access to a wide range of native APIs, allowing developers to build applications with deep system integration. Proton Native: Proton Native also allows access to native APIs, but the number of available APIs may be more limited compared to Electron. React Native Desktop: React Native Desktop provides access to the same set of APIs as React Native for mobile applications, which may not cover every native desktop functionality.
Code Reusability: Electron: With Electron, developers can reuse web development skills and code to create cross-platform desktop applications. Proton Native: Proton Native allows code reusability as it is based on React, providing similar code sharing capabilities with React Native. React Native Desktop: React Native Desktop enables code reusability by utilizing the same codebase used for React Native mobile apps, allowing developers to share code between mobile and desktop applications.
Tooling and Ecosystem: Electron: Electron has a mature and extensive ecosystem with various libraries, frameworks, and development tools available. Proton Native: Proton Native has a smaller ecosystem compared to Electron, but it provides access to the React ecosystem, which includes various libraries and tools. React Native Desktop: React Native Desktop leverages the existing React Native ecosystem, allowing developers to benefit from the wide range of libraries and tools already available.
In summary, Electron allows developers to build cross-platform desktop applications using web technologies, while Proton Native focuses on providing a native-like experience using React and Native UI components. React Native Desktop enables developers to utilize their React Native codebase for creating desktop applications on macOS and Windows.
Pros of Electron
- Easy to make rich cross platform desktop applications69
- Open source53
- Great looking apps such as Slack and Visual Studio Code14
- Because it's cross platform8
- Use Node.js in the Main Process4
Pros of Proton Native
- Full cross plataform3
- Very fast3
- Lightweight2
- React style1
- Is native1
- Code reuse with react native apps0
Pros of React Native Desktop
- Pretty awesome3
- Is native app2
- Does not include any browser2
- Memory usage reduced2
- Quickly convert react.js web app to desktop app1
- Open source1
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Cons of Electron
- Uses a lot of memory19
- User experience never as good as a native app8
- No proper documentation4
- Does not native4
- Each app needs to install a new chromium + nodejs1
- Wrong reference for dom inspection1
Cons of Proton Native
- Low community for the moment1
Cons of React Native Desktop
- Memory usage reduced0
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What is Electron?
What is Proton Native?
What is React Native Desktop?
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What companies use Electron?
What companies use Proton Native?
What companies use React Native Desktop?
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What tools integrate with Proton Native?
What tools integrate with React Native Desktop?
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